Quilt Tour 2012

A few weeks ago I managed to escape for a day and participated in the Western Washington Quilt Shop Tour. There were 13 quilt shops across Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties that were a part of the tour. I managed to visit 12 in one day! Woo! (I made it to the last one the next morning.)

This year's theme was "Sew Northwest." Each shop designed its own block and then created a quilt that included all of the different blocks. One of my favorite aspects of the quilt tour is seeing all of the shop hop quilts! Each shop has such a unique style/aesthetic and the quilts they create for the hop really reflect that. As in previous years, I managed to take pictures of each of the shop hop quilts. You can check them out in the slideshow below. There are some really fun designs!



If you see a quilt you love, I encourage you to contact the shop-- many of them had patterns and kits available. So you could make one for yourself!

One clever new gimmick for this year, was that each shop had a different charm to give to shop hoppers who spent $10 or more in their shop.

Of course I had to get all the charms! Silly, I know. But, it did feel good knowing that I was supporting my local shops. And I did get some very cute little charms (not that I know what to do with them now-- but they are cute!).

I love shop hopping! I know I say it again and again, but there is just something about shop hopping that really helps kindle my creative juices. Seeing all of the different samples, fabrics, and just enjoying the opportunity for a little time out and about, is such a treat for me. Since I did this tour, I've been so productive in the crafty room! It feels awesome.

Miscellany

It has been kind of a slow week crafting-wise. My stitching efforts have been focused on my Once 'Round the Country commitment and getting that done in time for the July 1st send-off. I'd show you my progress, but (frankly) it's not very exciting looking at this point. It's going to be a close call, but I'm hopeful that I'll get it done on time.

I'm also hopeful that I'll somehow be able to squeeze in another project: the Teardrop Bag for this month's Style Stitches challenge. I've only gotten so far as picking fabrics, but for me that's nearly half the battle!


This project is my personal favorite in the book, so I'm really excited about working on it.

Also going on right now is the 2011 Western Washington Shop Hop. This year, instead of attempting a family shop hop adventure with my 14-month-old and 4-year-old sons, I opted for taking a bus tour with 40 other quilt-obsessed ladies. We hopped on the bus bright and early on Wednesday morning and visited 12 shops over the course of the day. I made some new friends, actually got time to browse in every shop, and had a really good time. I even came home with a few goodies:


I have plans for most of the fabric, but not all. Considering all of the enabling going on, I feel like I stayed fairly strong and curbed the majority of my fabric-acquisition impulses.

And then last night...


I got a new 'do! It's pretty different for me-- but I'm diggin' the purple. Fun!

Hope y'all have some happy and crafty weekends!

Tri County Quilt Tour 2011

Last week was the annual Western Washington Tri County Quilt Shop Tour. Over the course of three days, I managed to visit all of the participating shops (14 this year!). This year's theme for the tour was "Birds of a Feather" and each shop designed both a block and a quilt that featured all of the shop blocks.

This is the fourth year of the hop, and my fourth year participating. I have to say, this year I saw more creativity than ever in the shop quilts. Truly, each one was totally unique. A couple of the shops really went out of the box and created some awesome displays (Two Thimbles in Bellingham actually asked local fiber artists to create their blocks). And, of course, there were some wonderful traditional-style versions as well. I took pictures of all of the quilts to share:



If you go to the album, I've posted comments with a little bit of additional information. The pictures really do not do some of these quilts justice.

And, of course, what is a shop hop without happy loot?


I splurged a bit this year. But, I actually have a plan for all but one of these fabrics. So only one is actually going directly into "stash." Now I just have to get sewing and put those plans into action.

I love me a happy shop hop!

Shop hop Saturday!

This last weekend was the annual Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop. I honestly didn't think I'd get to participate at all this year. But my husband, knowing how much I enjoy trekking about to shops, really encouraged me to do it... so much so, he even volunteered to come along and carry the baby!

So, papa, the boys, and I all got into the car and managed to visit four shops on Saturday. Not much compared to some people, but it was a fabulous little road trip for the four of us.

