All Mid-Atlantic Shop Hop 2024 - Day 1

This brand new shop hop began on July 1st, but I was in Maine.  On my two-day trip home I headed down to the Philadelphia area to hit one or two (it ended up being three) shops on my way home.

1.  Byrne Sewing - New Britain (Doylestown) PA

Super nice woman, lots of Berninas, surrounded by a lovely assortment of fabric.

Would definitely go back.

I purchased the Shop Hop panel with all six states and six 1/4-yard slices of Australian/Aboriginal fabrics.  I've got to get going on that quilt, I have more than enough fabric now!

2.  Stitch Central - Glenside, PA

Loved this store.  Lots of fabrics and LOTS OF YARN!

A GREAT Sunday drive - yes, they're open on Sundays year round!

3.  Seamless Sewing Arts - Phoenixville, PA (near Valley Forge in a cute shopping center)

Smallish.  The older woman working there was a little snotty.  The younger woman, I think a newish employee, was very nice.  Wouldn't make a special trip to come here again.

California Trip - May, 2021

Tuesday 5/11 Flew from BWI to OAK

                dinner at home - steak and grilled asparagus

Wednesday 5/12 Headed north on 101 to Humboldt County and the Avenue of the Giants

        On to Eureka and Arcata, night at Hampton Inn

            Knit, Eureka - Dede bought wool yarn for matching She & ME slippers!

                 lunch at Avenue Cafe in Miranda at the very start of the Avenue of the Giants

                 dinner at La Fiesta Grill in Arcata (yum! taco salad for me, enchilada for Dede)

Thursday 5/13 Arcata to Redding across 299 - wow -  then 5 to Corning (OLIVES!) 99 to Chico, home via 5/505/80/37 

    Sew Simple, Redding - nice shop with small rooms for babies, Christmas, kitchen

    The Sewing Room - Park Marina Drive, Redding (no photo, large shop with crafters items along perimeter)

     The Quilt Basket, Corning (great old building outside, not much fabric but notions and machines inside)

     Honey Run Quilters, Chico - huge store with lots of machines, quilt shop in back corner, but fabric                 and ideas everywhere.  Clothing patterns and ideas, too.

                     lunch at From the Hearth (similar to Panera) in Redding, 

                     dinner at home, grilled sausages and Quinoa salad

Friday 5/14 Accidental Quilt Shop Hop

        Cloth Carousel, Vacaville (found free cowlette/dog coat pattern)

        Fabric Garden, Sacramento (very nice shop, Dede bought Mondo bag pattern)

        Swifty Stitches, Carmichael (bought Laura's 4th July fabric, women sewing in the back)

        Runs with Scissors, Citrus Heights (Dede taught customer how to sew the "kites" strip quilt she just finished.

                lunch at West Coast Sour Dough (outside) in Sacramento

                dinner at home, grilled sausages and salad

   

Saturday, 5/15 Novato to oompa loompa state park 

        through Greenbrae, Ross, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Woodacre, West Marin (Olema, Pt. Reyes Station, Inverness Park, Inverness, Marshall)

        Samuel P. Taylor State Park - Redwood groves and grassy hills, nice campground

        Tomales State Park - has beach and picnicking down a half mile road)     

                lunch at Boca Pizzeria, Novato - chicken flatbread wrap with hummus, tomatoes, yummy dressing)

                dinner at home - Grilled salmon, grilled asparagus, sliced brown tomatoes  

Sunday, 5/16

        Over the Golden Gate Bridge - a little bit of good old SF fog - to San Bruno Mountain - up to the foggy summit where there were no other cars, because Steve had the secret entry code.  Windy.  Super windy.  If there were no fog, we would have looked down onto several huge cemeteries on one side and the city of San Francisco on the other.

    Daly City - the song "Little Boxes, on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky" was written about Daly City

!                           

    Through Pacifica to Moss Beach. 

        Late Lunch at Moss Beach Distillery with Dede's cousin Terry, at window with incredible view.  Seafood Platter: fried cod, fried calamari, fried "prawns" with crispy fries and yummy coleslaw....and a Bloody Mary!

