Sew Inspired Road trip

So, I have been running like crazy the last few months, so when the year-end madness was over and I found myself with a few days off, DH and I decided it was time to get away for a few days.  I will update you on some of my quilting over the last 2 months later, but for now I want to share with you my time today.

I have had a couple of folks tell me about Sew Inspired in Simsbury, Ct and the cute little town, so we decided to book a room for a night and take a drive. Of course, our first stop was Sew Inspired. It is situated in a small indoor mall called Fiddler's Green, so we had lunch first at Joe's Wood Oven Pizza.  It is an old building that houses a couple of restaurants and shops. The pizza was great, nice thin, crunchy crust, although none of the locals were eating pizza.  Instead they had sandwiches and huge salads.

I really like Sew Inspired. It is a large, bright shop with fabric to fit all tastes.  Lots of batiks, Kona solids, a children's fabric section, an Amy Butler section and on and on.....4,000 bolts to be exact.   They carry Quilter's Dream batting in all types, including wool, as well as Superior Sew Fine, Rainbows and Razzle Dazzle thread. They also carry some Aurifil thread in neutrals for piecing. But Mettler is their primary thread.  They carry a good selection of notions and tons of patterns for bags with some really cute coordinated fabric bag samples. They even have a clearance section with 30 and 50% off fabrics. 

Downstairs they have a studio with their long-arm business as well as a Studio version of Go! that is used when they have BoM and classes requiring tons a cutting. 

The staff is extremely pleasant. They offered help when I first arrived, but backed off and allowed me to browse until I needed assistance. Once we engaged in conversation, they were very helpful helping DH and I plan our 2 days in town. 

Yep, definitely a place I will return. In fact DH overheard them mentioning Fat Tuesday Madness, where FQ's are on sales. Buy 10, get 10 free...buy 20, get 20 free, etc...  This is an annual event in which one year a woman brought 100 FQ's, getting 100 free!  Anyway DH wants to come back then, hoping to see the area without the snow. Oh yeah, Fat Tuesday Madness is on Fat Tuesday every year...the day before Ash Wednesday. 

We'll see.....

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!

Northern Star Quilt Show 2011: 3 Quilts and 3 Ribbons..... WooHoo!

I have been on the road in Latin America this past week, but I was very happy to make it back in time to attend the Northern Star 2011 World of Quilts Show in Somers, NY.  The show always features a very diverse body of quilts, which is full of new and exiting techniques as well as traditional bed quilts.

Well, last night I received an email congratulating me on my ribbon from a friend in the Pelham Quilters.  While on my way up to the show today, I got a text from another friend Teri Lucas, that simply said "WOW".  So yes, I was excited and I knew I had won something, but since I had 3 quilts in the show, I didn't know which one or what type of ribbon.

As I walked into the show floor, fellow guild members from 2 guilds and friends from the Country Quilter Retreat gang, came up offering their congratulations.  I thanked them all, but still didn't know what for.  The first quilt I saw was "In the Spotlight" with it's 2nd Place ribbon in the Appliqued Wallhanging - Human/Animal category and I was so happy.  It got an "Honorable Mention" last month at the Empire Quilter's show.  Then I turned the corner and to my surprise, there was "Mis Hijos" the portrait quilt of my children from a workshop with Bisa Butler and it received "Honorable Mention" in the small quilts category.  I was soo happy...:-)  2 ribbons, just like last years show!!  Well I continued through the show and I was stopped in my tracks.....  there was "In a Blaze of Glory" with a 3rd place ribbon in the Appliqued Wallhanging category!!!

I was so thrilled, I stood in the middle of the aisle and just grinned.  3 quilts, 3 different styles of quilting, 3 totally different looks and 3 ribbons.  I am humbled.  Thank You Northern Stars :-)....

Of course there were many other wonderful quilts in the show, but I will have to share those tomorrow, as I am almost out of battery on my laptop.  But I thought I would close by sharing the text I received from my son, when I told him that I had won ribbons on all 3 quilts.....  He replied....  "LOL you mean a quilt with my face on it won a ribbon!"

