Quilting Fair

This weekend I went to a quilt, craft, and sew fair in Phoenix with my mother-in-law. I was really excited because we had free tickets but the best part was NO BABIES! I got to spend time with my MIL, who I love, with no distractions. The fair was amazing. I didn't think I would get that much out of it because I really didn't have money to be spending on sewing stuff or fabrics but I learned so much about quilting. We tried out several machines, I had a mini lesson on free hand quilting, I saw some amazing gadgets for cutting fabrics, and some really cool quilting techniques that I didn't even think about.

I am just learning how to quilt. I mean we are talking the beginning of the beginning. I am a decent sewer but quilting is a whole new world. It is so technical with the measurements, and designs. And there are so many tools out there you would not even believe. I loved this ruler that cut rick rack in three sizes, and this cutting mat that looked like a drafting table with several measurements making it easy to cut squares, triangles, and diamonds. There were so many quilt designs for sale too from fairly simple to extravagant designs. I did end up buying a quilt package that I am excited to get started on and I bought some trims like lace and flowers that I got great deals on (10 mini roses for $1). We ended up spending 4 hours there just walking around and talking to the booths. And my MIL bought a new sewing machine which I am so excited about because I know I will be able to go over and use it all the time. It is the newest model Janome Horizon with an 11inch arm (great for quilting) and all the fancy features. We are going to have to go and take some classes to learn how to work the thing but it will be a lot of fun experimenting. This was a great way to motivate me to learn more about quilting and start on my own quilts.