The Quilt Shop, Santiago, Chile

You can tell life has been crazy when it takes you 2 weeks to blog about something you really enjoyed. But as many of you know, that is my life. I hope it will settle down at some point, but for now, I will take it as it comes :-).

All this to say, that I am really excited to share a surprise that I stumbled upon in Santiago, Chile 2 weeks ago. The Quilt Shop! That's right. I was in Argentina and Chile for business so of course I went looking for a quilt shop. Although I searched the web and asked around, I found nothing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. No one there even knew what I was asking about. But while browsing the web for a shop in Argentina, up popped an article about the owner of a shop in Chile, who had single handedly brought the art of quilting to Chile!  Pilar Donoso I., a Chilean woman who had lived in California for twenty years.  You can read the whole story on The Planet Patchwork site here.

But Pilar, did just that. She opened the only quilt shop in Chile, she has her own line of patterns written entirely in Spanish and she teaches classes to a growing number of Chilean Quilters. They even had their first show last year! The shop on Vitacura, is tucked behind a large tree but is quite welcoming, with brightly colored quilts hanging throughout the shop. All are class samplers and as Pilar says, making samples for classes means less time for her personal quilting, but it helps to promote the shop and where quilting is heading.

Visiting the shop, you van see why Pilar has been so successful. When I entered with a co-worker from Mexico, she got up from her machine and chatted with us for quite awhile, helping to share the art of quilting with my co-worker, who had no idea why I dragged her off to find a quilt shop before we could eat dinner :-).  Before she met me, the co-worker had no idea that people cut up fabric, only to sew it back again.

Pilar and I chatted about quilting in Latin America in general and Chile in particular until another customer came in. I browsed the fabrics, while she gave the new customer the same warm welcome she had given us. I made my selections, seeing many fabrics I recognized from shops here in the states, but as always supporting the LQS I visit. Pilar made sure she gave me one of her signature The Quilt Shop bags to carry my goodies home.

Yum..  Yumm...  I have a clown quilt to make for a baby, so these fabrics are just perfect :-).

Thanks Pilar!

Vote for Paducah, KY as your Favorite Destination!

Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destination program has recognized cities and towns that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization. In each community, residents have joined together and taken action to protect their town’s character. Browse their site to learn more about the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations and cast your vote for your favorite destination through March 15th.  When you vote, you will also be entered for a chance to win a 2 night stay at a historic hotel.

Come on fellow quilter's, let's make sure Paducah wins the top spot of distinction!

P.S.  Thanks to Libby Lehman for sharing this news :-)

Cheers!

Dublin, Ireland

On the road and once again very much surprised at the lack of quilt shops in major European cities...  As you know I travel a bit for business and am always looking for a quilt shop to visit.  But as in London, Paris, Milan and Geneva, Dublin is another major city with no quilt / patchwork shop in the downtown area.  Why is that?  

In Paris at least I can head out to Le Rouvray which is close to Notre Dame Cathedral (even if it is owned by an American).  In London, I used to be able to take the Tube and hit 2 different shops in about 20 minutes from the downtown area....Creative Quilter and Stitch in Time.  Creative Quilter is still there, and is a nice little shop, but Stitch in Time which had become Tikki Patchwork has closed.  I am told that since my last trip in 2007, I can find one in  the outskirts of Milano, but not when I was there.

So why is this?  I know quilting is alive and well in Europe.  You can see the European Quilt Festival and many other quilt shows talked about in blogs and on forums.  Why are there so few quilt shops or are they all just in the countryside??

Oh well, I head back to the states tomorrow and am looking forward to the new AQS Show in Lancaster, PA this weekend.  My guild has a bus load of folks going on Saturday and I have my shopping list all made out :-).  Will you be there?

The Quilt Scene - Miami, Florida

UPDATED 08/2013:  THIS SHOP HAS SINCE CLOSED

So, we made it to Miami just in time for DH to see the games on Sunday. We spent yesterday with DD and since she has to work today, we did some exploring. So, I found a quilt shop!

