My banner is back!

Did you know it was gone? Well, it was, but only for a bit. I thought I somehow deleted it, while playing around inside the HTML section of the blog. Oh I was thinking how smart I was and how I'm sure I could put a code in all by my little old self and I clicked on save and the template was gone. Bye, bye gone! Now it's back and I'm feeling like I'm crazy! This blogger stuff is too much for me! LOL!

I remembered I have a few more market photos to show you! Well, not really market photos, but the "after I'm home from market" photos. I always manage to bring back souvenirs , something I blame on my mother. She's the one who taught me that you need souvenirs when you travel. It's just that I've gone from little china plates with the names of states to...

...a collection of crystal shakers and pretty glass containers, antique of course, from the Portland antique shops. We spent the day after market shopping and I found a lot of things I couldn't live without. How can you live without a wire market basket filled with old rolling pins? I can't. I'll take a photo as soon as I can find them. (:

And just look at the wool my friend Brenda GAVE to me at market. http://web.mac.com/fromlittleacorns/little_acorns/blog/blog.html Yes, she GAVE it to me! She dyes it all by hand and it's so beautiful! I can't wait to play around with this! Thank you Brenda! If any of you managed to get some for yourself, treasure it. Because the process takes a lot of time ,she only does a small amount every market. She'll be selling some at the Long Beach Quilt Festival in July (at least I think she will). It's worth a trip.

Speaking of trips...today was my grand-daughter Michaela's 8th birthday party. We drove through the hills, to Livermore and I have to show you what you may have already hear about. The hills are filled with rows, and rows of power generating windmills! It's an amazing site and one that those of us who live here hardly notice anymore! I had my camera with me, and i took pictures for you from the car window. We were going 55 MPH so I'm amazed at how clear they came out.

On the way over to the party it was foggy...

On the way back it was sunny. The cows were grazing under these windmills. Not bothered at all by the sound of the blades turning.

You have to enlarge the photo above to get the "whole" picture. (Never mind, my pictures are NOT enlarging and I have no idea why). It's rows and rows of windmills that go on forever. The windmill power is sold to the power company! The only problem is the low flying birds (hawks etc.) are often killed when they hit the blades. It been a huge controversy here and one that hasn't been solved.

Just a pretty picture don't you think?

This one I call "Flying Solo".

And this is my grand-daughter Michaela opening her gifts. She's the one in pink. She had 16 girls at the party and they were so much fun to watch! GIRLFRIENDS are the best!

Hopefully Bunny Tales will be back on Monday if it's owner isn't stuck in the html section.

Hugs,

Anne

I made it myself!

Today was sewing day at Bunny Hill with my grand-daughter Alyssa. She's in kindergarten, but if you ask her she'll tell you she's almost in first grade. She's at the perfect age to learn to sew. Once she started she didn't want to stop! We made three little projects, all on my "big" machine. I put the foot pedal on a little stool so she could reach it and that was all it took. I kept hearing the words "I love sewing!". This machine has so many extras that it's actually easier for her to sew on than my little featherweight. I can set the speed to slow, have the foot raise when she stops sewing, and then of course there's the thread cutter. What child wouldn't like to push a button and watch the thread cut itself?

Since home economics is no longer an option in school , it's up to us to teach our children. If we don't take the time, it will become a lost craft. I spent four years in college with the intention of becoming a home economics teacher. Now at least I can teach my grandchildren!

Look who else spent the day with us in the Bunny Hill studio! She arrived just before I left for market and has been waiting for her debut! She's my very own Rachael Rabbit, hand knit by Rachael at http://rachaelrabbit.blogspot.com/. I fell in love with Rachael's bunnies and you can buy one too from her Etsy shop. She'll make it especially for you!

I found her eyeing my ribbons this morning!

Who can resist a sweet little face like this?
Thank you Rachael! Your adorable little bunny has a really good home.

I've added some blogs to my list that you HAVE to visit. They are Australian designers with so much talent it's absolutely amazing!