We started at Keepsake Cottage Fabrics to pick up our "passport", as it is closest to our house (and one of my favorite shops). Then we packed back into the car and drove to Anacortes, a little more than an hour away. First we stopped by Fabrics Plus where my older son (who shall henceforth be referred to as "Big Bear" or "BB") picked out a couple of buttons for himself, and where I found some super-soft Flurry in yellow to make a blanket for the baby (who shall henceforth be referred to as "Little Bear" or "LB").

We stopped for lunch at a local cafe and then headed down the street to The Quilt Shop. While we were there, I ran into my longtime friend Louise. We've known each other for about 14 years, and since moving back to Washington state (nearly 4 years ago), the only times I've seen her are when we bump into each other at quilt shops-- usually during shop hop (though we do keep tabs on each other via Facebook). It was so awesome to see her and do a little catching up.

Finally, we headed off to Arlington and the final shop of the day, The Quiltmaker's Shoppe. They were featuring a couple of gorgeous raffle quilts. One woman selling tickets was asking a couple of shop-hoppers if they were interested in purchasing any raffle tickets. BB heard from across the room and then, in a very loud voice, responded "Yes!" Fortunately, papa had some cash and was able to make good on our boy's affirmative. BB was thrilled to receive his very own ticket stub. How awesome would it be if he won!

We stopped at a little bakery across the street from the shop for some yummy treats and then headed home. It was about a 6 hour adventure, and were all tuckered out by the end.

Overall, I was pretty good (having to chase around a toddler prevents too much actual shopping):


Despite having only 24 blocks to go (and more than enough fabric), I can't seem to stop buying greens for my Stickle quilt.

Tri County Shop Hop 2010

This weekend was the third annual Tri County Quilt Shop Festival. Quilt shops in three counties join forces to host a fun shop hop. Each shop creates a block for the event and then makes a special quilt using blocks from all of the other shops. This year's theme was "Smooth Sailing" and it was a ton of fun going from shop to shop and seeing all of the fabulous quilt designs.

Here's a little peek at all of the various shop quilts:


I think my favorites are the quilts from Fabrics, Etc. (how cool is that porthole???), Folktales (using the Sandy Gervais line "Frolic"), and Tangled Threads (so bright and happy!). But I love how unique each of the quilts is and how differently they used the same blocks.

Since I really wasn't sure I was going to be able to manage any of the hop this year, it was super exciting for me to make it to all of the participating shops! It took three days to complete. On Thursday, the boy and I visited 3 shops together. Then on Friday, I managed to visit 2 shops while the boy was in preschool, and then together we trekked to another 3. Finally on Saturday, I got up early and drove myself to Lynden and Bellingham (the shops farthest from home) to visit the last 7 shops on the tour (some happy alone time for mama!).

I didn't take many pictures other than of the various quilts, but I did get a cute one of the boy. Granny's House in Stanwood, WA, offers classes on creating custom umbrellas, and my boy was having a lot of fun checking out the sample:


And how cute is that umbrella? If the shop weren't so far away, I'd probably sign up for the class!

And, of course, the loot...


I tried hard to not go too crazy. I ended up with a few patterns, including Amy Butler's Birdie Sling (which I have been eyeing for some time), some stitcheries (so cute!), and a festive little bunny quilt kit. I picked up the Antique Quilts magazine (because I've been reading so many great things about it). And then I picked up just a few fabrics, including some to use for the Amy Butler pattern, backing fabric for my Paintbox Quilt Along quilt, a couple of prints I just had to have, a charm pack, and some green fat quarters (sigh... I just couldn't resist! What am I going to do once my Stickle quilt is complete and I don't have an excuse to buy green fabric anymore???). The only things not pictured are some stickers I picked up for the boy, as well as a big blue button he picked out for himself.

Another fabulous shop hop adventure!

Project paralysis

Sometimes I fall prey to project paralysis—typically when I'm feeling overwhelmed by something. In this case, the overwhelmedness was caused by a combination of too many projects, a freelance job, and deadlines (both for the projects and the freelance job). I knew the freelance job might put me over the top, but my old boss asked so nicely I just couldn't say no (and I have to admit, the extra money is pretty motivating too). So, for the last couple of weeks, I've been accomplishing very little craft-wise (not even Warcraft-wise!).

