Twenty-two days.  That's how much time there is between now - today - and Fall Quilt Market in Houston.

That means new fabric to fondle and ogle, catalogs to prepare, write-ups to write, quilts to make and patterns to write - basically, there's plenty of "stuff" to do.

So I'm trying to catch up on a few things I've meant to share and keep forgetting about.

After deciding she needed a Halloween quilt too, Lissa pulled these fabrics a few months ago.  I knew I was going to make "something", I just didn't know what.  When trying to decide what to use for a quilt I'm contributing to a book, I remembered this stack and presto!  I know someone will ask so...

On the left, from top to bottom:

• Modern Background Ink by Zen Chic
• Varsity by Sweetwater
• Farmhouse by Fig Tree & Co.
• Holly's Tree Farm by Sweetwater
• Gardenvale by Jen Kingwell
• Meadow Bloom by April Rosenthal
• Meadow Bloom
• Gardenvale
• Farmhouse
• Meadow Bloom
• Varsity
• Farmhouse
• I don't remember
• Gardenvale
• Holly's Tree Farm
• Farmhouse
• Gardenvale

On the right, from top to bottom:

• Modern Background Ink
• Gardenvale
• Farmhouse
• Varsity
• Block Party by Sandy Gervais
• Mama Said Sew Dots by Sweetwater
• Nomad by Urban Chiks
• Farmhouse
• Sweetwater Dots
• Varsity
• Mon Ami by Basic Grey
• Varsity
• Sweetwater Dots
• Meadow Bloom
• Farmhouse

As for the quilt, that will have to wait until next year.

Have you seen the sew-along for the Farmer's Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt?  I decided to sew-along and I'm happy to say that most of the ladies in the office are doing the same.  Some have pulled out the first Farmer's Wife blocks they started several years ago with the goal of finishing - making progress - on that.  No matter... we're awash in a sea of templates, little blocks and "big plans".

Week No. 1 and so far, I'm caught up.  I think it's all downhill from here.  But at least "I look good" with my spiral-bound book, don't you think?  (FedEx Office or any office supply store can do this for a couple of dollars.  It helps a lot.)

I also took the plunge with one of the Zakka Workshop patterns-kits for a little coin purse.  I don't know that I'll ever really use the little purse but I was intrigued to see if I could manage to actually get one made.

This is the Simple Coin Purse and guess what?  It's actually fairly easy to make.  One suggestion though - they recommend a toothpick for putting the glue in the clasp part.  Uh, no.  I found that a fine-tip for the glue bottle or a thin paint brush worked much - MUCH - better.  I want to make another one because it really was fun to make.  I might try the  Classic Coin Purse or the Vintage Clasp Wallet... though it has a pocket.  (After Market.)

A highlight this past week was the arrival of the first batch of Moda Match Maker for Bella Solids.

They're.  Gorgeous.  Perfection!

The swatches measure 2 1/2" x 5" and the backing has the Bella Solid color number and name, as well as the number of the swatch.  It's like a page number so putting it can be put back in order if you're the sort who wants to take it apart.  (That would be me.)  The swatches are threaded onto a long metal tube that will allow for the swatches to be fanned easily.  When new colors are added to the Bella Solids, "swatch packs" will be available and they'll still fit within the outer cover.  At least for the next hundred colors or so.

This is going to be so much better than my old method for color-matching...

If there was a prize for the "most trashed Bella color card" in the office... I'm a contender.  And in just eight months.

One last thing, something else I forgot - did you know that six years ago, Moda made a time-elapse video of the Fall Market 2009 booth being built?

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DCUvUUqQPo[/embed]

It's pretty cool.  If only it really happened in just a few minutes.

Happy Friday!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

I'll be sewing.  Really, really fast.