I did my usual and Goggled quilt shops in Miami. To my surprise there is only one shop in the Miami area.... The Quilt Scene. What a vibrant personality it has! I walked into the shop and was immediately greeted by a cheery staff member. (Not the lady below, she was the one who checked me out.) We chatted, she shared an overview of the store and their 'celebrity' staff member and then left me alone to browse. There was a group standing around one of the tables in the back discussing fabric choices with a new quilter.... quilters and staff alike were helping walk her through the process of choosing fabrics.


There is a large, bright room in the back where a class was going on, so I didn't explore too much back there. As usual I was on the hunt for threads..... they carried a good selection of Superior... King Tut, Razzle Dazzle, Masterpiece and Rainbows. They also carried YLI and a good selection of YLI Silks. Of course they carried Sulky Blendables, and Mettler and other thread for machine embroidery and sergers. Much more variety than many quilt shop I have visited. This is a good thing. To me, many shops focus on fabric, patterns and gadgets, but for those of us who tend more to contemporary or art quilting, a good variety of thread is a must!

The Quilt Scene is a dealer for both Bernina and HandiQuilter16. My husband was intrigued by all the old Bernina machines they had on display. They showed old popular machines dating back to 1950 along a shelve on the perimeter of the store. Don't know if you can see them on the shelve in the back.

These quilts are by Jane Hardy Miller, who works at the shop and is also their 'celebrity' staffer. Jane has a pattern line and is also the author of of the "French Braid Quilts" books.

I brought one of Jane's patterns, as well as another from ToadQuilts and some more black & white. Both of the patterns are good for quick, easy, but yet vibrant quilts. Great for gifts. Yes, this was a good trip for B&W's, I have built up my stash. I didn't have much room in my luggage for alot of fabric, so I had to keep my fabric purchases to a minimum on this trip, but I will be back:-).

I must say, I really liked the feeling of this shop. I told my DD that she now has a place to buy me presents :-). My DH and I were intrigued by some sample wallhangings they had with Angelina film (not the fibers)... really neat. Definitely need to get me some of that!

So 2 shops in Florida worth visiting as you travel down (and past) I-95 South....

Oh well, back to NY tomorrow... I will miss the 75+ degree weather!

Magrieta's Quilt Shop - St. Augustine, Florida

I stumbled on a wonderful shop today! While driving to Miami we were planning to spend the night in St. Augustine, Fl. So while enjoying the scenery, I decided to google quilt shops near our hotel..... I was pleased to see that there was one only 7 miles away!

Once my husband settled in to watch football, I got in the car and headed to Magrieta's Quilt Shop.

Ooooohhhh, I knew as soon as I walked in the store, that I was in for trouble. Good thing we were flying home and I only had a little carry on bag :-)!


The store was just my style.... brights, batiks, plenty of eye candy to brighten your spirit, tickle your fancy and grab a hold of your pocketbook. They carry a wide assortment of batiks as well as traditional and eclectic prints.

The staff was friendly.... ... and of course I did my usual damage... but at least just enough to fit in my carry-on luggage. I loved it that they had plenty of crisp black and whites.... not those almost white or greyish blacks, but true colors. They have a whole section dedicated to just such lovely baby's.

And some pinks for a pink, green and white quilt I want to make for some lucky young lady. Maybe I will donate it to my local Project Linus Chapter... they give quilts to a girls summer camp, where all the girls are in foster care, waiting to be adopted.

Then a piece for the back of Raven's wall hanging, which I have to get finished.

The spool of thread is one of Superior's King Tut variegated threads that I liked. They carry Superior, Sulky, Mettler, Aurifil and a few other thread brands. A nice variety for all type of quilting!

They are getting ready for The Florida Breeze Shop Hop, which starts on the 18th, so if you are in the area, stop in.


It is definitly worth the trip!

Heading to Brookfiled, Wisconsin

Hey, I am heading to Brookfield outside of Milwaukee this evening. I should have a moment before heading back to the airport tomorrow to check out a quilt shop. Anybody ever been to Patched Works in Brookfield? Or any other shop in the area?

Any recommendations?

Jeux d'aiguilles, Geneve, Switzerland

So, I google Quilt Shops in Geneve, Switzerland, before I left my hotel room this morning and what did you think I found? A directory of patchwork shops in Switzerland.... ok, ok, I know that is what google is for. Well, I found one entry for Geneve, so I looked it up on the city map and what do you know... it is less than a 10 minute walk from my hotel.... Oh, no... it is only open to 1pm on Saturdays... better hustle.... yes I slept in this morning :0).