Priceless.....

Next stop: Picket Fence Quilts - Novato, Ca

So after my last meeting on Thursday I made it to Picket Fence Quilts.  I forgot my camera, so unfortunately no pictures of the shop.  But boy or boy.... what a bright and happy feeling you get when you walk in the door.  I felt right at home as soon as I walked in the door.  Bright fabrics hit you right away, and you know how I am about brights.

They had a nice selection of batiks as well as black and whites.  I found a couple of fabrics that I need for a few projects that have been dancing around in my head. 

 Too many ideas...  now just need time to make them a reality :-).  Anyway....

Also brought a new book.  Loved all the project ideas.  I think the Art Deco style works well for Miami, so might have to make Raven another quilt :-).

They had a large room in the back as a classroom and also provided Long Arm quilting services on premise.

I noticed that they carried some Superior Thread and for what they didn't have, they provided the thread cards so that they could order what you needed.  Nice touch!

The owner was working and we chatted a bit about the local quilt shops.  She runs the place with her daughter.  She gave me a listing of shops in the area for future trips which was nice and suggested that if I have time to stop into Rainbow Fabrics, Crafts and Things.  She said as an contemporary quilter, that I would fine it interesting.

Boy was she right!  Rainbow in Fairfax, Ca is such an eclectic shop.  They have a little bit of everything, from cotton fabric to fun fabric, to buttons, to beads, to ribbons, etc... etc...  the 'Things' part of the name is real fitting!  While there, two Moms came in with their young children and it was like watching kids in a candy shop.  I laughed, as they said No about a million times.  It really isn't a quilt shop, but of course I found something I liked.    Isn't this fabric cool!  Tons of movement.

Well, it was definitely worth a stop and look see.






All in all a great trip our west.

Now back at home, I finished quilting my 15 month UFO last night.  WooHoo!  I'll post pics in the next day or two...

Quilted Angel: Petaluma, California

I can't believe it has been over two weeks since my last post, but with work and travel, my time has been short.  Anyway, I wanted to share with you two quilt shops I visited while in the North Bay area of California.

Let's start with the Quilted Angel in Pelatuma, Ca. 

 Boy, I sure wish they would pick up this entire shop and move it to Westchester County, NY.  We lost one shop last year and are loosing the other at the end of the summer.  The Quilted Angel is perfect.  They have tons of everything, but what dropped my jaw was the thread!

Aurfil, mostly 50 weight cottons, as well as some 28 wt and some wools,,,, yummy....

Superior of all types....  King Tut, Razzle Dazzle, Rainbow, Masterpiece, Sew Fine, etc....  I was in heaven..

You will note that at the bottom of this rack with the Superior Thread, that they also carry some YLI Silks.  That's right, in quite a wide range of colors....  and no this is not all the thread, they had more racks than I got on camera.

I quess it is only fitting, because not only do they carry silk thread, but they also carry silk batting (which I just had to buy to try) and a delicious array of a silk/cotton blend fabric.

They also carried wool, cotton, and polyester batting.  And you could buy it pre-packaged or off the roll.  And if you need a ruler, believe me they had it.  I have never seem so many types of rulers.  But as I said, they had just about everything in this shop. 

As you can see...  I just had to bring some of it all home..    Oh yeah, I needed something to read on the plane, so I also brought a machine quilting book.  Too bad I had to leave Friday morning, because the weekend they were having a local sale --  all the shops were offering 20% off yardage.  Gee wiz....  just my luck!

Oh boy, oh boy...  got to finish my 15 month UFO so I can play with those silks.

Oh yeah, the folks at the shop were great...  real friendly.  And you could tell that the locals just hang out there.  When I entered there were a few ladies just chatting away about the local school system.  In the back, they have a kids area, with a TV and video games and toys and such to keep the young ones occupied as their Moms shopped or chatted.

I'll share the other shops with you next time.

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!

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 :-)

As promsed...

