Sewing & Stitchery Expo, Puyallup, WA

I gotta say, I love coming up to Washington for this quilt show.  I have very dear friends who live in Olympia, WA and I get to bunk with them and catch up with our lives.

The show is not a typical quilt show, actually there are no quilts hanging at all, except in the booths of the vendors.

There are garment makers, yarn and thread vendors, lots of things I don't always see at a regular quilt show.

They also have the Fisher Scones.  Those alone are worth the drive to the Northwest.
They are baked every morning, warm and yummy and filled with butter and Raspberry Jam

Breakfast

Lunch

I saw lots of old friends and made some new ones.  Like most vendors, we spend a lot of time and money getting our booths loaded with treasures for everyone to enjoy.

The Sewing Expo this year was the worst case of shoplifting that I have ever experienced as a vendor.  Almost every vendor I know lost something.   The first day, my husband, Mike watched a lady look around and take 2 Half yard packages of fabric.  She was 2 booths away when, he stepped in front of her and pulled our fabric from her hands.  Wide-eyed, she start babbling about, "I'll pay double, I'll pay double"  He told her just to stay out of our booth.  I was shocked, I know it happens but I want to believe the best in people. 

By day 2, one booth had lost 3 quilts and a small table topper, another had lost a sample bag that was zip-tied to her grid, a roll of batting, 2 scarfs and who knows what else were all stolen from various vendors.  

Then Karma came to town.  We may not have gotten all of them, but they did catch two of them.  It was a Mother-Daughter team on scooters.  The mother dumped a drink on a table in a booth to cause a distraction and the daughter went to work filling up with goodies.  The cops came and arrested them.  The next day, they brought the stolen goods back to find out the retail value and return them to their owners. 

Here is what thieves look like.  

Ma Thief is in Purple and Daughter Thief is in Red

They don't look too happy do they?  Well, that's ok, because neither were we when you steal from us.

Right in the Center is one of my Pink Cell Phone Purses they had stolen.

Look at all that loot!!! Do they realize how much time and money goes into creating those quilts?

Happy Vendors getting their stuff back

The Police taking reports. 

I heard that there was enough recovered, that the Scooter Bandits were being charged with Grand Larceny.  The last day of the show, there was visible Security walking around the show.  Too late for many, but still nice to see.  I hope next year, the Security will be there front and center.  I guess, just because you have gray hair doesn't make you honest.  A young thief will grow into an old thief.

If you are ever at a show, and see something. Say something.  

Moving on......Yahoo the 3rd Annual Blog Hop is about to start.  Rhonda from Farmhouse Threads kicks off the blog hop next week.  I can't tell you the theme, but I know you will love it.  

MARCH 10 - Rhonda McCray, Farmhouse Threads   farmhousethreads.com MARCH 17 - Shawn York, Rusty Crow Quilt Shop   shawn-rustycrow.blogspot.com MARCH 24 - Lisa Bongean, Primitive Gatherings   lisabongean.com MARCH 31 - Jeni Gaston, Woolen Willow Designs  jenifromthewillow.blogspot.com APRIL 7TH - Debbie Busby, Wooden Spool Designs   woodenspooldesigns.blogspot.com APRIL 14 - Joyce Weeks, Geoffs Mom Pattern Co.   geoffsmom.blogspot.com APRIL 21 - Kathi Campbell, Heart to Hand hearttohand.com/ APRIL 28 - Linda and Donna, My Red Door Designs   myreddoordesignsblog.blogspot.com MAY 5 - Joan Grenke, Bits and Pieces by Joan   bitsandpiecesbyjoan.com MAY 12 - Gloria, Vicky and Heather, Old Green Cupboard Designs   oldegreencupboard.com MAY 19 -  Laural Arestad, Simply Put Plus simplyputplus.blogspot.com MAY 26 - Kathy and Taylor, The Cottage at Cardiff Farms  thecottageatcardifffarms.com/blog JUNE 2 - FINISHING Farmhouse Threads    farmhousethreads.com

Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.

2017 Wow, I'm so glad we have a new year!!!

I hope everyone has shaken off the dust and or mud from 2016.  I have been super busy trying to get Rusty Crow ready for the new Quilt Show season.  We are packing today for the Road to California Show that starts this Thursday Jan 19, 2017.  

We have lots of new fabric, so many new lines from Moda and Marcus Fabrics.  Snail Pincushions, oh yes we have them. 
Also Rusty Crow has been picked up by Quilt Dots. So our designs are now on jewelry. 