            Dessert at Tuttimelon in Novato, Pineapple Whip Sorbet. Blissful day!

Monday, 5/17/2021

     Drove into San Francisco for the day, eating lunch at The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, just beside the Bay Bridge in South Beach.  

     I've posted the photos on a separate blog post here.

Took some photos of Dede's flowers and lemons as well as California poppies and other cool flowers on the side of the roadway.

Tuesday, 5/18/2021

Homeward bound.  Left Oakland at 9:20 am, arriving in Baltimore at 8:10 pm.  By the time I got my bag and reached the car it was almost 10 pm.  I'm so glad that I had reserved a night at the BWI Garden Hilton, which was around 3 miles from the parking garage!

What a wonderful week!

Quilt Shop Road Trip: 6 Shops In Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Since this is probably my last chance to shop hop before I leave to return to Arizona, and with the rest of the family away (including Bender!), I decided to hit the road for a few new shops.  Left at 9, returned at 8, and saw some beautiful Pennsylvania farmlands including a large number of Amish farms and legit horse & buggies.  Gorgeous day!

One of my stops was at Smucker's Goard Farm in Kinzers, a tiny bit northeast of Intercourse and southeast of Blue Ball.  Run by an Amish family, there were literally thousands and thousands of gourds, most in their natural state, many painted, and all for sale.  They also sold lacquer, paints, tools, and canned preserves and pickles.  The oh-so-nice female proprieter and her three-year old daughter waited on me.  Although the child only speaks Pennsylvania Dutch, her mother told me that she's heard enough English that she understands a lot and will continue to learn English as her second language.  She has two daughters that are teachers in one room schoolhouses, where they only teach English.  I purchased three gourds that were cut like bowls (for a buck apiece), some spray-on lacquer, and a jar of kosher dill pickles.  Always closed on Sunday, they're open the rest of the week from 8 to 5; except from Nov. 1 to Mar. 1 when they're also closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  I'll be back!

What was I looking for?  Yellows to back my "Few of My Favorite Things" rag quilt, fat quarters for the fronts of the same quilt, Christmas fabrics for the Advent Calendar Quilt that Dede and I are going to make next week.....

First stop:  Stitch & Craft in Manheim, PA.  Unimpressive selection of fabrics, and the proprieters - 3 Menonite women - were way out back, unseen and unheard, until I went looking for them.  I did purchase a half yard of insulite batting to make a few potholders with Ella before I leave.  $2.39

Stop #2:  Weaver's Dry Good in Lititz.  The front of the shop was full of cutesy country - style gifts with lots of wooden signs with fun sayings.  Tons and tons of novelty fabrics a lot of lines of fabric that were noted with the fabric line.  I was a little disconcerted upon checking out - as I'd been walking around the shop browsing, I heard the proprietor telling another woman she would cut fat quarters for an extra $ .25.  Seemed reasonable.  When I got to the countere and asked her to cut two of my bolts into fat quarters, she told me they don't cut fat quarters.  hmmmmmm.  Behind me was an entire wall of fat quarters for sale.  Wonder where they came from?  This did not give any extra points to an otherwise very nice quilt shop.  This one, too, is run by Mennonite women.
  Purchased:  3/8 yd. shops novelty fabric ("My Hometown")
                      3/8 yd. postcard novelty fabric ("Home Away from Home")
                      5/8 yd. tiny yellow flowers from Little House on the Prairie collection
                      5/8 yd. of another yellow fabric ("Adalee's Garden")      $18.98

Stop #3:  Family Farm Fabrics in East Earl (possibly in Blue Ball).  Very likable shop.  Nice prices, large amount of up-to-date fabrics at reasonable prices, very personable young woman at the counter (Mennonite again, cool!)  A little bit of everything.
    Purchased:  3/8 yd. of daisies in canning jars with the words "laugh - live - love"
                        5/8 yd. yellow (w/tiny bit of orange) geometry pattern
                        fat quarter:  watermelon seeds
                        fate quarter:  jumbo shrimp on black
                        Moda Mini-charm pack:  Prairie     $18.13

