Girlz Day! Original Sewing & Quilt Expo! (part 1)

On Thursday my sister, sister-in-law and I met at the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Schaumburg. We had fun. I'm probably going to regret it next month when the bills come in, but I'm all smiles now!  I shopped enough that I've split it into two posts.

This is a Shiva Paintsticks Make-it and Take-it I did at the Laura Murray Designs booth. Both stenciling and rubbing.

Here's their tag with a fabric rubbing attached.

And this doesn't quite show (glare from the flash) but it's a Grip-n-Grip from Bear Thread Designs.  It's a sticky mat you set down on your work area, then you lay your fabric on it and it stays. Doesn't budge while you're stenciling. Then I stuck the rubbing plate to it and it stayed while I moved my fabric around for the rubbing I did.  It was wonderful.  I can see it making drawing, writing and coloring on fabric so much easier.

I loved this booth! There was a bin of luscious kimono silk fabric.  My find was this two-sided piece. I plan to hem three sides (one is selvedge) and wear it as a scarf.

I also purchased a baggie of silk kimono scraps.  They're really cool but I'll need to iron them before sharing them all with you.  N got one too, with more green tones, and it's really awesome, too (it ended up in my bag by mistake, I promise, and it will get to its rightful owner, soon.)

I've long wanted to knit a lace shawl and been too intimidated by the size and complexity. I've looked at some beginner patterns that seemed to look too beginner. There were a few knitting and yarn booths at the show and Mia Bella Yarn and Accessories of Highland Park had a gorgeous dark gray very lacy shawl, with the pattern and yarn on hand.  N and I both got the pattern and I also purchased the yarn in pink. The lace patterns look moderately complex but all of the increasing comes between patterns so the lace knitting should be doable.