Natalie at http://cinderberrystitches.typepad.com/cinderberrystitches/ . This link comes with a warning: you could be on her blog forever.

Then hop on over to visit Lynette at http://www.lynetteandersondesigns.typepad.com/. I met her at market and wished I could have spent more time chatting. Her designs are wonderful and so is she!

And finally there's Leanne at http://www.leanneshouse.typepad.com/. Just click on the link and you'll see what I mean. Talented, NICE, talented and did I say NICE? Wow what a wonderful combination!

Hope you have fun blog hopping! Maybe we should plan a trip to visit them! Can we all fit on one airplane? LOL!

Treats for me!

I've been catching up on paperwork. That awful, awful paperwork that goes along with a business. It's just not fun. It's not creative, thought provoking, nor do I get any pleasure from it. If you hate balancing your checkbook you'll understand. Just take the checkbook that you hate, multiply it times 3 and you have what I've been doing.

Finally today the sun came out! I actually got out my sketch book and pencil. I started jotting down ideas for patterns. I love doing this. It's kind of like brainstorming, but I'm doing it by myself. What will I work on for next market? It's a combination of ideas and fabrics. Sometimes I have the idea but not the right fabric, so the idea has to wait. And then there's fabric that fills my head with ideas as soon as I see it. I love how that works! It's what makes this process so endless and so much fun!

And then there's the little treats that arrive in the mail , quite unexpectedly, and bring with them inspiration galore. Nanette at http://fredashive.blogspot.com/ sent me the cutest little vintage towel I've ever seen! When I opened the package I fell in love instantly! Little does she know, it has so inspired me! It's a quilt waiting to happen and it's all starting with this little towel. It's a process that I'm going to share with you gradually as I work on it, and by the time I'm done maybe you'll be inspired too! Thank you Nanette, from the bottom of my heart! Hugs to you and your sister in law! (:

I'm off to pick the fabrics!

Good bye Spring Market 2008!

Quilt market = work. When you arrive you are greeted with a few drapes and poles. That's it. For everything else you're on your own. A scary thought when you actually look around. Stacks of boxes, suitcases, and props are all you see! Did everything make it? Did we forget to bring something? Then you realize you're really not alone. Everyone else is in exactly the same situation. The goal is to take your own area and make it unique. We all have a blank canvas!

The end result is a huge room filled to the brim with creative ideas, exciting new things, and sensory overload!

Moda has a new line of fabric coming in September called "Heritage". It's a reproduction of beautiful prints taken from a vintage quilt in shades of taupe, blue and brown. In the picture above, you can see the new quilt right next to the vintage quilt. All the proceeds from this collection will be donated to charity!

Market would not be complete without a bit of the Bernina Fashion show. Be sure and enlarge this photo so you can see the trims and buttons. Do you think they have an embellishment kit available? I took this photo because I knew it was so me, I mean so you!

Bitty Kitty sat quietly on display, inside her glass house, until she saw me walk over and take a photo of the quilt below. She had a jealous tizzy! There's another cat in the house! Poor Bitty!

The cat in this quilt captured my heart. This quilt is so creative and amazing I had to share it with you. I took a close up of the sign so you could read the story behind this quilt. It's from the Netherlands. Thank you Heidi for sharing your creative imagination and talents.

And so, my ode to spring market comes to a close. So many memories, good friends, and wonderful customers I will never forget.

And at the end of it all, it looks almost like the beginning!

Good bye Spring Market and hello Fall! (:

Market, Day One

My favorite time at Quilt Market is an hour before it opens to the public. It's the time I can get out of my booth, walk around and see what everyone else has done. The booth displays, the designers and the creative ideas are so inspiring. It's fun to meet old friends and just see everything there is! This post is my "ode to Quilt Market", part one, in photos. (:

Beautiful Portland and the back of the convention center. See those trucks? (Enlarge the picture and get your magnifying glass out!) That's the loading dock. When I first started designing I never thought it would include working from a loading dock! Who knew?

