Midwest Ya Ya SISTERS ACT

Because Mary and I were both so proud of our new outfits from the Coats & Clark Pink & Red Fashion show in Puyallup -- we decided to wear these stylish garments to begin our Ya Ya show in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Here we are, backstage, moments before the show...

It was a thrill when we realized that having a SOLD OUT SHOW meant Nancy Zieman and Pati Palmer had to find and then actually carry in their own chairs!!

Here's my biggest tickle of the night -- guess who was my "techie" for the Power Point? THAT'S RIGHT -- PATI PALMER HERSELF..!! SHE had been speaking in the same room earlier in the day -- and because she is way more computer advanced than I AM -- she offered to load my Power Point on her laptop and then hook up her projector (ALWAYS the missing link)...

THANKS, PATI -- for coming to our show and being such a good little helper!!

If I eventually find them -- I'll post pictures of the audience from that special night. YOU WERE AMAZING. I cannot remember when we ever had a better time. Thanks, Nancy's Notions, for inviting us to YA YA at the 25th anniversary of Sewing Weekend. It was a very big deal for us -- and Mary and I loved being a part of your very special event.

Nancy Zieman QM Video Interview

Nancy Zieman was in Houston at the International Quilt Market -- and it was a delight for me to "interview" her. Gee -- this is so much fun -- I feel like Katie Couric.

Remember -- this was one of my first "video interviews" -- so please be patient with my amateur camera skills. The important thing is -- you get a sneak peak at her beautiful new line of fabric:

Deanna Springer in Pittsburgh

Well -- today's "blogging assignment" is to send myself a picture off my cellphone, then write a little "behind-the-scenes" view of what everybody does the OTHER 361 days of the year. (when we're not working at the Puyallup Sewing & Stitchery EXPO).

This is my friend Deanna Springer. She is the familiar face that used to organize and run the Nancy's Notions booth in the Pavillion.

Deanna is Nancy Zieman's very capable "right hand woman." She is the show manager for "Quilt Expo". , the big Quilt Show in Madison, Wisconsin (coming up soon!). I just made you a hyperlink (I hope). If you click on it -- you should end up on the Quilt Expo website...

Anyway -- I took this picture of Deanna in May at the Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Market is the retail trade show for the quilting industry and it's in a different city every year.) Deanna and I had a little bench we'd meet on....after a few days, we referred to the bench as "our office".

One of the highlights of the Pittsburgh Market was the afternoon Deanna and I went to enjoy "High Tea" at the Omni William Penn Hotel. OMG....I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard.

We're a couple of country girls at heart, and high tea was a pretty big reach. Sadly, we both tried to fake an English accent...and I can still see Deanna holding her pinky finger up in the air. You would not believe her reaction to the delicate little china bowl of "clotted cream".

Hey, Deanna -- we'll both long remember those little salmon sandwiches with the crusts cut off -- won't we??

At the end of one hour of rioteous laughter, Deanna turned to me and said, with a completely straight face, "Gee. I would've thought our waiter would have enjoyed us more."

Oh, yeah. We annoyed him to Nooooo end, babe!! It's a good thing we were leaving town the next day. I'm pretty sure we were officially banned from anything approaching a High Tea event...

GREAT PICTURE, DEANNA....you ROCK....

Kick It Up A Stitch

The tall guy is Steve Jeffery of Babylock. Next to him is Lois Clark -- the delerious HAPPY WOMAN who just found out, (moments before this picture was taken), that she won a BABYLOCK ELLISSIMO Sewing/Embroidery machine! Of course -- there's Nancy Zieman next to her, and Mary Mulari on the end. Nancy & Mary just presented their hilarious program, "Kick It Up A Stitch" at our Friday Night LIVE event in Puyallup. the 800 seats SOLD OUT QUICKLY -- and Lois Clark was certainly GLAD she got one, eh?? When I start the "Official show blog" next month -- I'm going to start off with an interview with Lois -- and some pictures of her favorite sewing projects. She also sent some pictures of her taking classes on her new Ellissimo...and she is completely DELIGHTED. Lois is an artist -- that's for sure. Her stuff is AMAZING...