Dallas Quilt Show

Attended the annual Dallas quilt show on Sat., March 8th with my quilting sister and 2 of her friends.  There were over 400 quilts and garments entered in the judged show, 150 vendors, and a number of special exhibits.  There were also demos , lectures, and guided quilt tours.  Quilt appraisals were available by appointment.  So all in all, a well rounded show.  We spent the day and came away exhausted but satisfied with what we had seen and bought.  A two day visit would have allowed  for more leisurely viewing of the quilts and vendor  browsing.

Sis on the left with her 2 quilting friends.

Here is one generic shot down a quilt exhibition aisle.  I did take a number of pictures of quilts that I 

especially liked.  However,  posting them would have required written permission from the quilt owners which was not an option.

There were many excellent vendors.  We arrived at the show very early and were some of the first 

to enter.  I managed to get a general vendors booth shot before the flood of shoppers hit!  The following are a few of the vendors that particularly appealed to my interests but there was something there for everyone.

       PUNKIN PATCH CRAFT DESIGNS
 Pictured are Heather and David.  David, a former professional artist, is the designer of all of the original patterns featured in their booth.  Great patterns for all types of applique as well as other crafts.

WITH TIME ON OUR HANDS

I was on the hunt for wool for doing wool applique projects.  Spied this booth that had a  selection of  supplies for handwork and I did purchase some wool.  Lots of nice things here.                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                  

                  UNIQUELY YOURS
 This booth had a great selection of border fabrics.  I have made several of the border fabric table runners as gifts but had yet to find the right fabric to make one for myself.  I was excited to find this booth and fell in love with and purchased  a border fabric featuring lighthouses.                                                                            

                                                       

     

                                                KALEIDOSCOPE QUILT SHOP
The purse patterns really attracted us here.  Sis spied a pattern for a water bottle tote and purchased it thinking how great it would be to have a cute quilted hands free way to carry her indispensable water bottle.

                                                                                                                                                                    

HAPPINESS IS QUILTING!

  

    This booth had unusual yarns and embellishments for hand embroidery among other things.  The two ladies attending the booth did a show demo featuring a beautiful 4 Season Basket that they offer classes for in the shop in McKinney, TX which is not far from Dallas.

                                  

 

                                     SEWBATIK

 I have visited this booth at quilt show after quilt show and coveted their gorgeous batik fabrics.  But I always seem to find them at the end of the day when the wallet is empty and the plastic has been overused and abused.  Caught them early this time and finally indulged in some rayon batiks  (I love rayon batiks for cool summer camp shirt type blouses.) and a  flannel batik. The others in my group also found SEWBATIK's offerings to their liking.   Among other things, they purchased some really cute top patterns with the rayon batik fabrics to make them.  They have big plans to get together this summer and whip them up.  

                                        

That's my sis on the far right getting her rayon batik cut.

Hope you have enjoyed this review of the Dallas Quilt Show.  This was their 33rd year so they are a Dallas tradition.  If you happen to be in Dallas next March be sure and take in the 34th annual show! 

             

 

A Destination Quilt Shop in Trenton, FL

   On a tip from another quilt shop owner in the area, my friend Hilda and I traveled to Trenton, FL to visit The Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop.  We were in for a real treat.  Trenton is a very small town indeed but The Suwannee Valley Shops make it worth a day trip.  Sorry the picture of the shop exterior is not the best, but it was a very stormy cloudy chilly day.  It rained buckets while we were in the quilt shop.  But we didn't care 'cause we were having a great time warm and dry inside.

   The shop is owned by Stephanie Metts who was gracious enough to consent to photos and a blogspot about her shop.  Boasting 7000 bolts, the shop is located in a charming restored historic building.  There is a large central room with several other rooms branching off each with a "theme".   As seen in the photo at the right, there is a generous selection of batiks, a favorite of mine.

The area pictured at the left also contained Civil War and Downton Abbey fabrics.  Yes, Jane, there was a nice selection of your favorites.






  In the daylight filled open area at the far right end of the shop there was a comfy lounging  spot for hubbies or tag-a-long non quilting friends.  Here the left wall featured Orientals and the right wall opened into a room just for blenders and backings. From there you entered the batting room.  If I remember correctly, that opened into a children's fabric room.  So many rooms, my mind is getting fuzzy!

