First, we caught a ferry from Edmonds to Kingston.
We ate a picnic at a park adjacent to the ferry terminal there, followed by a short walk to the first shop, the Kingston Quilt Shop.
(I just love their neon sign!) The boy had much fun rampaging about. Thankfully, papa was there to watch over him so I could focus on some shopping. The staff there was very welcoming and friendly, and they had a lovely selection of fabrics, including lots of batiks and Asian prints.
We continued southward to Poulsbo and Heirloom Quilts. The shop is in the downtown area, right next to the water. I saw a bead store, a ceramics studio, a rubber stamp store, and multiple bookstores all within a couple of blocks of each other. My kind of town! They boy was very excited because the quilt shop had small shopping carts—just the right size for him to push around the store (I wish I had gotten a picture of that!). He kindly steered my fabric selections around the store and to the cutting table, where he was not at all thrilled to relinquish the cart o' fun. The store was bright and open, and had lots of room to roam. They had a large selection of fabrics, grouped by style (batiks, Asian, reproductions, tone-on-tones, various collections). More batiks and Asian prints made it to the cash register.
The next stop Material Girls in Silverdale. I loved that store. They had a ton of samples on display everywhere. Lots of McKenna Ryan designs were on display, including her new series quilt, "Faith, Hope, and Love" (gorgeous!!!!). Apparently, she lives in the area and the samples on display were made by her. So cool! I guess my style aesthetic was very much represented there, and that's why I enjoyed the store so much. That and the wonderful staff—again, so welcoming, and friendly.
Continuing southward, the next stop was Rochelle's in Port Orchard. This was a quick stop because the boy was finally napping, and so papa stayed in the running car while I hopped out and back (can't leave the car stopped, lest the boy awake!). It was a nice store, and they had a lot of fabrics I hadn't seen at any of the previous stores, including a really big selection of fun novelty prints. They also had a nice fashion fabric section that I wish I could have taken more time to look through.
We headed back northward to our final shop of the day, Esther's Fabrics on Bainbridge Island. They've been in business for almost 50 years now! The quilting fabrics they carry are just wonderful, their selection focusing on modern designers and lots of those wonderful big, bold prints, and edgy designs. I had been really good at the previous shops, just purchasing for specific projects. But I just had to add some to the stash here. A couple of the prints were just too good to pass up. I also picked up the Mail Sack pattern from Pink Chalk Studio, and a fun book on monster plush.
Finally, we got on the ferry and headed homeward.
The day's spoils:
All of the batiks on the right are destined for a holiday quilt project. The Asian prints are for my Grandmother's Flower Garden. Of course, I couldn't go all day without a green fabric for Dear Jane. Then there are the just because ones. How wonderful is that black and white dino bone print???
I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful husband who supports me in my crafty, quilty endeavors and who has the patience to spend a day shop hopping. And the boy was a great travel companion with minimal fusses and lots of smiles. The sun was out, and there was only just the barest sprinkle of rain. We got to visit areas we've never been before, do a little exploring, and spend some quality time together as a family. It was a very good day.
What a sweetheart your husband is to take you on the shop hop. He is a dear! It looks like your little outing was fun and your loot is fab. What a fun day. And as always thanks for your sweet comments to me on my blog.
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