Back from Market

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Here are several pictures of our room at market. Usually the first time at a new market is the hardest. We do better after seeing how the space is set-up. We always seem to have a problem with light. Hotel rooms are dark and restful. Not the perfect light to see new samplers. I think next time extra lights will be on our list to brighten up the room. I'm sorry these are so dark!

We have taken this fireplace to many shows. It adds a touch of home. I did have a very difficult time getting it into the elevator though. If it wasn't for Lois from Elegant Stitch this piece would still be in the hotel lobby! We used the fireplace to highlight some of the pieces from our Joyeux Noel book.

It's all about disguise when we set up our display. We bring three doors and a couple of shutters to hide the sofa in the hotel room. After hanging all of the stockings, I told Barb I couldn't believe how many she had designed. Quite a body of work! I "baked" some old book pages in the oven after dipping them in coffee. Instant aging process. The papers were a great backdrop for the stockings.

After hanging the Halloween stockings adjacent to the Christmas stockings I thought with a bit of color change some of the stockings from the book Tis Hallowe'en would be great for Christmas too. One of the shop owners told us they even make Christmas candy corn now too. Can you believe it? I know my kids will be glad.


We released 2 more Halloween Patterns. The one pictured on the left is Midnight Watch. Along with the pattern are instructions on making the label for the tall candle pillar. It's based on Barb's Midnight Silhouette quilt pattern.

The projects on the right are in the pattern Hallowe'en Greetings. I wish you could see it better....It has a sampler, pumpkin pincushion and a beaded pillow.


The sampler on the right is Raise A Glass of Cheer. Barb made this one for New Year's. Every year she celebrates by beginning a new sampler. Great way to bring in the New Year don't you think? A bit of stitching time and a glass of wine.

Barb and I leave this Thursday for Virginia Beach, VA. We are teaching at a retreated hosted by Dyeing To Stitch. (Ann and Pat from R & R Reproductions) We are looking forward to seeing all of you that are attending! Shepherd's Bush and Charland Designs will be there too!
Our projects are done and we are working on getting the patterns and kits together. On the downhill slide!

Winners of our new book and patterns: (send your mailing addresses to alma@blackbird-designs.com)

#319 Susan
#429 Sandi
#220 Jean from Sydney....one of my favorite places!
#180 Angela
#25 Karen from South Carolina

Congratulations ladies!

One more picture....here's my son, Greg. He attends university in St. Louis and was close enough to come and help for the day.


Until later,

Alma

48 comments

  1. Congratulations for all those wonderful patterns... there're so so marvellous.
    The way you show them on the market is very pleasant.
    It's a great honour for the French stitchers to have a very special thought from you with the new book.
    Thanks for all the happiness you give us all around the world !!!
    Anne (France)

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  2. Great pic of you and your Son! Thanks for sharing the pictures of the displays. I love the Midnight Watch pattern!

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  3. My dear Alma, the booth was terrific as always. Love you. Niky.

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  4. Love all the photos! I can't wait to get my new charts and the new book, looks like a lot of wonderful, fun things to stitch and create. I just love the both of you! Penny

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  5. Thank you so much for sharing all the pictures of your display. I love the stockings, all of them.

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  6. I love all of your lovely displays!

    I'm looking forward to meeting you at the Dyeing to Stitch Retreat!

    -Holly in VA

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  7. Your displays are so beautiful and make you want to look and look. I love how you have the stockings hung together. Beautiful new patterns! Starting the New Year sampler on New Year's Day is such a fun idea. Congratulations to all the lucky winners!

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  8. Your displays are beautiful and the patterns are oh so enticing!

    Since we don't do much for New Year's Eve, I can picture myself sitting with my glass and stitching....

    Congratulations to the winners!

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  9. Oh Alma, is this the son I wanted Elisabeth to marry? He looks just like you! So tall.
    I can't wait to see you and Barb this weekend. I'm dragging Courtney along. Elisabeth can't come but is jealous as she misses you girls!

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  10. Oh Alma -- I love the pic of you and your son. He is a handsome young man and I'm sure you're proud. That must have been fun to have him at the show with you and Barb.

    Love all of your new designs and many are ON ORDER !!! Hugs

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  11. You have a very handsome son! Thanks for sharing your Market snaps with us... all your stuff looks fabulous.

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  12. Love the idea of the fireplace in your booth. You ladies work so hard to put this all together. Nice photo of Mom and Son...
    Louise

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  13. Thanks for letting us travel vicariously with you to Market, Alma. The snaps are great! The new stuff--F-A-B-Ulous!! Can't wait to get my hands on 'em. Your son is a hottie... tell Tracy to move over, I've got a college age daughter, too! ;) Have a great time this weekend, safe home as they say in Ireland.

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  14. Alma, thanks so much for all the lovely pictures from market. You really know how to make a place pretty! Your son is so handsome -- and tall! lol! So nice that he helped out at market.

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  15. Please say hello to my friend Carolyn, from Just Cross Stitch in Limerick PA when you go to VA Beach. She is so excited to take this first real vacation in many years! She'll probably have a fit for me telling you, but she is so sweet...she would love it to say hello!

    I can't wait to get my hands on your new patterns! They are just beautiful!

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  16. The patterns and the set up are wonderful.
    Really nice display for your beautiful pieces.

    Debbie

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  17. What a fantastic display of goodies, you are so clever. Great photo of you and your son, and lastly congratulations to all the winners.