Well I figured out why I couldn't get photo's to load from my camera on Sunday. It wasn't my camera, it was my laptop. I had it up for many many days... so it was low on memory. Once I shut it down and restarted it, I was fine.... I couldn't get my email system to load either, so I new there was a problem :-)

So as promised, here are a few pictures from last weekends Empire Quilters: Urban Inspiration Quilt Show.

I loved this piece. It was simple, yet eloquent. I am going to redo my stairs and upstairs hallway walls soon and I think I will use this piece as inspiration for pieces to line the stairs.

This NYC / Brooklyn Bridge skyline was done by Anna Faustino, using her woven technique. All the buildings in the city landscape are woven, covered with black netting. The wires on the bridge are made with metallic thread and the quilting in the orange sky/background was truly amazing!

This paper pieced quilt was also quite stunning... don't mind the photo... the colors aren't true! I love the color choices against the black background and while the design was simple the visual impact was high. It won first place in the paper piecing category.

Well that is just a taste. The show is held every two years, so if you are in NYC Spring 2011 make sure you add it to your list of things to do... and The City Quilter shop is only 2 blocks away.

My only sorrow... I didn't win the raffle quilt!... boo hoo....

What a Wonderful Day!

Hope you had a wonderful National Quilt Day!

I was very lucky today. I had the pleasure of spending the first part f my day with some lovely quilting friends... Doris, Brenda and Giovanna. We went into NYC for a day of quilt inspiration. First we headed to Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T) for the Empire Quilter's, Urban Inspiration Quilt Show. It is a great two floor show with wonderful quilts and some really nice vendors.

The nice thing about this show is that the quilters who enter must be guild members, so as a result the quilters range from beginner quilter to international quilt artist/teacher/publisher. As you can imagine the quilts varied tremendously in composition as well as construction execution. To be honest, it really made me feel that I could enter my work in more shows then I do. Kudo's to the guild for showcasing all of their members work. I say this because quilter's like Paula Nadelstein and Anna Faustino belong to this guild. So hanging my work along side of theirs would be very daunting to me. But if this is the common thing, then hey, why not?

I did take a few pictures and normally I would share them with you, but for some reason, I can't get the pictures to load on my computer tonight. Seems to be a bit finicky... I think I need to charge the battery. I will add some shots later in the week.

After the show we walked the few blocks to The City Quilter. They are the only real quilt shop in Manhattan, although many of the fabric houses have cottons and other fabulous fabric used by today's quilters. I always like wandering thru this shop as they always have what is new and unusual in quilting. Great shop, so if you haven't been... make sure you stop by the next time you are in the Big Apple :-).

Once home in mid-afternoon (much earlier than I expected, but we were at the show before it opened!), I decided to take advantage of the great spring like weather and do some gardening. My DH and son managed to get the yard cleaned up when my son was home for spring break, so this meant the ground was ready for me. Out came my Claw and I turned up my flower beds. Next I but down some Preen to help prevent those nasty weeds from germinating. I usually like to get the Preen down before March 15, but hey... like I always say, Life gets in the way of most plans :-). Tomorrow it is off to Home Depot to get the Crab Grass preventer.

After Mass and dinner, I went down to my studio and did some quilting. Yes, I finally have all the background quilting done on my woven piece and the women and center baskets appliqued down. Progress at last! Oh yeah... I will post progress pictures as soon as I figure out why they aren't loading on my computer.

For your visual pleasure... here is the raffle quilt from today's show. Hope you enjoy it!

Good Night!

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.

;

Phoenix bound..

Hi... I am heading out to Phoenix for business next week and I always try to make one local quilt shop visit anywhere I go. Normally I look online and do a google search for quilt shops by the hotel or office where I will be, but I thought this time, since there are so many quilt bloggers around the globe, that I would see what folks recommend.

Can anyone suggest a good quilt shop that has at least one night of evening hours? Yes I will be working during the day.

I will be at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak on North 16th Street.

Thanks!

Oh my, just what is a quilter to do....