Stop #4:  Cedar Lane Dry Goods in New Holland.  This was a shop-for-all-your-needs Amish/Mennonite type shop, where you could purchase anything to make clothing from snaps and hooks to polyester fabric.  They also had a nice selection of fabrics.  The shop itself is the large front part of a house set back quite aways from the street, so I had a hard time finding it.
     Purchased:  fat quarter:  thread, buttons, and tape measures on black
                         fat quarter:  tiny chickadee fabric that I used on Brendan's quilt and want for mine
                         correction tape (I told you they had everything!)     $5.82

Since one of the biggest things I was after today was Christmas fabric to make my Advent calendar and I hadn't been thrilled with the fabrics I'd seen so far, I decided to go the the Log Cabin Quilt Shop in Bird-in-Hand because I remembered seeing a large assortment there.  So that's where I headed.
Stop #5:  Log Cabin Quilt Shop in Bird-in-Hand.  (One of my favorite quilt shops.  I wrote a Yelp review after I left.)  This shop is part handmade gifts made by local artisans; part fabric shop; and part charm, mini charm, strip (etc.) warehouse.  Lots of woolie stuff here, too.  Always pleasant personel. Really do like this place.
     Purchased:  3/8 yd. "Quilting Treasures" fabric
                         5/8 yd. Yellow hexies from Timeless Treasures collection
                         Moda "candies" (2/5 in. squares) "The Potting Shed
                         Precut 3.5 x 5 inch barn fabric
                         10 postcards
                         Fat quarter - purple and black "Amish Fat Quarter"
                         Pattern:  Village by Jumble/Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. (houses made from charms)
                         Mini-quilt (mug mat) Nine patch with tiny nine patches
                         3 Bobbin Buddies                      $39.87

Still unhappy about not getting my Christmas fabric, I backtracked 4 miles to the Old Country Store in Intercourse for my last quilt shop stop.  I did find the fabric I wanted, but came out feeling a bit unhappy....the pattern called for cuts of 1/8 yd, 2/3 yards, etc. and they'll only cut quarter yards.  That means purchasing more fabric than needed.  What a racket!  They seem pretty tight-wadded in there, and for the second time I got a sort-of-grumpy person to cut my fabric.
     Purchased:  4 pieces of fabric for advent calendar:
                   3/4 yd. beige with red berries and green leaves,
                   1 3/4 yd. cranberry with holly and berries,
                   1/2 yd. words (peace, love, joy) on dark cream, and
                   1/2 yd. metallic gold sprigs on dark cream
                   3/4 yd. yellow with white lace
                   1/4 yd. small colorful birds
                    small pop-up refill for "fat quarter pop up"
                   velcro pocket-purse with safety pin atop
                   red Tovolo scoop n' strainer from the kitchen part of the store - for my own kitchen!  $61.08



             

Row by Row 2014 - Pennsylvania

I visited 14 shops in PA! Under Construction 
1 Spring, * Summer, * Fall, * Winter, 1 All-Seasons
Here are the shops, in alphabetical order:

Beary Patches Quilts 
Milford, PA  

I visited this shop on my way to Maine.  It's just before the NY border, in a pleasant small town that I've "flown" by on 84 without ever venturing within its borders.  Cute town, cute store, lovely owner. (Darn, as usual, I got my finger in the way!)

This is her row, a blossoming tulip.  SPRING!
She also had a license plate:

Half Moon Handwerks
New Cumberland, PA

You certainly can't tell from the outside the TREASURE TROVE I found on the inside.  No, this is not a "quilt shop," it's a combination of the creative spirit colliding in a very "chris" way....embroidery, beading, woolies, sculpey/fimo works for sale, a small collection of fabrics (lots and lots of whites to use as embroidery backgrounds).  It's only about a half hour from the Mt Holly Springs/Boiling Springs area, has classes of all sorts, and I loved the proprietress!  She shares the space with a friend whose original purpose for the store was a sort of gallery, but the handwerks (love the spelling) is gradually expanding, inching its way in, taking over......

