Downton Abbey!

One of the biggest events at Quilt Market 2013 in Houston was to see the launch of the Downton Abbey Fabric Line by Andover!  The quilts, clothing and accessories are amazingly beautiful!

The ballroom where the official launch was held only held 1,000 people and entry tickets were on a first come first serve basis so everyone was anxious to make certain they could get a ticket to get in!  We got a ticket and the place was PACKED!!

So grab a cup of coffee, a cup of tea or a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy the photo's~

I told you it was packed!  

When they opened the doors for us the WELCOMED our cameras!  See the man and woman sitting there is the dark coat and the blue dress?  They are the Set Designer and the Clothing Designers for Downton Abbey!!!

Here are the quilts!!  

I could not decide which one I liked best which leads me to believe I have to have all of them!

I'm a pushover for beautiful quilting!

Isn't this umbrella stunning?  Just look at how the fussy cut the fabric so that it matches so perfectly at the top!

The beads on the umbrella!  I so wish it was raining and I had this umbrella!

I really loved all the quilts!  The two banners on each side are the Castle Fabric.

Here's one of the many displays showing the umbrellas, quilts, tote bags, clutches and purses!

Looks at the purses!  They are all beautiful!  I especially loved the clutches.

Don't you just LOVE the ruffle on the clutch?

See that very special purple bag?  Inside it is a Fat Quarter from each fabric in the line AND I was able to purchase one!!!  Yup, there is one of these sitting on my cutting table just waiting for me to cut into it!!!!!!!

Again, so beautiful!

Here's a up-close picture of the Fabric with the Downton Abbey Castle Fabric!  I hope they make this in 108 wide for backing fabric!!!

Isn't it beyond beautiful?  This line if from the Dowager Collection!  One of my favorites!

Again, the Dowager Collection with a very modern twist to it!

And the clothing!!!!

With matching purses!

With Yoyo's & Buttons!!

Even the backs of the hats were decorated!!

Accessories to dream about!

Boxes, Clutches, Placemats!!

And more purses!

Pleats & Flowers!

More purses and totes!

And beautiful details!  Do you see the star Christmas Ornament on the left?

These boxes were wonderful!  I would love to organize my sewing room with all of them!

More Clothes!

And Hats!

And Quilts!

And Wall Hangings!

The quilt patterns were both traditional and modern!

I LOVE them all!

Beautiful Wall Hangings!

This was the 'Give-A-Way' Table!

The Costume Designer for Downton Abbey; Susannah Buxton.

The Set Designer for Downton Abbey.

Fall Quilt Market in Houston Texas was an amazing experience!  I can't wait to start sewing with this fabric!!  AND I can't wait for the next season to start!

Happy Quilting!!

Margaret

Yoko Saito Quilts

As many of you already know I was lucky enough to go to Quilt Market in Houston Texas last month and while there I was able to spend a few minutes looking at some of the amazing quilts at Quilt Festival.  One of the quilt designers that really caught my eye was Yoko Saito!  Yoko's quilts are amazing!  I was able to get pictures of them to share with you!

I wish I had my good camera with me :(!  My iPhone was all I had!

Gorgeous!

I really do love Sun Bonnet Sue's!  Here's Yoko's

And here's Betty Alderman's!

All those little houses that make up the border were amazing!

Another beauty!

If you ever get a chance to see her quilts please do go!  They are beyond stunning!

Happy Quilting!  Don't forget to 'Follow" me and check back soon for some Downton Abbey Pictures!!

Margaret

Houston Quilt Festival 2013

This is a personal post about a woman who has meant so very much to so many, especially the Quilting community.  

I grew up in a very small community in upstate NY, it was a community were everyone knew everyone.  Parents were called Mr. & Mrs. and you knew if you misbehaved your parents would know before you all gathered around the dinning room table for dinner.  Mrs. Alderman was part of our community and my sisters and I grew up with her daughter Betsy.

After school we often ended up at a friends house and once in a while I was lucky enough to tag along with my sister Jane who was in the same grade as Betsy.  I can still remember going into Mrs. Alderman's home with her daughter Betsy and my sister Jane and knowing immediately that Mrs. Alderman was a very special and talented person.  The walls of the Alderman home were often decorated with Mrs. Alderman's talent and I loved to look at her work!  Last summer Mrs. Alderman lost her fight to Breast Cancer and when she did her family lost a truly wonderful mother and the quilting world lost an extremely talented person!  Quilt Festival this year is honoring Mrs. Betty Alderman and I was lucky enough to get a chance to once again see some Mrs. Alderman's work.  

This is a sampling from one of Mrs. Alderman's sketch book, a photo of her, a snap shots of her working on one of her many quilts and a picture of her in her booth at Quilt Market.

Each quilt has been documented by her daughter Betsy Alderman Lewis.

This Santa quilt was always one of my favorites!

I always wanted to make this quilt, this is a definite on my bucket list!

I love the simplicity of her red work!  Her needle work was incredible!

Mrs. Alderman was known for her Sun Bonnet Sue designs.

 

Betty made this quilt in beautiful blues.  I had attended a retreat held by O'Susannah's Quilts & Gifts in Watkins Glen NY and Mrs. Alderman was teaching Blue Mood at the retreat!!  I made mine in Black & White and it hangs in the stair/entryway of our home, every time I go down the  stairs I see it and think of Mrs. Alderman.

This is another of my favorites!

I wish I had written down the names of all the quilts.  Having the opportunity to see Mrs. Alderman's work pulled so at my heart strings that I had a hard enough time keeping the camera in focus so I'm thankful for the pictures and thrilled to be able to share them with you!

A few months back Betsy gave me one of her mother's bags that she had embroidered a mother sitting on a tree branch holding a baby in her arms.  I have been playing around with an embroidery design and Betsy and I have talked about incorporating it into my piece. 

Happy Quilting!