We have Layer Cakes of Wools, Brights and Primitive.  We are bringing as much Valdani Thread that we can carry, Bring you lists we have a secret stash. 

I hope to see you all this weekend.  Please come and say hi, we are in Booths 534/536/635/637 

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Week 7 of the Harvest Blog Hop

So today is August 5, 2016 and it's my turn to post my block for the 2016 Harvest Blog Hop.......
As you can see by the list below I'm swimming in the deep in with these super talented ladies.  Thank You, Rhonda for letting me play on the Varsity team.

My block is an Apple Basket.  Living in San Diego, we don't really have a fall like the rest of the county.  But what we do have, about 2 hours from my house, is a community called Julian.  It's a mountain town, well as far as San Diego Mountains that is.  But I digress,,,,, anyway.  Brown leaves, Julian, harvest and apples, those are all synonyms of autumn for me.  The one thing that will make me take a 2 hour car trip up the hill to Julian is for the Apple Pie.  So Julian apples are my inspiration for my block.  I hope you enjoy it.

This year, Jan 1, 2016  I became a Valdani distributor.  I'm like a cow in clover.  Nothing makes me happier than walking in that room and seeing all those rows of beautiful colors.  Last market,  Valdani came out with Wool Floss.  The Wool Floss comes in 2 sizes, 8 & 15, there is about 100 colors so far, but I'm sure that number will grow.  I haven't had much of an opportunity to work with it, but I made a point of using it with this block.

I love how it sinks into the wool.  I used size 8's to give it a bit more primitive look.



I used Diamond Textile fabrics as my two backgrounds.  I thought the checks reminded me of a table cloth.
Here is a Picture of my Block called "Apples for Sale"

My process is on the messy side.  I have to hand draw things
out. Get the idea out of my head and onto something that others can see.  Makes me believe it a bit more too, to tell you the truth.  We have 3 different colored apples, I did 3 cross stitch rows across the basket.  I did a simple whip stitch on everything else.


Here was my original sketch:

Not pretty, but like I said, "Got it out of my Head"



Then I start playing (working, working, working, I know I'm lucky) with fabrics and wools.  I have to figure out spacing and colors.












Then if I have done my job right, you may want what I have done.  So then it's on to kit making and making sure all the pieces are there!!!! And that they fit on the wool I'm putting in the kits!!!!



Thank God for Friends and JuJu, because that make the work is so much more fun.  That and listening to "My Favorite Murder" Podcast, if you love true crime, you will love it.  I remember my Great Grandmother and Grandma reading those true crime magazines when I was a kid.  My mother loves to roam around old cemeteries, so it must be in my blood.  My husband is sure I'm plotting the perfect murder. Again I digress....

Ok, ladies here is the link for the free Block.
If you want my kit, fabric and ready to go wool, the price is 11.95 includes shipping.
Also if you want to try the Wool Floss from Valdani.  I have a special kit for the 4 colors that I used. Each 10 yard skien sells for 3.75, but for all 4, I'm pricing it at $12.00 Link to kits here.

I hope you have enjoyed the blog.  I really need to do more of this...I think.  What do you guys think? I'm heading to Grand Rapids, MI for the AQS show next week.  First time there, first time at an AQS show.  Lots of deep water treading for this girl.  Then I hop back into the truck and drive the trailer to Manchester, NH for the World Quilt New England Show.  If you know of any shops I should hit on my way home, I would love to know.  I'm going to take my time, and enjoy my podcasts.  As the girls say on the MFM podcast, "Stay Sexy and Don't get Murdered"
Love you all, Shawn
Here is a complete list so you can follow along each week.

Let's Recap all the Blocks so far in the Harvest Blog Hop

I'm so Lucky!!  I was asked again to be in Farmhouse Thread's Blog Hop this year.  Last year, Rhonda from Farmhouse Threads invited 9 Designers to do a Christmas themed block as a Free Wool Appliquéd block as part of blog Hop.
This year she asked 12 of us to do a Harvest Themed Wool Appliquéd block as part of 2016 Blog Hop.
Mine is tomorrow, but I thought I would do a quick recap of the blocks so far.  If you haven't started it's not too late.  Just start clicking and warm up your printer.
So let's begin:

Week 1, June 17 - Rhonda McCray, Farmhouse Threads  http://farmhousethreads.blogspot.com How Cute is that?  Week 2, June 24 - Jeni Gaston, Woolen Willow Designs  http://jenifromthewillow.blogspot.com I love this, don't you???? Week 3, July 1 Lisa Bongean, Primitive Gatherings  http://lisabongean.com Love, love, love. Lisa, you always do beautiful work.