This is her very cool row, embroidered in hand-dyed cottons.  Each seasonal patch has a button. She didn't like having her picture taken (I can so get that!) and I appreciate that she let me, anyways!

And yes, she also had a license plate!

Here's a link to her Facebook page and here's a link to her website.

Bay Area Knit Shop Hop August 2011

OOOO-EEEEE, What fun.  Three days of leisurely browsing in a number of yarn shops in the Santa Rosa/Sebastapol and South Bay areas of northern(ish) California.  Beautiful weather, really nice people, the best sidekick ever, and wonderful privately-owned yarn shops.

First stop: 
Balls and Yarns
899 Gravenstein Hwy South
Sepastopol, CA 95472
Service & Friendliness:  5
Yarn Quality:  5
Yarn Variety:  5
Knit Samples:  4

There was a cozy sitting/ knitting area and the owner/ proprietor was super friendly, helpful, and encourag- ing.  There was some frilly black yarn that I didn't get and now wish I had.  I did get some really cool slippery lime & cranberry rayon ribbon yarn (Gelato made by Fiesta Yarns) to make a long, horizontally-knit scarf.  Wonderful shop.  Will happily return.


The next stop, also in Sebastopol was an unfriendly, unforgettable shop, so I won't even mention it here.

Shop #3:  Cast Away
Santa Rosa, CA
Service & Friendliness: 4
Yarn Quality:  5
Yarn Variety:  5
Knit Samples:  4

On a quiet, tree-lined main street sits this inviting yarn shop with a seafaring decor.  The windows have white paper-mache birds wearing brightly knit scarves, and as you enter the shop you're greeted by an old wooden dinghy heaped with colorful yarn.  There was lots to drool over and lots of beautiful project ideas.  I tried on a beautiful, draping scarf that I would have never picked for myself in a zillion years...and it looked really, really good on me.  The pattern was designed by one of the employees, Ramona Gaynor, so I splurged and bought not only the pattern ("Ruffle Scarf"), but the yarn to go with it, Rowan's "Kidsilk Haze" in a deep aqua color.  What a beautiful sheen it has!

Next stop,
Knitterly
#1 Fourth St.
Petaluma, CA 94952
Service & Friendliness: 4.5
Yarn Quality: 5
Yarn Variety: 5
Knit Samples: 5

I've been here before, it's a really special shop.  It's on a great side street with a tree-lined parking lot across from it.  The store is older, dark wood, comfy sofa, huge oak table to knit at.  Great books and patterns....and they even sell stuff that comes in the packages separately.  In other words, if you want one stitch holder instead of the 20-in-a-package, it's yours!  Now that's customer service!

She had samples of an "Improv Scarf", where you hold two yarns together, gartering and putting in a couple of lacy/eyelet stitches in any way that you desire to create a pattern.  I loved it....so of course I went hog wild and bought enough yarn for three scarves!  One of the yarns was Koigu KPPPM by Koigu Wool Designs.  It's 100% Merino Wool.  I got a cranberry with touches of orange, an aqua/green with touches of orange, and a beige with touches of aqua and pink.  Debbie Bliss' "Angel" Super Kid Mohair & Silk yarn is the second yarn in each sweater.  Delightful, huh?

I also bought some Denim Blue Cascade 220 worsted weight yarn to felt myself a belt -  I'm tired of my capris falling down after I've worn them for a couple of hours.  This was her suggestion.  She's says that after it's felted you can even cut it!  Sounds like the felting shrinks it about in half....can't wait to get this one done!

The next morning we headed west from Novato to
Black Mountain Weavers
in Point Reyes, CA
11245 Main Street
Point Reyes Station, California   94956

Although they have a small amount of gorgeous hand-dyed and locally spun yarns, needles, and pattern books, this is a coop of knit and fiber artists, who show and sell their crafts.  It was ultra-inspiring, the creativity, the elegance, the, the, the.....glory! ! of the beautiful works in this shop.  I wish I'd taken some photos of some of the items.  It was a very small shop, and the woman who was holding down the fort was just lovely.