In the quilting world there are many ways for a quilter to get the materials he or she needs to practice the art of quilting.... JoAnn's, WalMart, even the internet. But to a true quilter, there is only one place to truly get everything they really need... a Local Quilt Shop. The LQS as it is known in the quilting cirlce, is so much more than a fabric store. The LQS is what inspires us, encourages us, transforms us from a sewer to a quilter. A good LQS manages to make even the beginninng quilter or fiber artist believe they can transform bits of fabric and thread into works of art. They are there to quide us, to teach us, to share a wealth of knowledge, to bestow all the tips and techniques the art form has to make quilting easier, to make it fun.... in many cases they are our muse.

So it is with much dismay that I learned this week that my LQS (well, if local means a 45 minute drive) will be closing their doors. The owner Claire Oehler, will be retiring. Yes, Claire's daughter Jane Davila, will be carrying on the Country Quilter tradition with an online store, but with all the cyber world has to offer, it can not replace the feeling that walking into that store created for so many. We will miss the staff that greeted you with a smile and by name as you walked into the store... the staff that somehow managed to learn not only your quilting personality to serve you better, but became an extension of your quilting family and even felt like or in some cases became a close friend. In short we will miss them for what they are to the quilting world, as their philosophy on the web site so simply states: "Our Philosophy: To provide quality products at a fair price in an inspirational and creative atmosphere. To offer a supportive environment for quilters to learn and grow."

I know retirement is something that Claire will look forward to, after 18 1/2 years.... what stamina it takes to run a business like this. The brick and mortar store, the classes, the pattern business, the online store and even their fabulous retreats (thank goodness they are continuing the retreats twice a year!)... I am exhausted just thinking about it. So I do wish her good health and happiness in this next stage of her life, enjoying their country home, travel and grandchildren.... but I will miss her smile, her laugh and they way she says 'well... I don't know Renee'. Thanks Claire for all your positive responses to my pushing, prodding and even pleading over the last 10 years for just the right class or gadget I needed to improve my quilting skills. Oh yes, thanks for being my dinner partner before evening classes. I will miss this time as well!

Yes, Jane and I became 'friends' on Facebook last night and I will continue to stay in touch with the retreats, our blogs, the Country Quilter newsletter, and her workshops. But to me, loosing the Country Quilter is more than loosing a local supplier, it is like loosing a member of my family.

So for the next two months, until the sign comes off the door, I will have to make sure I get my fix of all things 'Country Quilter'. Just like I did with 4 other quilting friends yesterday, who got in our car and had a 'road trip' and made a day out of our visit to our favorite LQS!

My Favorite Quilt Shops

This post has been updated:
3/18/09: added Arizona. Commented on the closing of The Country Quilter, in Somers, NY.

So you all know that I travel alot. Well I decided to share my list of some of my favorite shops. If they made my list, then I have been there and have returned at least once or would return if I was back in the area. See the links to the left.

Here is the list, by state, to make it easier to find one if you are heading there..

Arizona
Quilt Shop & Gallery, Sedona... I loved the way this shop was laid out. A section for batiks, a section for southwesterns, one for holiday fabric, one for books, etc... they even carried quilting puzzles. It was like anyone could walk into the store and go right to what they were looking for. I also liked it because they catered to quilters who like brights as well as contemporary quilting, less so to the traditional quilter.... which meant it fit my style well. BUT they also carried traditional fabric, patterns and books, just less of it, so no one was left out. The shop has a separate building which host a gallery of quilts for sale by local quilters. I thought this was a real nice touch! The staff was really friendly... didn't bother you as you walked around, but was there to help if you needed it.
Quiltz, Phoenix.... Nice large shop, with one of the largest classrooms I have ever seen. Even my husband commented on the classroom size! The shop had a nice layout, with many batiks, brights, florals and children's fabrics. Patterns, quilts and gift ideas were displayed in each section that related nicely to the fabric in the area. They carry a large selection of books, which are always 20% off! The staff was really good at helping me to find exactly what I was looking for.