Week 4, July 8 - Joan Grenke, Bits and Pieces by Joan  http://bitsandpiecesbyjoan.com Chicks, Moons and Stars.  All Favorites! These ladies make it tough for me to come up with something  and I still have more 3 more to show you....... Week 5, July 15 - Joyce Weeks, Geoff's Mom Pattern Co. http://geoffsmom.blogspot.com Can anyone else smell the smoke from the chimneys?  Week 6, July 22 - Kathi and Taylor, The Cottage at Cardiff Farms  http://thecottageatcardifffarms.com/blog So Sweet, Kathi I love it.  Week 7 July 29 - Kathy Campbell, Heart to Hand http://www.hearttohand.com I love Crows as all of you know.  And this guy has got one. Great Job, Kathy So that if the Blog Hop so far.  I will be posting mine tomorrow.   I hope you have enjoyed the recap.  I'm glad I didn't see any of them before I made mine.

Back from Spring Market....."Yeah, I'm with Checker"

Spring Market was in Salt Lake City, Utah this year.  I haven't been to a Spring Market since my very first Market and it was in Salt Lake as well.  My thinking was spring must be smaller than Houston, let me make all my mistakes at a smaller market, before I drag my stuff to Texas and get spanked.

Kelly and I had a great time.  Market was crazy good for Rusty Crow.  We are Valdani's Newest Distributor.  We are going to service all the smaller shops and designers, who maybe don't need 12 balls of one color.  We are happy to split boxes and give your 12 colors a box if thats all you need.

We also go picked up by Checker, a major distributor in the Quilt world.  I have been trying to get them to pick me up for the last 7 years.  This time it wasn't even a blimp on my radar, a girl can only take so much rejection.  So the second day of Market, about 5 minutes before Kelly and I are about to wrap it up the the day, a Checker buyer shows up and says, "We would like to carry your stuff."

I was a bit stunned.  I'm sure she thought she had walked onto the islands of the Muted Quilter.  I just looked at her and mumbled, "Sure."  Then put my head down and bursted into tears.  After trying so many years, and then have the Magical Unicorn walk into your booth and utter those transforming words was a shock, a awesome shock, but still a huge surprise.

So today, I'm pulling all the info together that they need to carry my stuff.  Yeah, let me pull up my big girl panties.  Holy Crap, I'm with Checker.  You don't know how long, I've been wanting to say those Words.  I'm with Checker, I'm with Checker, I'm with Checker

And so grateful, as well.
Thank the Quilting Gods. 

Black Friday....No it's stretch pant Friday.

I hope everyone had a great Turkey day.  I don't know why, after 30 years of Thanksgiving dinners under my belt, you would think I would know how long it takes to cook a turkey.  

Oh no, I set the alarm for 4:30 am.  Mike and I get up, cut all the veggies, boil the insides, whip up the stuffing, and get the bird in the oven.  

Around 9:300 or so I begin to wonder how long I need to keep the bird in.  (I'm think it will be done around 2-3) 
Oh no, my bird will be done at 11:00 am. 

So the York's had a noon time Thanksgiving this year.  Our turkey coma started about 1.  The cats were in heaven, so many warm bodies to lay on.  They had their pick!!  

I have so much New Valdani to get on the website.  We are carrying all the new Wool Thread, so soft and sinks in the the wool.  We also got all the Silk Floss in.  I will have it all up this next week.  Have a Great weekend. Shawn

Back a week

I have been home a little over week from Houston.  I feel like I have been on the go ever since I got home.  I'm so excited about this next year.  Rusty Crow is changing lanes a bit, and it's all going to be good.  

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I'm just hoping the luggage will be put away and the laundry washed from the 7 shows and one wedding in 8 weekends that we did.  Funny, how things that use to be important, aren't so much anymore. It's a good thing I have lots of clothes.  

The Blog Along has been super fun.  I would love to see some of your blocks. Rusty Crow was at Quilt Market with Valdani.  I grabbed up all the new Wool Thread that they are now carrying.  I will be putting it on my website today.  I haven't used it yet.  I have so much work to get done from Market before I can start to play with the new stuff.   

Mike, my husband, lost his grandfather while I was gone on the road.  It was hard not being there for him, but we had our kids near.  Grandpa Grigg had not been good for the last year.  Feeding tubes, oxygen and so on.  Not able to talk, no sure if anything you were saying was processing.  That was the last of Mike's side, his parents and all his grandparents are gone.  Life does not stop.  The clock keeps ticking, a reminder not to get stuck in grief, life is for the living.  Love doesn't go away.