Just Back from Seattle

Hi All,

I had the most amazing trip to Seattle this week. I met folks from not one but two fabric companies: Clothworks of Seattle and Kinkame of Japan. At Clothworks headquarters, there were rolls and rolls and bolts and bolts of fabric that had just been delivered. They were being processed for shipping to quilt shops all over the United States. And there was a design room where work was under way on next year's fabrics. I'm sworn to secrecy on this so you'll just have to watch the shelves at your local quilt shops. What I can tell you is there are lots of great colors and designs coming your way.


I enjoyed lunch and conversation with, seated from left, Clothworks designer Joyce Cronkhite and Clothworks marketing pro Brandi Frey and, standing from left, Clothworks owners Candice and Ted Hoffman, and Kinkame rep Kouji Takahashi. The two companies work together to distribute their fabrics in Japan and the United States.



Checking out quilt shops in the Seattle area led me to Taylor Creek Quilt Shop in Maple Valley, Washington. Shop owner and operator Joanne Lee specializes in fabrics with a Pacific Rim flare. That means the Northwest U.S. coast, Alaska, Hawai'i, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and more. The shop is full of batiks, wilderness prints, indigenous designs, and gold-highlighted Asian prints. Check out the shop pin Joanne gave me. Pretty cool pin! Pretty cool shop! Pretty cool Joanne!



I'm thrilled I'll be traveling to Quilt Market in Houston in October and then to Japan in November where I'll get to see Kouji Takahashi of Kinkame Fabrics again when we meet at International Quilt Week Yokohama. Stay tuned for my posts from there.

First, my Big Adventure is taking me on a road trip from Colorado to Nebraska (the International Quilt Study Center) and across Iowa to Chicago. Then I'll be on to Indianapolis. I'll head home via a more southern route through Missouri and Kansas. Woo-hoo. Just imagine all the quilt shops and sites! Road trip! Now home to pack...