So off I went to Jeux d'aiguilles. Nice looking front window...
So I go inside.... thru the window, I can see a group of women sitting at a table in the back. Did I catch a class in session? Wouldn't that be a treat! Alas, no. Instead it was a cross stitch group, sitting around working on projects. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but wouldn't let me take a picture. So I grabbed a close-up of the window on my way out, so you can see the type of work they do. As you can see, there is both cross-stitch and quilting projects in the window. Hey there is always, more than one way to skin a cat :-). (No animals affected.)


The shop had more cross stitch than quilting supplies, in fact, it only had one little display of Mettler thread and about (3) floor to ceiling shelves of fabric. Everything else was cross stitch. But of course, I found something to bring home from Geneve. Don't know why... these (2) 1-meter peices cost me $54!!!! and one was a Moda Marble. Guess I will ask about prices next time, I don't see them marked on the bolt! But, I think they will go nice as pillow covers for Raven's sofa. The pillows that came with her sofa really are not her style.

Of course, there is a quilt show starting 3 days after I head home... of well can't have everything. I did ask the owner if there were other patchwork shops in the area and she said no. So I asked where the local quilters get their fabric from... hey, this is home to Bernina. Guess what her answer was.... the internet!@!@! Even with the shipping charges, fabric is cheaper in the US, than in Switzerland, because it is almost all imported. Of well, quess we really do have it better in the good 'ole USA.

Off to Yvoire, France for the day tomorrow, since everything other than restaurants are closed on Sunday in Geneve... not even one museum is open. Hmm... wonder what I can find on google for Yvoire? I know I have found an interesting shop in Zurich.. just don't know if I will have any time. Hey, I am there for work :-)

Where in the world is Renee??

Hello, I know it has been awhile, but I am on the road again. Paris and London last week and I arrived in Geneva last night. In Geneva thru Tuesday, then on to Zurich. Home on Thursday. No quilting expeditions in Paris or London, I was too busy. But hopefully as I wander the streets of Geneva this weekend, I will find a shop or two.

Keep up the quilting end for me, I will have lots of posts to catch up on when I get home. That is, after retreat, because the Country Quilters Fall Retreat is next weekend... WOOHOOO!!

See you again in blogland after the 5th!

Quilting in Geneva, Switzerland and current project

OK, so I am heading to Switzerland in a week and of course there must be plenty of quilt stops that I HAVE to try to fit in. I am hoping somebody can recommend a nice shop or two I can visit. If you are reading my blog, you probably know that I am not a traditional quilter. I love brights and batiks and do a lot of art quilting. I will be in the downtown business section of Geneva. Of course if there is a shop open on Sunday, then that would be great. Otherwise, ones open after 5pm work best...

I will also be heading back to London, in the Paddington area, so shops there are also welcome.

Other than that, I have just designed a wall hanging for my daughters living room in Miami. What colors she has chosen! I had to go to Home Depot to get paint chips for the colors she wants to use. How about these names: Honeydew, Mexican Chili, Botanical Tint and Mint Majestry... they sound and look yummy.

Gotta go match fabric to paint chip... hope my stash is up to the task :-)

Phoenix wrap-up

Teri asked me where the photo of my fabrics from Phoenix was. Well I did take a picture of them when I was home this weekend, but last night I spent most of the evening in LaGuardia Airport trying to get to Ottawa, Canada before the snow. Yes, I did make it, after flight cancellations, and stand-by lists, etc.... It is cold up here... -9 degrees C... brr.... but I missed the 10 inches of snow that DH had to shovel from both our house and my Mom's today... but I am rambling.... :-)

So, here is the picture of my fabrics, but remember I am on a fabric diet, so don't leave a message asking why no more.... these are all 2 yd pieces... 16 yds!!! I did enough damage!
I told you I was inspired by the colors of the southwest... you see the bottom fabric, the one of bowls and vases and then on top of it, one of Kokopeli... what a joyful character he is! I think the bowl/vase fabric will make a nice back for whatever I make out of these. I have some ideas inspired by The Quilter's Store in Sedona and Quiltz in Phoenix... but who knows. For now, I will just enjoy the colors.

