Has it been this long?

Wow, July is the last time I posted anything to my blog! Time really flies by. Well a lot of has happened since my last post. I vended at the AQS Quilt Show is Nashville and got my first taste of what it's like vending at such a large show. I worked out quite a few kinks in my process and will be much better prepared for the next big show. Which by the way is in November. I plan to vend at the Chicago Quilt Show in Schaumburg in November. This show is not as large as Nashville but they expect around 5000 in attendence so that's quite a good number.

I also vended at the Peoria Quilt show the last weekend in September. I quite enjoyed this show because it was much closer to home. It's also a lot more managble than doing a big show like Nashville. I look forward to Shaumburg and hope to move the last of my 2008 stock so I can order in some new Shweshwe prints!

In addition to everything that's been going on with Marula Imports, I also completed graduate school in September! Hooray! At long long long last. We graduate on December 13th, so I am really looking forward to receiving that ever so elusive diploma! What a relief to be done with school.

Well after all the studying and working at, I'm happy to say that we're taking a break next week also! We're off to Cabo San Lucas for a much needed vacation. So I hope for some great sunshine and a relxing time on the beach!

I will try to be a better blogger in the future!

Citizenship!

Well Wednesday July 2nd, 2008 was a big day for me! After 10 years of living in the United States I finally took the plunge and became an American citizen. I attended the Naturalization Oath ceremony in Peoria Illinois along with 46 other people representing 22 countries! WOW! And to make the whole occassion that much better, it was 2 days before Independence Day! There was red, white and blue everywhere and everyone was feeling very patriotic.

It was truly a wonderful and moving experience! There were a few dignitaries (members from the community) in attendence to encourage the new citizens to participate in community activities and to serve and support various organizations. All the new citizens were also snagged right away as we left the courtroom to register to vote!

After the oath ceremony I was interviewed by a local news station! It was all very exciting. Here is a link to the video clip of my interview: http://www.week.com/news/local/22834989.html?video=pop&t=a

So now I have joined the ranks and can proudly call myself an American!

Still rollin'...

Well summer is kicking into high gear here in the Midwest and we're enjoying every minute of the warm weather. Fortunately we have not been affected by any of the flooding that is plaguing our surrounding states. The world is green though from all the rain we've been getting!

I am still working my way down piles and piles of shweshwe! Everyday I cut, roll and package more fabric in preparation for the quilt shows I have coming up in the next few months.

Along with the fabric that I am importing, I will be importing my very own mother for the Nashville quilt show also! Yes indeed... the "mother" shipment arrives in Nashville a few days before the show. That should give mom some time to rest up before we put her to work at the show. I am very excited and looking forward to this opportunity to spend some fun time with my mom.

I am also pleased to let you know that we have our first quilt pattern ready for the quilting world! Our wonderful pattern designer, Evelyn Young has put her talents to work to create unique and African inspired patterns for "Marula Designs". Stay tuned... the patterns will soon be available on our website.

Shwe Shwe galore!

Last week I received my latest shipment of Shwe Shwe. I ordered 10 new indigo prints and each one of them is FABULOUS!! After cutting 5 bolts into smaller pieces (with help) I started to think that I may need to order more fabric to make sure I have enough stock for the Nashville show. So I did! Today I placed another order for 10 more chocolate prints and then a mixture of 10 red and indigo prints. So, if you're wondering what I'm doing over the next 2 months, let me assure you that I am spending some quality time with my Shwe Shwe... cutting and packaging it for the Nashville show.

I am also excited about being able to show some sample quilts in my booth in August. The quilts have been made using Shwe Shwe fabrics and were made by a good friend of mine, Evelyn. If all goes well, I will soon have more information about her quilts and her patterns available on my website. So stay tuned!

If you're in the USA, I hope you're enjoying the wonderful Spring weather and all the new life that comes with it! And if you're in the RSA, stay warm and hang in there... Spring will soon be with you also!

Nashville... here we come!

I am ecstatic to report that Marula Imports was invited by the American Quilter's Society to vend at the quilt show in Nashville Tennessee in August! We are just so excited... At the same time we are quite aware of all the preparations that await us!

We had such a great experience at the Bloomington show that we have only the highest hopes for the Nashville show!

So mark your calendars... August 20 - 23. Come and visit us at the Nashville Show!

Hello to the blogging world!

Well this is my first blog ever and I am really excited! Marula Imports has taken my life by storm and so many new and exciting things have happened these last few months. It's been a wonderful experience and I am really looking forward to what the future holds for Marula Imports.

We had the wonderful opportunity of vending at a local quilt show here in Bloomington Illinois at the beginning of April. All I can say is that it was a great experience that exceeded all my expectations. We are now looking into vending at a few more shows this year.

We will regularly keep you posted on the new happenings here at Marula Imports!