Quilt Across Texas - September 1-30, 2011

www.It is September, so it is is Quilt Across Texas  month.

I have no intention of trying to get a shop in all the regions, but I am going to go to at least one shop I haven't visited before.

My goal is to go to Allford Inn Quilt Shoppe in Van Alystyne, TX.  I met Cindy Allford at the Plano Quilt Show and she was so open and willing to give me advise.  I am looking forward to seeing her shop.  

I will probably visit one of my favorite shops, Quilt Mercantile in Celeste, TX.

I would love to travel to some other shops, but I also have some deadlines to make with some of my projects.  

Top Two Quilt Stores in my Book

I have rearranged my list of favorite quilt stores since shopping at "Quilt Mercantile" in Celeste, TX, and "Stitchin' Heaven" in Quitman, TX.

Quilt Mercantile

• The people that work there are extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. They don't mind sharing their knowledge but once they answer their question they back off and leave you alone until you need something else. I don't like to be hovered over in a store.
  
  
• The store is laid out in a fashion that if you are in a hurry you can go to the area you need and get your item and leave. Everything makes sense.
  
  
• Lots of quilt top examples on the walls.
  
  
• Patterns and books galore.
  
  
• I love their Christmas room!
  
  
• Good sale area.
  
  
• Lots of little gift items for those you love.
  
  
• Kits, kits and more kits.

I purchased a kit yesterday to make for a very special baby being born in Oct. I didn't care for the theme the parents picked out for the room so I went with something that would be helpful to the baby as he gets older.



Alpha Buddies by Nancy Murty


Stitchin' Heaven

• Very friendly as soon as you walk in the door. The store manager met us and offered us a tour of the shop showing us where everything was, including their internet store area and mailing area.
  
  
• If we couldn't find what we wanted on the shelf, they went and looked in their inventory to see if they had more.
  
• Helpful in picking out fabric but understanding when you didn't like a certain fabric.
  
  
• Lots of different patterns made up and on the walls.
  
  
• Kits available for quite a few of their patterns, many made up in nice packages for gifting.
  
  
• Sent a hand written thank you letter, mentioning my exact purchases, and asking me to come back again.
  

I purchased several items, but the one I am most excited about is the Magic Squares Pattern by Helene Knott.

Of course my fabric is in shades of green and the border fabric has turtles.

Both of these quilt shops are worth the drive, and the drives are very pretty from my house.

Lesson Learned re Traveling/Quilting

Spring Break, 2009, was really the first vacation I have taken since I started quilting. The one thing I did not do when preparing for my trip was to research quilt stores in the areas I would be traveling through. Therefore, I only found one, and it was by accident. I saw it on the highway as we were going to Arkansas, and told the boys that we would be stopping there on the way back, and we did.

The store is called Sew Fantasy Quilts and Fabrics and is located in Texarkana, Texas. It was a smaller shop than some of the ones in this area, but they had some beautiful fabric in stock, and the quilts on the walls were very nice. I was not in the market for any fabric, but I did need some new needles.

I purchased 3 vials of Jeana Kimball's and Foxglove Cottage Betweens/Quilting size 10, a safety thimble, and one of those gel thimbles that seem so popular now in green (of course).

The boys got tickled by the sexy fireman fabric they had on sale. I had seen the camping one, but not the firemen. Of course, the youngest knew about this fabric from the article he had read in one of my quilting magazines.

The ladies in this shop were very nice, and I enjoyed talking to one of the customers.

I am glad I at least got to go to one shop while I was on vacation. I have already added a quilt shops list to my list of things that I must have when I go on vacation.

A New Quilt Shop in Wylie, Texas

My quilting friend and I went to the new quilt shop in Wylie, TX last Thursday. It is very nice. I like the fact that they also had jigsaw puzzles that are related to quilting. There is one I would love to own, but I spent my money on a fabric for Jill's quilt.

The shop is the Blue Ribbon Quilt Shoppe. They have a very nice website at:
http://www.blueribbonquiltshoppe.com/

Quilter's Quest is Closing it's Doors

I have been taking my lessons and buying a lot of fabric at Quilter's Quest in Princeton, TX. However, the owner Angie is moving, so Angie, Pearl (her mother), and her girls are closing the doors.

This week Angie sent an email out saying that they are marking their last 1700 bolts of fabric down 60%. Previously the markdown had been 50%.

I am going up this morning to find some backing fabric for my aunt.

The doors close June 19th. The address is:

Quilters Quest LLC

106 E Princeton TX

Princeton TX, 75407

972-736-6212

Favorite Quilt Shop to Date

I haven't been to a lot of quilt shops yet. Most of my fabric has been bought at Quilter's Quest in Princeton, TX, but alas they are going out of business. In fact , starting today they have marked their fabric down 60%, minimum cut 1 yard.

When my aunt was here, we went to Suzy's Quilt Shop in Garland, TX., and Quilt Country in Lewisville, TX.

Suzy's is definitely my favorite now. I like how the store is laid out (see: www.suzysquilts.com), and I am really pleased with how helpful they are to their customers. I look forward to shopping there again soon.