My kind of brights here.  Located in the central cutting area.

Below is a shot of the books and patterns room. Yes, a whole room dedicated to books and patterns!  And with a large table and comfortable chairs so you can give your feet a rest while browsing and making your purchase decisions. This is the best area of its kind I have ever seen.

                                                                                                 Here is a favorite of mine.  The room with Christmas and other seasonal fabrics.  Isn't it cool!  Year around Christmas shopping.  Lots of autumn and patriotic fabs on the opposite end of the room.                                                                                        



   We topped off our shopping experience with lunch here  in the Suwannee Rose Cafe.  You actually walk through the center of the cafe to enter the quilt shop.  I had the Crab Quiche and it was delicious.  Hilda bought some cookies from their yummy looking bakery case to take to our guys who were hanging out back at the RV park.  The Happy Days Old Tyme Soda Fountain is also right there in the building if you're in the mood for an ice cream concoction.  And while you are eating that, you can take a look at the quilt shop sale racks at the back of the room!  

The quilt shop's business card so you have all the specifics to find them.

There is still more to do in Trenton once you have bought more than you needed to for your stash and had a delicious lunch.  Right close by is the Suwannee Valley Cross Stitch.  Located in the same building is Suwannee Valley Custom Framing and Suwannee Valley Stained Glass.   We visited here and enjoyed ourselves tremendously and both made purchases.  Delightful owner, don't miss it.  We ran out of time but there is also Ann's Antiques & Collectibles that I would have liked to have popped into.  If you can be in Trenton on a third Saturday, you can enjoy a formal tea at the Ruffled Rose Tea Room by reservation only. These businesses and more are all located in restored buildings next to the historic Railroad Depot.  So you can see why I say that Trenton has a destination quilt shop!  My photos don't do it justice and there were lots more shelves I could have added pics of, but you get the picture! 

A Little Gem in Cedar Key, FL

   Located in the center of the quaint gulfside village of Cedar Key, FL,  The Salty Needle Quilt Shop is indeed a little gem.  The shop sports a shady front porch decked out with comfy sitting for the hubbies and there is an adjacent cafe for lunch or refreshments.







Beth Davis, the delightful shop owner, currently stocks around 800 bolts.  She plans an increase to around 1200 bolts but stays so busy she hasn't had time to build more shelves!
   Her fabric choices reflect the bright and sunny surroundings of coastal Florida and she offers classes and a monthly sew-in day.





There were a number of unusual giftable items as well.  I purchased the pine needle basket pin cushion for my RV sewing area. The baskets are made by a friend of Beth's.

  

Here is Beth pictured next to a great wall hanging of her
own design.  I inquired about a pattern (I wasn't the only
one to ask!) but alas none was available.  If you're down Florida way, Cedar Key and its little gem of a quilt shop shouldn't be missed. 

(Click on pictures to see them larger.)

  

A Real Treat in St. Augustine, FL

Shop exterior

View into the shop from the front door.

I wouldn't be a quilter if I didn't have a compulsion to check out quilt shops in my travels.  I must stick to the "no stash" rule but there will be things I need for current projects. Any excuse will do, you know.  So here is my first blog about a quilt shop.

Room 2: Batiks, orientals, etc.

We recently visited St. Augustine, FL (loved it) and I made it a priority to visit  MAGRIETA'S QUILT SHOP,  listed in the Quilter's Travel Companion.  They graciously gave permission for me to take pictures and blog about them.  I was on the lookout for seashore themed fabrics for a bed runner using fabric prints of lighthouses along the Oregon coast.  I picked them up the year I attended the Sister's Oregon Quilt Show. The show and Oregon were wonderful, by the way, but I digress.  Magrieta's didn't disappoint and I found a selection of the types of fabrics I was interested in and made some choices.  They are a 2500+ bolt shop with everything you need to go with all that fabric plus classes.  Magrieta herself offers classes in quilting with your home machine, both free motion and with a walking foot.  I found the shop very attractive and the staff friendly and helpful.
    I also purchased a beautiful pattern for a 14-1/2 x 21" wall hanging of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.  Patterns for other St. Augustine sights were also available and I was really tempted but stuck to the no stash rule and resisted. Jim Rolick, a Snowbirder from "up north", is the creator of the patterns. They are available exclusively at Magrieta's. They  can also be purchased from their website.  See the photo of their business card below for the web address, etc.  Click on a picture to enlarge.