California
Rosie’s Calico Cupboard, San Diego... This shop has something for everyone. Loads of fabric…. always check the website for coupons and check out their sale room. I always come home with a ton of fabric, although it has been a year or so since I have been there. For a long time this was probably one of my favorite quilt shops. It still remains on my top 10 list.
The Cotton Patch, The shop is owned by Carolie Hensley - Co-Founder of C&T Publishing. Lots of variety and they have a frequent buyers program.
The Quilters Nest
Eddie’s Quilting Bee, In Sunnyvale, not far from San Jose. I try to make a stop by everytime I am in the area. The staff is really great.
The Granary, Sunnyvale

New York:
The Country Quilter, Somers, NY... this is what I call my 'local quilt shop'. I take all of my quilting classes here. You have read my posts about them before.. I go on their retreats, the owner Claire is a wonderful person, her daughter Jane, is a fabulous art quilter. Visit whenever you are in the area! On my top 10 list! Unfortunately, the owner of this shop is retiring after almost 20 years in the business, and the shop will be closed as of 3/31/09. We all wish Claire the best in the next stage of her life as she relaxes in the Adirondeck mountains.
Quilt Cottage, Mamaronect, NY... this is one of the newest shops in the area. The owner Nancy, is fabulous. she has been in the fabric business for years before she opened up the shop. Besides quilting fabric, notions and patterns, she also carries a large selection of yarn. On my top 10 list!
The City Quilter, New York, NY... featured in Quilt Shop Sampler and APQS Magazine. Recently relocated to a larger space. Great shop and wonderful class selection even though I find it hard to get there for classes.
Woodstock Quilt Supply, Woodstock... owned by two men! Real distinct persona, fabulous fabrics, not your average quilt shop. I like reading their newsletters... they have good sales as well.

Nevada:
Fabric Boutique, Las Vegas, NV... large selection of fabric. They carry just about the entire selection of Moda Marbles. Every month, a different color is 'featured' and any fabric with that color in it (even a dot!) is 20% off. They have a large classroom and traveling quilters are welcome to call ahead to see if the room is available for drop in quilting. No charge, and leave your mats, and scissors at home. They really make it comfy for conventioners who have down time, or wifes traveling with husbands who don't quite like spending as much time in the casinos as their husbands do. One of my top 10 list!
Nancy’s Quilt Shop, Las Vegas, NV.... batik heaven, even batik like flannel fabric. They have the largest selection of flannel that I have ever seen.
The Christmas Goose Quilt Shop, Las Vegas, NV

Colorado:
Great American Quilt Factory, this is owned by the owners of Possibilities, the publishing company.... wonderful shop, full of brights which is me all over. The shop is organized by project, with samples lining the walls, and fabrics and kits under the sample. On my top 10 list!

South Carolina:
People, Places & Quilts, Summerville & Charlston. On my top 10 list... both locations. Diane the owner is usually in the Charlston shop which is right in downtown Old Charlston. Loved the staff!
Island Thread Quilt Shop, Pawley Island
Pieces and Places
Sew Many Common Threads
Cross Stitch Junction and Quilts Too!, One of my top 10! Lot's of batiks and brights, and lots of blenders to go inbetween!
Quilting in The Carolinas,
Quilters Cottage, Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet, SC. No website
Sea Side Stitching, Hwy 17, Surfside Beach, SC No website


Maine:
Mardens Surplus, Sandford store only. This is an Army Surplus Store, which carry's manufacters left overs and buys-out stores stocks when they close. All carry fabric, but Sandford is the best for quilting fabric. These are not seconds... they are just surplus... prices are between $3-$4 a yd, including batiks!
Knights, York. Great shop, more for the traditional quilter than bright/batik person like me, but they always seem to have something I can use :-)
Mariners Compass Quilt Shop

Massachusetts:
Fabric Corner, Arlington and Falmouth... I have only been to the Arlington store, which is almost all batiks and blenders. Great store, was just there last week. Will definitely be going back and might make it onto my top 10 list... too soon to tell, but I will keep you posted.
Cambridge Quilt Shop, Cambridge... nice shop... not too large, but a nice selection of fabric.

New Hampshire:
Portsmouth Fabric Shop, Portsmouth... right on the boarder between New Hampshire and Maine. Great batik shop. I have only been there once, but it was packed to the rafters. Would probably make my top 10 if I could get back there often.
Ohio:
Quilt Beginnings, Dublin/Columbus area... there were many shops in the area, unfortunately I don't remember them all !