(We ate lunch just down the street at  the Station House Cafe --  I'd LOVE to go back there, mmmmm.) and also did a bit of Christmas shopping next door in ,which carries handmade goods from all over the world...for incredibly reasonable (inexpensive) prices!

Yarn Bombing!  I've finally seen it with my own eyes!  In the middle of Point Reyes Station, on Main Street!  I've GOT TO DO THIS MYSELF! ! !

After leaving Point Reyes, we headed to south Marin Country and
Bluebird Yarn & Fiber Crafts
328A Pine Street
Sausalito, CA  94965
Service & Friendliness:  5
Yarn Quality:  5
Yarn Variety:  4
Knit Samples:  5

What a darling shop!  It's just off the main street and a little half-door greets you, allowing the clean ocean air to flow in with you.  The shop has a little entry way with displays of  yarn and samples to greet  you, then goes quite a ways back.  There are overstuffed chairs to sit in while reading the pattern books, and dark shelves filled with all sorts of yarns.  The lovely girl working today, Chiaki, was helpful and so very nice.  She had designed the felted clutch pattern that I couldn't leave without.    She has her own website, chiakiknit.com. Both Dede and I bought yarns to make a beautiful cowl that was on display, it looked terrific on both of us. (We both started on the knitting of it that night -- Maggi's Mist Slub (100% Viscose) was a very frustrating yarn to work with.  The colors Dede chose....blues....made a beautiful cowl.  I'm not so crazy about mine, but I couldn't get the second yarn with a sparkle in it, like Dede did, so mine was without sparkle and is probably why I like it less than hers.  



 Still in Marin County, we headed a little north to
Atelier Marin
217 San Anselmo Ave.
San Anselmo, CA 94960
Service & Friendliness:  5
Yarn Quality:  5
Yarn Variety:  5
Knit Samples:  5

 Dede's taken lots of classes here, and I've been here before, too.  The gal that owns and runs the store has terrific taste and has set up the quite-large shop in a very appealing way, putting all the baby yarns, fingering yarns, sport-weight yarns, aran-weight yarns, worsted, bulky, chunky...all together with their like kinds along the perimeter of the room.  In the middle are samples, yarn displays, needle racks, chairs, and a big table in the front.  Wonderful shop (she has one in San Francisco, too, although the floor space is smaller, the shop is crammed with yarns of every type and variety...been there before, too.)  I didn't buy anything at Atelier today.

Summer 09 California Quilt Shop Hop - 16 Shops!

Sixteen new shops, never seen by us before! Our major goal was LA, museums, and missions, so to get 16 shops into our six days was terrific. We had a wonderful trip.

Calimesa, CA - Busy Bee Quilt Shop
We discovered an easy strip purse, made with "Honey Bun" rolls and iron-on batting. Small shop in a cute storefront. Nice fabrics, samples, and ideas. (3)

Redlands, CA - Calico Horse
Very nice shop if you like Thimbleberries, country, darks. This isn't the direction I seem to be drawn to, so it was a quick stop. (2 for my taste, 4 for a country-lover)

Upland, CA - Ginger's Quilt Shop
Large shop right on the Montclair/Upland town line. Puzzles and quilt-y gifts. A huge variety of fabrics to suit every mindset, including lots of novelties. Large clearance section with decent choices. (5)

Montclair, CA - Fabric Patch
Two storefronts in a strip mall, one with batiks in back and sewing machines in front, plus a third huge classroom. (3)

Newbury Park, CA - The Quilter's Studio
This store is an artist's delight. New fabrics, brights, geometrics, a gorgeous supply of solid Kona Cotton. I got sucked in by the bright orange and green florals. Really nice personel. Found lots of fabrics for pillowcases for my many male teenager's upcoming Bar Mitzvah's. (5)


Carpenteria, CA - Treasure Hunt
A little bit of everything here - all new and up-to-date. Three different rooms, one down a few steps. Yarn room, felting, surfing-related items (I bought a couple of cool linen dish towels),jewelry, crafty knicknacks, and a great selection of fabric. I purchased a new baby collection here that is adorable. Perfect for Laura's new baby! (5)
*GREAT BREAKFAST at the Worker Bee Cafe. Delish. Cute, decorated with bees everywhere, tables and a cpimter. Run by older couple.
*CLEANEST BEACH IN AMERICA, or so they claim. It was pretty nice. The Pacific is warm, I enjoyed a good wade in the waves. Really cute town, would come here again.