Rm. 3: 30's, seasonal and more plus patterns & notions.

St. Augustine themed wall hangings by Jim Rolick 

Their business card

Whetstone Chocolate Factory

  And now for a little icing on the cake, so to speak. Directly across the street from Magrieta's is the Whetstone Chocolate Factory.  Is that not a quilter's dream?  A match made in heaven.  They offer free tours (with tasting!) and a retail shop where you can have a cup of coffee and make a chocolate purchase. We didn't have time for the tour but came away with a 10 oz. sample box of chocolates.  And they are very good chocolates.

        A tee for sale in the shop.
  No, I didn't buy one but should have!

Making It Happen

What It's All About
    When my husband and I first decided that the full-time RV lifestyle was for us, I had one request. We had to figure out a way for me to continue my hobbies of quilting, machine embroidery, sewing garments, and various forms of hand needlework.  With lots of planning and organizing and help from my husband with his wood working skills, I have everything I need to keep on quilt'n, etc. From surfing the web, I know that there are other quilting RV'rs out there who have figured out how to make it all work.  I also know there are wanna be RV'ers out there that struggle with how they might jump into a radically different lifestyle without sacrificing their passion for quilting or other crafts.  This blog is about how I worked it all out.  My solutions are specific to our rig and my needs.  But hopefully reading about them will inspire ideas that work for others in similar yet different circumstances.

Making It Happen - Shedding The Excess
     I was the typical quilter of a number of years.  I had a HUGE stash - fabrics, patterns, books, etc., etc.  The first step had to be disposing of things I couldn't take with me.  The only other alternative was to pay for long term storage for all of it.  Too expensive and not practical.  So I got tough.  And discovered that I had accumulated tons of things that I honestly knew I no longer cared that much for and would never do anything with.  The reason being that my tastes have changed over the years and I have developed a much clearer picture of  how and what I like to quilt.  I sorted out all fabrics that I no longer cared for or had no definite plan for, all scraps, duplicates of tools, etc., books and patterns I knew in my heart I would never use.  I scanned a select group of books that contained information I wanted to keep and put them in folders on my computer.  It was a big job but I discovered that most books only required scanning a small portion of the pages.  I didn't need all the the basic how to info or all of the projects detailed in the book.  Once scanned, I could add that book to the "sell" pile. I selected a few really neat books I didn't want to scan and entrusted them to a sister who is also a quilter.  She will enjoy them and I know they will be in good hands.  Also I plan to visit her in my travels!   I held two "Quilt Stash Sales" inviting all my quilting friends and advertising in a small local shoppers guide.  Reduced prices for the second sale gave incentive for repeat customers.  I had discovered a lady in our area in the business of buying and reselling quilting supplies.  She purchased the small amount of items that remained.  I tucked my proceeds away to pay for quilting supplies as needed in the future.  No "stashing" allowed.  Yes, I took a huge loss on what I sold.  But it was common sense to dispose of unneeded and unwanted items when the alternative was to pay to store them.  I ended up with one small plastic tub of patterns, a handful of books, a selection of fat quarters, UFO's that I knew I actually wanted to finish, and necessary quilting supplies.  These went into the RV.  I also kept some kits that I still like and a selection of fabrics I felt were worth keeping.  I made a list of the kits and fabrics with swatches and yardage info.  These things I did put into storage.  We have one 10 x 12 climate controlled storage unit for items we weren't able to part with and these quilting things tucked in nicely.  I also put most of my quilts in storage.  Some I will never part with. But others I am thinking of giving to family or friends.  Others I will sell in the future.  We will return occasionally to the area where the storage facility is located as our son lives in the area.  So I will occasionally have access to my remaining "stash".  Also it is well enough organized that I would be able to tell him how to find something and he could send it to me.
  Enough for now.  Next post will be about fitting it all in.  I need to get some pics for this one.

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