Last weekend, A&E Fabric, Variety & Craft Store helped me celebrate the release of my new book by hosting a book signing and trunk show. I wish all of you could have been there becaue we had so much fun. Since you couldn't make it, I'm sharing lots of pictures.
I had a lot of help with the quilts in Scrap-Basket Beauties. My friend Karen pieced and quilted two quilts for the book, and my friend Nancy quilted ten of the quilts that I pieced. As if all they did wasn't enough, I also forced asked them to sign books, too. Apparently, they couldn't find anything better to do on a Saturday morning, so they agreed. Here we are with Rhonda, pretending to be hard at work.
A&E is closer to where I work than to where I live, so I like to shop and hang out there during my lunch hour. If you go there around noon, you'll likely see me walking around mesmerized and running over people with my shopping cart. These are the people who cut my fabric, help me choose borders, know exactly where to find everything, and make me laugh. Tovah, Martha, Ollie, and Veronica.
And here's Liz (pink blouse) sitting with Nancy, Karen, and me. Liz makes the others behave (or tries her best) and orders everything for the fabric department.
Here's my friend Karen (a/k/a Nana Girl).
I can't remember if I've ever told you how I know Karen. (If I have, feel free to skip past this part!) Karen and I worked at the same law firm for 12 years. Most days, instead of going out for lunch, we would work on quilts together. After four years or so, our firm moved to a different building. There was an empty office, so we filled it with quilting tools, sewing machines, a design wall, an iron, an ironing board, and even a small stash of fabric. We had so much fun together working on projects, cutting, pressing, and sewing. Our firm's telephone directory listed a telephone extension for the "Sewing Room." We accomplished a lot, an hour at a time. We no longer work at the same firm, but she's only a couple of blocks away.
And here's Nancy.
I met Nancy when she set up her longarm business at A&E. She has a machine at work and a machine at home. I think she has separation anxiety when she leaves one behind. Nancy saved my life. Maybe literally. I was extremely behind in finishing the sample quilts for the book. Nancy agreed to quilt "a few" of the sample quilts, and ended up quilting ten! I would pick up one quilt and deliver another quilt top to her every few days. I still can't believe she didn't run like the wind when she saw me coming. I'm so glad she didn't, because she did a fabulous job on my quilts. If you're anywhere near Pensacola and need a quilter, please let me know and I'll be happy to give you her contact information. She's really good at choosing quilting designs that enhance the design of the quilt. Like this one.
This is the back of Perpetual Motion. I'm crazy about this free-hand modified Baptist Fan design. Just too cool.
A sweet lady named Wanda had made a few quilts from my first two books, and she brought them to hang in the store. You'll see them mixed in with some of the sample quilts in these pictures.
Thank you so very much, Rhonda, Liz, Tovah, Martha, Ollie, Veronica, Wanda, Karen, and Nancy. And thank you to all of you who sacrificed your Saturday to come by and visit. It means so much to me. Hope to run into you at A&E soon. But hopefully not with my shopping cart.
Kim
