Saturday, September 10, 2011

Confessions of a Failed Quilt Shop Hopper

As I was waiting in line today to get my Quilt Across Texas passport stamped at the Allford Inn, the lady next to me asked how many stamps I had in my passport.  When I replied "this is my first one," her reaction was priceless. Her face flashed horror and "you poor dear" in a matter of seconds.  It seems as if  I am a failure as quilt shop hopper.

Evidently, since Quilt Across Texas began September 1, and today is September 9, I should have had time to go to several shops by now. The other couple in the shop had several stamps.  The ladies in front of me had almost finished region 4, they just had Wylie and Rockwall left. I found myself wanting to explain that this was my first hop, and I was just learning the rules, etc.

The truth is I saw signs about Quilt Across Texas at the Dallas Quilt Show, and then months later I was in Texas Quiltworks and they had the book with the passport of $5.00 and there was a $5.00 coupon in the book, so I thought why not, it would be an easy resource to find new quilt shops when I am out and about.  I really have no intention of  spending money on gas to just get my passport stamped so I can enter a drawing.  That is what one woman I met in Celeste was doing yesterday.

My basic plan was just to go to the shops I had coupons for from the Plano Quilt Show, pick up some things I had in my project list, get my passport signed for fun, and use my coupon. I had no idea how serious some people take the whole thing. This is a totally different world for me.

After we left Allford Inn we went to Quilt Mercantile where I ran into the lady that gazed with me with such pity before.  She and I chatted about the route we took to get from one place to the other, what fun things were available, and wished each other luck, but I know she was thinking "that is one less person I am competing against to get my prize."

1 comment:

Loni said...

That's ok, they looked at the family knitter like I was an alien since I didn't even HAVE a passport to stamp.