But more importantly, I told Teri, that first I had to update my shop list on the left with the three shops from Arizona, which I did tonight. I also updated the list to show the city and state where the shops are, so you don't have to click on the link to find out. Hope that helps!

Phoenix Quilt Shop Exploration

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the opportunity to enjoy Phoenix, Arizona last week. As I always try to do, I was able to visit some shops in the area. What a treat! I visited The Quilted Apple and Quiltz, both in Phoenix and The Quilter's Store and Gallery in Sedona. If you've never been, make sure you check them out. Not only was the country side gorgeous, so were the shops!

We spent one day in Sedona after my business meetings, which is when I stopped into The Quilter's Store and Gallery.

This is me, DH and a friend who has relocated to the Phoenix area, Cathy Adam. Cathy was our tour guide for the day! We are seated in front of the store.
This is Cathy and 2 of the staff members in the shop. They had lots of cute gift items, so even Cathy did her duty supporting the local quilt shop! The shop was very welcoming, with something for everyone. They carried brights, traditional fabrics, tons of batiks and had two different sections dedicated to Southwestern and holiday fabrics. Books, notions and patterns had a room in the middle of the shop. Nice layout that kept you moving throughout the store. I loved all their sample quilts.... quite a bit of visual stimulation.

They have a separate building with a quilt gallery. The gallery has quilts made by the staff and local guilds which are for sale. We saw some interesting pieces, including a Steering Wheel Cover. It gets so hot in the summer, if you don't cover the steering wheel in your car, you can actually burn your hands. What creativity. I can tell you, they were really cute!

Our first stop in Phoenix was Quiltz (liked the name :-)). The shop had alot of pizzaz and my husband commented on the size, not only of the store, but the classroom.... tons of space. They had 8 6FT tables set up for students, with ironing stations throughout the room. The shop was really roomy. They had fabrics set up by type: batiks, florals, etc... With a special color of the month (pink for February), where fabric with even a touch of that color was 20% off. They had a large selection of books, which are 20% off all the time.
Karen, pictured above, tried helping my husband find a replacement for his XMas stocking stuffer, "Help, I Married a Quilter", which he left on the plane on the flight out. Unfortunately, they were out of stock.

Last we visited The Quilted Apple. It was a smaller shop, but still with a lovely staff. Although the shop was more traditional than the other two, it was still lovely. They had tons of samples displayed, with many quilts depicting the history of the area.... landscapes, indians, southwest images, etc....

This is the owner of the shop, in front of a lovely Baltimore Album quilt which hangs in the front of the store. The workmanship was superb! We were running to the airport, so we didn't have alot of time to spend here. But I will stop back in next time I am in the area.

So that was our trip. I will update the links on the hand hand side of my blogpage later. Now it is off to Ottawa, Canada.

;

Inspiration from Phoenix

The colors of Phoenix and the Southwest are always inspiring. A stroll through the local galleries this past weekend is more than enough to inspire even the timid quilter. As most quilters, I get my inspiration from many different sources... as a color inspired art quilter, I would be on overload if I lived out here.

So I decided to share with you a sample of the local artwork. Hopefully it will inspire you as well....This piece is by Barbara Galazzo and is made from glass. Absolutely wonderful color, especially with the azure blue background.

This mixed media painting on canvas by Gregory Deane caught my eye for the fiery oranges. Although not red, it reminded me of the Red Rocks of Sedona.

I was not able to find the name of the artist for these woven baskets or vessels as they were called at the gallery, but the color combination was phenomenal. Just look at how well the colors play off one another.

From the same gallery as the baskets, this piece (I lost the paper with the artist's name just like the baskets... I know, I know...) is a quilt waiting to happen. The un-even blocks, along with the swirls all keep the eye moving, in a piece with only 3 colors in varying shades. It is calling out to all you fabric dyers, saying make me... make me...

I am hoping to get to some quilt shops Friday morning before I head to the airport. It will be interesting to see if I find original quilt patterns that are as inspiring as the local gallery art pieces!