Orcutt, CA - Old Town Quilt Shop
We almost missed this one, because the address we found was an empty lot. Come to find out, just across the road the numbers started again at 0 going the other way. I'm so glad we didn't miss it, it was wonderful. The facade doesn't shout "this is a great shop", but it was. Two rooms, packed with new fabrics and a really nice proprieter. She gave us a 10% discount because we promote quilting with kids. Found lots of fabrics for teenagers pillowcases. (4)

Arroyo Grande - The Quilt Attic
Cute little town with a petunia-studded old bridge right next door. Great storefront, but somewhat uninspiring inside, lots of older fabrics. I did find the pattern for the zipper pouch I saw made up in Calimesa ("Zip Bags"by Shelley's Studio, Banning, CA) (2)

Grover Beach - Stitch'n Sew
A small quilt shop between and around Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach, just opened about five months ago. The owner is a wiz at miniatures and offers classes on them. THAT would be fun! (2)

Pismo Beach - Quiltin' Counsins
We discovered we'd eaten on the next block the night before, on the pier. This long, skinny shop was packed with great fabric and wonderful patterns. She has created her own simple patterns, laminated them, and markets them for five bucks each. I found one that makes origami-like potholders and coasters (presents for everyone!), a zipper pouch, and an easy, easy purse called "A Darn Cute Bag!" Great shop. (4)

San Luis Obisbo - Betty's Fabric
This was a huge shop with a great sign out front - and oodles of fabrics for every kind of sewing, including lots of quiliting fabric (but no chenille!). Flannels and novelties galore, yarns, ideas, and many cutters to help you out. (4)

Atascedero - Sew Fun
A large, open, airy shop with stands of new fabric. I like it when they're put in sets you can walk around instead of in aisles. More than enough great fabric to choose from. I picked up a Christmas panel and matching prints here to whip up for Brian and Heather for Christmas. I could have spent more time here, but time was fleeting...... (5)

Atascedero - Quilter's Cupboard
I didn't buy anything here and for the life of me I can't remember what its inside looked like. I've failed miserably here - I can remember all the others really, really well!

Paso Robles - Wine Country Quilts
There was something really special about this shop. It was on the corner in a lovely upscale-seeming town center. It was full of fabrics, ideas, huge fake sunflowers, quilt-related items, all really cleverly displayed. A long, somewhat skinny shop, it was a memorable one. I found a great California fabric here to make my brother a pillowcase. (5)

Bakersfield - Strawberry Patches
I almost didn't find this shop - I'd left Dede's and with her, Sylvia Maven (the GPS). Because of construction all the signs had been taken down. I hunted, drove on, circled back. I'm glad. Wow. If you have kids or babies in your life this is the shop to go to! Apparently, they are the people that started the MINKE craze for baby blankets. They've created all sorts of pattern and have luscuous colors that you want to feel and rub and smooth across your cheek...... I found the perfect matches for the rest of Laura's baby quilt there - the perfect greens. I'd really like to get back here. She said they also have a great website. (5)

Tehachapi - Debbie's Fabrics, etc.
Sometime in July Debbie's is moving around the corner to the main street in this tiny town. I hope she keeps the character of the shop, because I was charmed. Fabric is draped across bookcase-like bolt shelves- you feel like you're in the middle of a fabric bazaar, and it's a delilcious feeling. Lots of things to see, in every nook and cranny. Mostly new stuff, too. Totally in the middle of the Mohave Desert - it was hot and quiet and.....lonely....here. (4)
There was another shop in town, 5 Hearts, but she closes early, apparently. Two shops in one teeny, tiny town!