Travel Handmade

So Quilt Con is coming right up.  To say that I am excited is the understatement of the year.  I am so hopeful for this trip.  It is a girls trip with my bestie from grade school.  It is a reunion with friends I have made in the quilting world from blogging, social media, and retreats.  It is what I hope will be an inspiration overload.  I also am slightly hopeful that there could be some opportunities for exploring other business options.  Lets just say I am going with an extremely open heart and mind.

So what does one take to a quilting and sewing convention?  Well handmade items of course.  I am you might have gathered love making bags, so I have a LOT of bags hanging around.  One bag I am planning on taking for hold all the goodies I can find will be the one I made and blogged about here.  It is gigantic and should hold a ton of goodies. 

I also am in the process of making a wallet and sunglass case to match this lovely cross body I made just for quilt con. 

This is one of the bags in the Crafty Gemini Bag of the month.  You can info about that here.  This one is the kelly cross body.  Well I will be out of pocket next week at Quilt Con eeekkkk!!!!  I will be posting on Instagram so be sure to follow along.  Sorry this one is short and sweet but I have a ton to do since I have done very little to get ready.  I am flying out Tuesday.  Please if you see me there say hello and lets chat!  Blessings to all this week!

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Inspiration

I don't know about yall but sometimes I am just not feeling it.  I think this is one of those times.  I have been destashing as yall know and that has been good.  I really thought getting all that fabric out and sorting through everything would inspire some creativity well not so much.  I have so many WIP like so many I refuse to count and actually put a number on it.  I think I want a long arm so very badly that I can't get past the quilting part.  Like I refuse to do it without a long arm lol.  Lets keep in mind I have only laid hands on a long arm one time.  So I have been working very slowly on projects and that annoys me even more.  I am however going to QUILTCON!  I am so super excited about it and just know that there is no possible way I can't be inspired at that event!  If you are going let me know and maybe we can meet up.  This leads me to my topic of retreats for inspiration.

I have been to 4 retreats and let me just say they are the best thing since sliced bread.  I live extremely rural like google aint even getting you out this far.  So to connect with fellow sewers and creative people is just a blessing to my soul!  I have been to Sew South twice and blogged about it here and here.   Let me just say I love love love this retreat and Jennifer is like the sweetest ever and I consider her a friend.  I hope to be attending again very soon.  I also attended a Missouri Star Quilt Company Retreat.  This retreat was with Vanessa from the Crafty Gemini and Jenny Doan so yeah it was way fabulous.  Then last summer I attended a Crafty Gemini retreat in FL.  This is where I played on the long arm and was smitten.  I will post some photos of these retreats since somehow I failed to blog about them.  Please follow me on Instagram to follow along with the Quilt Con goodness. 

My 24 hr start to finish 1st time long arming quilt.  Notice the super tired person!  Crafty Gemini Retreat

Missouri Star Retreat!  Fun bunch of girlies right there!

So if you are able I would encourage you to attend a retreat or have your own with your friends.  It is a wonderful inspiration and fellowship.  Don't forget to let me know if you are going to quilt con and follow my instagram to keep up with all the fun!  Blessing to you all!