Festival of Quilts 2012

Yay! It's now less than a week until the Festival of Quilts at the NEC Birmingham UK. This is the largest quilt show that we have in the UK and I'm incredibly fortunate to live just 15-20  minutes away from the venue! Yep, I could spend all day every day for the 4 days it's open cruising those aisles and still be home in time for dinner each day! Only problem with doing that is I'd be flat broke and have enough fabric to open a shop!
I shall definately go for opening day though, and maybe another one as well - just depends how much dithering I do on the first day!
I always have the same dilemma - do I admire all the quilts first (and you could spend a whole day at least doing just that!) or do I shop first? Or maybe half and half? No, I get seriously lost in the shopping aisles as it is - I'd end up doing the same section twice!
I shall be very good- take a shopping list and stick to it buy what's on the list and a load more as well.
So far my list looks like this:
1. New fabrics to look out for:
   a) The Sew Stitchy line by Aneela Hoey - a UK designer

This have sewing related images printed on them, and I think the pins or spools of thread or a patchwork of both would make a lovely journal cover for sewing notes. Can you see those tiny cute stitched birds in blue and grey? They are awesome!

b) The second item on my list is probably on everyone else's too!

It's the Bloomsbury Garden Range from Liberty Lifestyle. This is a quilting weight cotton from the renowned Liberty Fabrics, but at a normal fabric price (Liberty fabrics, probably best known for their Tana Lawns are absolutely gorgeous, but very expensive!).

This is just one of the colourways due to arrive shortly and apparently Backstitch who will be on stand G6 have sample swatches and we can pre-order at the show :) They had better keep those swatches on a very strong chain!

2. Fabrics I have been craving for a while:

a) Summersville by Lucie Summers - another  UK designer - Yay!

I'm amazed I haven't succumbed and bought some of this before now. I just love those quirky houses, and I've seen some of this randomly embroidered on Pinterest - it looks wonderful and I can think of so many uses for it (that's me justifying the whole range to myself!)

b) Sketch by Timeless Treasures

This has only just arrived in this country I believe. It's a solid with a grainy, linen-like look. I want to get using more solids in my quilts and sewing generally, so some of this is a must. I hope that is a nice grey at the bottom. I'm very into greys at the moment - as you'll see by the next item on my list.

c) A range of greys

Now scouring the internet, I've come up with two pretty appealing ranges

Curious Nature by Parson Gray (hubby of Amy Butler)

Little Black Dress by Basic Grey

I think I've said before I love all things Basic Grey, but I'm really not sure which of these ranges I prefer - that's why I need to see them first hand, which I hope to do at the show.

Anyway I think that list is long enough by now. It will be very amising to see what I actually come back with, and how  much it deviates from this list!

I promise to post photos of my favourite quilts and arty items and anything else that takes my fancy.

I also promise that there is a knitting related post coming soon - it's long overdue!

Till next week..... Julie