I left with three friends last week for the Shipshewana Quilt Show, a shop hop and antiquing. I was so tired from preparing to leave on the trip, that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself. Boy, was I wrong about that. We had a great trip and we are singing "I left my money in Shipshewana".
For Design Wall Monday, this is still on my design wall from last week. Look at the quilt "possibilities" to follow. Lots of fabrics came home with me for future quilts.
Now to show you my purchases in Shipshewana. The first quilt shop we stopped at was "A Little Bit of Lolly's" in the basement of Davis Mercantile in Shipshewana.
They had Happy Hour from 5-6pm and all fat quarters were a $1.50. So we sat down around this row boat that was filled with rolled up fat quarters and there were several quilters already enjoying happy hour. We started chatting and asking each other "if you find another fat quarter like this can I have it". It really turned into a group effort quickly. The shop clerk was chatting with us and encouraging us to dig. I asked if I could sit in the middle of the boat for a picture for the blog.
The first picture was safe. See my foot is still hanging out and I am anchored to the floor. But remember the store clerk was encouraging all of us. Things quickly spiraled out of control.
First, they said just lay back and look like you're having fun. No problem, I was having fun!
The clerk chirped, "they buried a quilter in fat quarters last year". That's all anyone needed to hear and suddenly everyone was digging up armloads of fat quarters and burying me.
I don't even know everyone that helped, but we were giggling and laughing.
It truly was a "Happy Hour" of fabric fondling. More quilters wandered in the door wondering what the heck was going on inside. Notice that I never let go of my stash of fat quarters! We visited Yoder's and the Cotton Corner the first day, also.
Wednesday, we back and did the shop hop first thing in the morning before the Quilt Show opened at noon. The shop hop included Yoder's Department Store, Caroline's Cottage Cottons, Lavender Patch, The Cotton Corner, Sara's Attic, The Quilt Shop at Essenhaus, and Pumpkinvine Quilting. All the shops were nice, friendly and ready for all the shoppers. If I had to pick one shop, Caroline's Cottage Cottons was my favorite. It was located in a cute, brick cottage with all the fabrics I love: civil war repros, 1930's repros, and many other fabrics, kits and samples. On our way back to Shipshewana my phone refused to let the GPS show us the way back. We resorted to using the old fashioned map and found the Topeka Quilt Show and Sale.
At Topeka, you could buy quilts already to put on your bed or quilt tops that needed quilting. Kathy O bought an antique Double Wedding Ring top. When she showed it to us back at the hotel, we discovered it was just two rows of the quilt. It is enough to make two table runners, or a bed runner and table runner. It was made with double pink and some fun vintage fabrics.
When leaving Pumpkinvine Quilting we saw this fun car appliqued with the flamingo!
At The Quilt Shop at Essenhaus, we saw this cute Bobbin the Robin pin cushion. We did collect the Row by Row Experience patterns at each shop. This little robin had on her shower cap and a towel draped over her wing. Check out her crocs on her feet. There was a whole assortment of shoes to choose from, i.e. saddle shoes, crocs in many colors, ruby slippers, bunny slippers, high top tennis shoes, sequined tennis shoes, etc.
Above are my Row by Row patterns.
Below are my collection of recipes from each shop on the shop hop.
Last but not least, below is my stash purchased in Shipshewana.
Below is the newest panel released by Yoder's, 2015 barns.
Below is last year's 2014 panel from Yoder's.
Its always good to travel with great friends...
but its good to get home and sleep in your own bed.
Yours in quilting,
Terry
