Karen Day at MQX

The Machine Quilters Expo is in Providence this week and it is so amazing to have an international show in our back yard!

Look who I took a class with! The one and only Karen McTavish! She is as awesome in person as everyone says she is. (How embarrassing that she felt the need to duck to my level. I look like such a dork! Thank you to Diane, my MQX friend, for taking the pic.)


My first attempt at McTavishing is so cool! Karen encouraged us to develop our own style, so this is McTina-ing! I started out using really tightly packed filler quilting and I'm wishing I had opened it up more. Practice needed!

And here I am with my friend, the one and only Karen from Sew Many Ways! We are suckers for a good demo! Between the two of us, we bought everything that we stopped to watch being demoed. Now we just have to use the stuff!

One of the vendors (Cheri's Crystals) had the heat set crystal tools and crystals, which I already own, but have never used! So I bought this cute bag from her and came straight home to add the crystals.

It looks like I need to heat them longer, because a couple have already fallen off. How cute is this Hmong applique embellished with Swarovski crystals?!

I can't wait to use this bag when I head back to the show tomorrow with Julia! If you are going, look for us! She'll be the teenager wearing a selvedge skirt!
(Sorry for all the exclamation points...I had a great day.)