I met all my deadlines, everything was shipped in time, and tomorrow morning my husband and I drive to Pittsburgh for Spring Market.  Of course, I’m excited and nervous all at the same time.  I’ve heard from several different sources that despite the economy, the quilting industry is doing well.  So hopefully quilt shop owners will be there in force ready to stock their stores with new fabrics and patterns (mine included!)   We will be back Sunday night and I promise to have pictures! 

Having experienced Market only once, I can tell you it’s a vastly different experience from the retail shows put on by Quilts, Inc.  Essentially, the space that houses the retail vendors is filled with wholesale vendors.  In Houston it was vast.  I don’t know exactly how big the Spring Market is but I have to imagine it’s still pretty big.  Whereas Fall Market is always held in Houston, Spring Market is in a different city each year.  The biggest, noticeable difference is the noise and crowd level.  Much quieter and much easier to navigate the aisles!  There is just as much eye candy – but there’s the rub!  There’s very little cash and carry, but there is a lot of money changing hands!  A survey in 2006 found that approximatley 26 million million people participate in the $3 billion industry!  That’s billion with a “B”! 

Keep your fingers crossed!  Back to report on my experiences in a few days!

Helle-May