Quiltcon here we come

The time has come to get ready for our Quiltcon booth!  In addition to our new book Picnic and wonderful new samples and our own kits for several patterns we're going to have three other talented designers represented in our booth.  Two blog posts will introduce or reacquaint you with these three modern designers.

First up is Debbie Grifka of Esch House Quilts.  We met Debbie through the blog, she asked us to judge a challenge for the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild.  We've been lucky to meet her in person at the last two Quilt Markets. (We're remembering a particularly tasty and fun dinner in Houston. yum.) The following is a bio she sent us.  

Debbie has been sewing all her life and quilting for the past ten years.  Her designs have appeared in such magazines as Stitch, Quilting Arts Gifts and Modern Patchwork and she publishes her own patterns as Esch House Quilts.  Debbie's quilt "Ephemeral Elegance", using her bias appliqué technique, won first place in its category at the American Quilter's Society Quilt Show in Paducah in 2011.  She is Vice President of the Ann Arbor (MI) Modern Quilt Guild and loves to share her passion for quilting.

Esch House Quilts Spell quilt, love the balance of letters, negative space and blocks!

Traffic Pattern from Esch House Quilts.  So cute!

Esch House Quilts Curried Plums.  This quilt will be in the Quiltcon show!  We're eager to see it in person.

Debbie is teaching machine, bias and hand appliqué at Quiltcon.  Wish we could be in one of her classes.

Next, we have Shea Henderson of Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio.  Shea creates and designs lots of fun kid oriented fabric items and quilts.  We met her at our very first Quilt Market!  We had one great dinner in Houston with Shea and another in Kansas City when we spoke at the KCMQG meeting in November.

Here is the bio information Shea gave us permission to paste from her blog.

Why the name “Empty Bobbin”? I picked that as my blog name years ago as I just love the idea of an empty bobbin– it means you have been sewing and sewing and sewing for someone special.

I’m a pattern person. I like learning from patterns and books, and I like my projects to have a defined size and shape before I start sewing. With clear and detailed instructions, you can focus all of your energy on creating something that really reflects you.

I live in Kansas City, MO, with my husband and our two (now three) precocious preschoolers. When I’m not designing, sewing, or writing patterns, I can be found leading the Kansas City chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild.

Shea Henderson of Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio

Shea's Card Table Playhouse.  This is so cute! 

Cover Up from Empty Bobbin Studio, treat you machines to a cover up!

We are thrilled we get to carry some patterns from Debbie, Shea and Carolyn in our booth at Quiltcon.
(Carolyn Friedlander is the third designer and we'll discuss her patterns and fabric in next Tuesday's post.) 

Thank you to so many wonderful local friends who made our book signing incredibly fun on Saturday.  (A special thank you to Lois for the chocolate hearts on a stick!  Delicious!!)  It was good to see lots of familiar faces.  We both worked at the Quilting Connection for years and it was very special to see so many of the customers and staff we'd grown to know and don't get to see any longer.  Thank you!!   

Till Tuesday then...