Virginia :
Quilt Patch, Virginia Beach area.


OK, let's it for now... hope you get to visit some of them!

Cheers!

Quilt Shop visits in Hilton Head, SC

Hi,

I have been meaning to post some info on my latest shop hop from our trip to Hilton Head, SC and Savannah, Ga, so here it goes.

I left here with copies of the pages from my 2004/6 Quilters Companion for both areas, knowing that if I found one store open, they would let me know where other shops were within driving distance. Well, just like last years haunt to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, SC, both hubby and I found some great stores. Unfortunately, this year with the Hurricane Trifecta (Gustav, Ike and Josephine) in the area, fishing boats weren't going out, so poor Bob did more than just one day of hopping with me. Of course, I tried not to wear him out... but like the trooper he is, he was a good sport about it.

First stop was to Beaufort, SC to a shop called Creative Stitches (60 B Robert Smalls Pkwy). The shop was behind another building and not visible from the road, but they did have a sign. The owner and workers were very friendly and if you are a Brother machine person, they are the shop for you. They had every Brother quizmo under the sun. In fact, they were working on applique Christmas ornaments in silver and gold metallic thread... they were beautiful! The ad in the Quilter's Companion says 1,500 bolts of fabric, but since I am a bright and batik person, only a small portion of their fabric fit my taste. They did have some absolutely wonderful art quilts on display for classes, that were designed by one of the women who work in the shop. I asked if they sold patterns for them, but unfortunately she hasn't produced patterns yet. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area... great shop for ideas... about an hours drive from Hilton Head.

Heading back towards Hilton Head, we stopped at a new shop called Grannie's Attic. It is off of Rte 170 (Robert Smalls Parkway) on a new road (there is a sign for new traffic light), which intersects with I-95, and has a Walmart at its end. The shop has only been open for 6 months and isn't listed in the Quilters Companion yet. But, if you are in to non-traditional fabric, it is a great little shop. They had a nice section of batiks, moda's and brights. Of course they had, Hauffman, Thimbleberries, Blank and Timeless Treasures as well as many more traditional fabric, but I went straight to the batiks :-). The hardest part will be finding the place, as of last week, they didn't have a sign at the curb or on the front of the store, just a small wall hanging in the window. If you do find the road, look for the large white colonial building on the left hand side, that has a sign for an eatery... Grannies Attic is in the same little strip mall, right before the golf cart shop.

Continuing our journey back to Hilton Head, our next stop was to Cross Stitch Junction. I know, doesn't sound like a quilt shop, but it is. It was originally located in the Belfair Town Village in Bluffton, SC, where it was 50/50 Cross Stitch/Quilting. But 3 years ago, it moved onto the Island on Office Park Road, in the Park Plaza Shopping Center and is now called Cross Stitch Junction and Quilts Too! Well, it is now 80/20, Quilting/Cross Stitch and a fabulous shop for my quilting style. Lots of batiks, and the modas are marked by number with a color chart right next to them, so you know exactly what they have. Their fat qtr section is arranged by theme and color... so you will see a section for 'sky and water/blues' vs 'sky and clouds/whites'. Really neat and easy to find exactly what you are looking for. They have lots of original patterns, with kits in clear zipper project bags, perfect for retreat or just keeping your stash/projects organized. I really liked this shop and left quite a bit of cash in Hilton Head :-)!

The last day of our trip we spent in Savannah, Ga, so of course I had to find a shop there as well. I opted out of visiting Colonial Quilts in Savannah, as I had been advised that it carried mostly traditional fabrics, and choose instead to visit Lets Sew (also in Savannah proper). Lets Sew is a small shop with less fabric, but it had a decent stock of batiks in a separate room. Again, this shop had a nice selection of quilts on display for their classes... there was something there for every quilting taste. I really liked their original block of the month for Christmas 2008. It was really spectacular!

We never made Sew Much More in Garden City, which is about 15 minutes out of Savannah. Oh well, there is always next time!