The Lecien booth featured their fabric designer and quilt designer Yoko Saito from Japan. Her quilts are a work of art, and Lecien actually sold several of her patterns at their booth. From what I understand they lasted about a minute before they were all gone.

Just look at this beauty. Yoko has two different fabrics as her background and where they join she has appliqued bias stems.

A close up of Yoko's quilt showing the quilting. This photo you HAVE to enlarge. It's hand quilted and absolutely amazing! How I wish I could have met her, but I understand she not only designs fabric and patterns, she also owns a quilt store in Japan.

Moda Home always has a wonderful display showing all their new items. I really wanted to take home that little framed house you see in the background. It could have become the Bunny Hill Annex!

Here's the main Moda booth showing the little cubes filled with bird houses and birds. Birds are quite the theme this year. Who knew? I've got to get with the program! As for the quilt? It's from Sandy Klop at American Jane!

Close up of the birds. The houses are covered in fabric!

Laurie Simpson and Polly Minick, two sisters who design for Moda Fabrics. I LOVE their fabric and I used their "Winter" line in "I Believe In Angels". After I got home a note arrived from them thanking me for choosing their fabric! How sweet is that?

Anna Maria Horner and her now famous chairs! She's as sweet as she looks. You can read all about these famous chairs on her blog at http://www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com/ . Thanks Anna for letting me take your picture!

The beautiful Amy Butler and her simply gorgeous booth. It's a work of art to see. I embarrassed myself when I got her mixed up with Heather Bailey. I know, I know, how could I? But,they are both tall, beautiful and talented. Amy was very gracious and pointed out to me that she didn't have a blog. So I took this picture and moved on with a red face. (:

These two I could never get mixed up. This is the famous Karen I am always hearing about http://yellowfarmhouse.typepad.com/ from "my" friend Anne. I really have to watch "my" Anne because she LOVES Karen's blog, house, decorating style, quilt style, writing style, Christmas decorations and well, you get the picture right? She LOVES everything about her. Anne doesn't realize it, but I know why. They are two peas in a pod! Anne is just like Karen. Now if the other Anne only had a blog!

Stay tuned because my next post is "Ode to Quilt Market" part two. A few more pictures and the final post in a series. Then I HAVE to show you the treats I got in the mail...I'm so lucky!

Hugs,

Anne

I'm Home!

Hi Everyone! I'm home! I have to say there is NO place like home after a week at quilt market. We had a ball, but we are all tired bunnies! We laughed, talked, shopped, sold, ate, and hardly slept. And what do you think my husband thought when he saw this waiting for him at the airport? Luckily I flew Southwest so I could bring two bags. I only had to pay for a "few" extra. Can you believe these are filled with fabric? Tee Hee! (:Truth be told, this is a display in the baggage claim area of the Sacramento airport. I just couldn't resist a photo! Don't you love it? Talk about creative!

It was such an exciting week. And at the end of market I found out that my friend Meg over at Crabapple Hill and myself had both won a booth prize! It was just beyond exciting! I took some photos of her booth so you can get an idea of the unbelievable display.

This is the Christmas section...

This is the Halloween Section...

Meg's pictures were taken by that famous photographer Anne Sutton. She's the one who is known for the "weet reams" pillow. You've heard of her haven't you?

My booth photos were taken by that famous photographer Gregory Case!

This is the chandelier I bought after the Houston Quilt Market at Quakertown Quilts. I "had" to have it! Bitty Bird jumped right in! I think she thought it was a nesting place!

Look at those famous pillows...and the now famous concrete bunny. Why is he famous? Because I made my bunny staff go out an buy him in Portland. He weighs a TON but I think he's why I won the award. I'm sure of it! To get him out to the car we had to strap him on top of a suitcase and roll him out.