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  18. glad you got to see your son! more awesome patterns! congrats to the winners!

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  19. Thanks for the lovely photos and congratulation for the winners!

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  20. the Halloween stockings are lovely. Saturday October 10, I will be stitching them at Liezbeth's of Crownstitches. A few days ago I started my own blog and ofcourse you're in my favorites list. Guess what bannerpicture I choose: right: a very very blue hydrangea! Had to go to Scotland to take this lovely picture. Have fun with all your stitching projects and take care. Hugs

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  21. Congratulations for the lucky winners!

    All pictures are fantastic and love to see them :) How many little boots you have! Amazing :)

    Nina

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  22. What beautiful pictures of your room at market! I would've wanted to just plant myself in that room the whole time!
    Congrats to the winners of the giveaway! Yippee!

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  23. What a lot of work to set up for market, but worth it. Everything looks so lovely. You're a great photo stylist! Can't wait to start stitching.
    Chris in NY
    Congrats to the winners!

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  24. What beautiful displays! I'm looking forward to the Noel book. Thanks for sharing a picture of your son, he's a very handsome young man!

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  25. looks like a very successful market for you stitchery. VA will be trotting out her best weather for you, with sunny days and cool evenings, and no rain until after Midnight on Friday.
    You've got a very nice looking son.
    I know you enjoyed having him around to help out with market.

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  27. Hello, I like very muche your new Halloween pattern "Midnight Watch"; I'll be in Houston, next october, at the International Quilt Show, and I hope to find it.
    Best regards from Italy

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  28. Hello
    Your photos are lovely, and very inspiring!
    In the spring you posted some instructions for machine hand look applique. If you get a chance could I please have a few more details such as what you set your machine on and what foot you use? Thanks so Much
    Katherine

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  29. Thank you for all the great new patterns. I LOVE Midnight Watch!!! Can't wait to get my hands on it!!!
    Marissa
    Bowling Green KY

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  30. Again a beautiful market, such a pity that I am a bit far from you !!!
    Congratulations to the winners !
    Carry on to create pretty things

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  31. Hi, Alma!

    It was so great to see you this weekend! And THANK YOU for everything, I can't wait to start on the 8238723 new stitching projects I have!

    Hope all is well. And I agree with everyone who said you have a very handsome son :).

    Love, Amy

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  32. What a great display of your stockings.
    Congrats to all winners.

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  33. Thrilled to see the Midnight Watch cross stitch pattern as I have long loved the Midnight Silhouette quilt, but afraid to tackle. I'll call my local cross stitch shop tomorrow to see if it's in . . . thanks! LOVE your quilts and cross stitch!

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  34. I already ordered the Pomegranate pattern and told them to ship fabrics for it as well! And yesterday I pulled out on of my UFO's--it was from several years ago when you were in Spring Green (WI) and did the beautiful quilt using Ginger and Rhubarb fabric that you overdyed. It will be done, I believe, by the time I get the next pattern. Too bad the others in between aren't that far along. Remember there are those of us that still hand piece--I'd love it if you included cutting instructions for those of us challenged by a sewing machine!

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  35. Great new things. Love all. I am almost done with halloween 1904, but as I am so scatter-brained, can't find the book now. Think I tossed it out with some catelogs that were also on my sofa. So, if I could ask Barb what size to cut the border rectangles, I"d be ever so gratefull. I remember 31/2 by 51/2, but now I think it was 3 by 5 and a half. Love, Jane

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  36. Look at all those stockings. Wow. How great is that. :)

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  37. Alma--it was a pleasure meeting you at Dyeing to Stitch yesterday. I hope that you enjoy the retreat this weekend! I look forward to the Joyeux Noel book... Love all the designs.

    Maggee
    (stitchingdevotee.blogspot.com)

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  38. Barb and Alma
    I am so looking forward to market and seeing you - seems like so long since I missed last market. Be seeing you and I promise not to stalk the booth this time.
    Polly

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  39. The more I look at all the new patterns, the more I like them. I see our cute little friend, the Wicked Guy, is gracing another pattern cover, but what happened to Miss Pumpkin?

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  40. WOnderful display and beautiful patterns! Which book is the hooked rug pattern - the one in front of the fireplace?

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  41. Thank you for sharing with us your news, your projects, your diary life.... It's a pleasure to read it in your blog, I feel that you are so near for all the stitchers that they admire your work around the world.
    Thanks again !!!
    Cristina (from Spain)

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  42. tres joli blog bravo bisou jojo

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  43. Lovely new items! I'm really looking forward to stitching "Midnight Watch". Would you be able to post what threads are used so that I'm able to order them when I order the pattern? Thank you so much!

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  44. When will Joyeux Noel be available? And where? I love your patterns...and own lots of Beach House and At the Waters Edge fabric (love them both!) Good job!

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  45. There are so many nice things on your blog ! congratulations for all your needlework !

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  46. Hi Jane,

    Sorry you lost your book! This is the rectangle inst. Did you make the 4 pinwheel blocks? There is one pinwheel block in each corner of the border.

    Cut 64 - 3” x 5 1/2” rectangles from different orange prints.

    Cut 64 - 3” x 5 1/2” rectangles from different black prints. Refer to the quilt diagram and sew 4 strips of 16 black and 16 orange rectangles.

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  47. Hi,

    I am getting ready to stitch Midnight Watch and I can see there are some wrong color codes. Do you have a correction chart for this?

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