We are back from the Bernina excitement in Kansas City, MO and the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA. I actually got some work done today. I am also feeling like a Bubble Girl stuck in the Bubble House due to an unbelievable number of voracious mosquitoes buzzing around our estate!


Bernina introduced with great enthusiasm their new, fancy most amazing sewing machine, The 8 Series. I think my sister bought her first house for the same cost, but for folks that have the dough, it is a beauty!


We met a lot of great new stitchers, did our first-fourth powerpoint presentations which were included in our class and lecture schedule, had delicious frozen custard, and perhaps russled up a few more official converts to Artgirlz Nation. It was less stressful that the having your own booth! Didn't see much of Kansas City, MO except through our 29th floor window. Hallmark world headquarters was in the middle of the view.


Then onto Long Beach for the International Quilt Festival. We stayed with Lisa Engelbrecht (above) who was a very gracious host! We were very excited to Lisa's new book and were very grateful to receive one of our own. We were joined by Traci Bautista (below) who is always entertaining with tails of the gypsy life, teaching, storage units, 100 lb. suitcases and generally trying to figure it all out like the rest of us!

The show was great with crowds lining up the first morning and filling the aisles and consuming the too small amount of food that was brought into the venue for all of those hungry women!

We sold lots of wool beads and charms. Saw old friends, met new ones, had a lot of laughs...One of my new favorites was Justin, the very charming son of our rubber stamp maker, Harry Ortiz. He looked better than anyone in The Artgirlz Crown!



Thanks to Lisa, Traci, Sarah, the girlz at Brewer and Bernina for making it a great trip! It only took us about 4 daze to recover. I am happy to say that this morning, after 4 years of have 3 links on our website, I added a bunch!!!!! Hope to keep up that good work!