Anne Bryson and me! She's my best friend and she works for Bunny Hill. For those of you who know her, you know how lucky I am. I have to keep that quiet or she may ask for a raise! (: So, what does it take to win Best Single Booth? It takes a team load of people who are willing to put up with me! At every market we set up our booth on the first day, have a meeting over dinner, I think about the booth at night and the next morning we tear down and start again! Really it's so silly, but I just can't help it, and now the bunny staff expects it!

It's things like putting up the valance and then making them take it down so we could sew on the 20 buttons I brought with me. It's things like my friend Nancy finding the perfect antique planter stand to keep our patterns in and me knowing she has such good taste that if she says it will work I buy it sight unseen. It's things like Nireko standing on a ladder and steaming all the drapes and quilts for over an hour and then after she's done, carrying in the concrete bunny all the way from the loading dock. It's things like moving all the furniture around while I stand outside the booth and say yes or no. It's things like moving the quilts around over and over until each on is displayed in the perfect way.

Thank you bunnies for ALL your help. I obviously couldn't do it without you! I'd be winning the "good try but didn't make it award". (:

Next post you'll get pictures of my famous friends and more wonderful booths!

Portland we are here!

Hi everyone! The bunnies are here in Portland! Beautiful Portland, where the grass is green and the temperature is 95! We arrived and had 2 days of the most wonderful cool weather and then on opening day of market the temperature climbed to 95!

We are having so much fun! At the end of the day we can barely move we are so tired, but then we get some sleep and ta da...you get a post from Portland! Just going to show you some quick pictures because the rest of the bunnies will leave me if I don't get ready to go soon! So here come the photos...

Front of the convention center. See those glass towers in the background? Pretty, Pretty!

Look who stopped by during set-up! I was just so excited! Mark Lipinski from Quilter's Home Magazine! Can you believe it? For all of his fans who have been following his blog, he is here and feeling better after a long fight with pneumonia.

Thursday night was sample spree. Exhibitors sell previews of patterns and fabric. Joe and Roxie Wood from Thimble Creek Quilt Store were our very first customers! The first sale! Should I frame it? (:

Sample spree is beyond any one's wildest dreams. Moda sets up piles and piles of their newest fabrics to sell! Fabric! Here's Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes packaged together!

More Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes!

Here's the Moda staff setting up the sample spree booth. The cutie waving in the background is Lissa Alexander, Moda's marketing director. She is one of my very favorite people in the whole world! Yes, the whole world!

Here's what it looks like as they set up...

Here's what it looks like when they open the doors...people RUN to the Moda booth, and I do mean RUN. You can feel the floor vibrate. It's so amazing to watch!

Gotta go get ready for today. LOTS more pictures to come!

Hugs to you all!

Anne (:

One week and counting!

It's one week until I leave for Portland and yes, I am counting the days. I could use a few more days in the week, but at some point I just have to say I'm done. I'm trying to finish all my last minute things, making lists and making them again. My husband still has to fireproof all the drapes with this awful liquid stuff, and make a rod to hang my cute little candle chandelier. No easy task for sure but that's why we have husbands! Right?

Remember those little pillows I showed you awhile back? Well, I'm desperately trying to photograph them myself because I can't get my photographer here in time. So I took this pretty picture, uploaded it to my computer and then realized "Oh No!" The pillow actually says weet reams instead of Sweet Dreams. Would you buy a pillow that says weet reams? Come on, just for me? That way I don't have to redo the photo. LOL! Ok, I'll redo it, but it's your fault if I'm not ready for market!

Now look who wants a first class seat on the airplane? It's Bitty Kitty! She's been a trouble maker for sure. It took five times to get her "just right". That poor little body has gone from skinny to plump. Then she wouldn't let me put pins in her so I had to add a mouse. Finally I have a Bitty Kitty Pincushion to go with Bitty Bird and Bitty Bunny. She sits in a saucer, just wishing for some milk. (:

So now it's back to the photo shoot. Wish me luck. Weet reams everyone!