Being stalled on projects has seemingly motivated me to instead add to the stash. There has been much shopping in the last week! It has been a lot of fun, particularly since it feels like it's been a long time since I've had a chance to just go out and browse and see what's in the shops.

This last weekend was the Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop. 57 stores joined forces to create a hugemongous shop hop adventure. I didn't think I'd be able to do any of it this year, but I actually managed to visit 9 shops and all but one was new to me! It was a lot of fun getting to explore the area and visit new places.

In previous years, I have headed north and west. So this year, I went south.

On Friday, the boy and I visited four shops:

• Quiltworks Northwest in Bellevue: What a fun store! They carry a wonderful selection of modern and hip prints from all the hot designers. They also have a large bead and embellishment selection (which I did not explore at all). I definitely plan to revisit this shop in the near future.


• Pieces Quilt Shop in Renton: It was small but the space was really nice-- light and bright and open. It looks like it would be a great place to take a class.


• Taylor Creek Quilt Studio in Maple Valley: This shop was tiny, but boy did they pack it full of fabric! It had a great blend of traditional and modern with a super-friendly staff. They actually were able to point the way to a nearby park where the boy and I had a fun picnic lunch.


• The Calico Cat in Auburn: So much inspiration there! Lots of great samples and displays scattered throughout the store (and it is a BIG store). By that point, the boy was done, so it was a pretty quick stop. I wish we could have explored a little more there, but it is a shop I have visited before, so I didn't mind so much.

On Sunday, my husband and I dropped the boy off at the grandparents' and we did a little more hopping. (I have a seriously fabulous husband!!!)

• Quilt Barn in Puyallup: From the outside, it's pretty unassuming-- just another shop in a strip mall. But I was in for a treat once I stepped through the doors. Bright, open and not only a great selection of fabrics and fun samples, but also a very friendly and welcoming staff. I had a lot of fun exploring their store.


• The Wild Rose Quilt Shop in Orting: The store is in a great space and had tons of samples (which were very effective... I bought a pattern because of a couple of them!). They also had the largest selection of reproduction prints that I've seen in this area so far (they even had them organized by era, with labels on the shelves indicating the time period-- pretty cool!). They also had some fun, modern prints as well. I fell in love with this shop.


• Creative Quilter in Graham: What I liked most about this store was their local focus-- many of the samples were from regional designers or featured local themes. And the staff was very welcoming and friendly.


• Shibori Dragon in Lakewood: This store was a feast for the imagination! The main features were beautiful Asian textiles and embellishments galore-- everything from beads to to dyes. They actually had a full yarn shop as well (one of those moments when I really wish I knew how to knit or crochet). I left this store feeling inspired.


• Parkland Parish Quilt Co. in Tacoma: Located in a fabulous historic building (formerly a church), this shop offered a great selection of fabric and had a super-friendly staff. It also boasted a huge classroom area. This store was the budget-buster for me... I ended up getting 4 yards of fabric here!

I don't have pictures from any of the shops (because I failed to bring the camera). But (since I can't have a post without some kind of picture) here you can see what I purchased:


I had a lot of fun and my brain is full of crafty excitement again. I've been so motivated I've actually managed to get a quilt basted and quilted over the last couple of evenings. Project paralysis is at an end. Woo hoo!

Shop hop adventure

Over the last three days, I hopped to 16 different quilt shops in the second annual Northwestern Washington Tri-County Quilt Shop Tour. Each shop on the tour had a different block pattern that they shared with customers on the tour. And each shop designed a quilt using the 16 different blocks. It is pretty amazing how different quilts using the same 16 blocks can look. Seeing all of those amazing designs was a big part of the shop hop fun for me.



In my little slideshow above (which hopefully works... I've not tried this before), you can see all of the awesome variations. It's really neat how the style of finished quilts reflected the personality of each shop. I think my favorite quilts were Fourth Corner Quilts (done in bright, happy Amy Butler prints), Calico Country (the patriotic theme was great and I love how they broke up one of the blocks and used it as cornerstones in the border), Folktales (the wool applique in the center was fantastic!), Keepsake Cottage (what's not to love about using red rick-rac in the sashing? Fabulous!), Fabric-Etc. (such a unique layout and the little quilter's village was so cute!), and the Quiltmaker's Shoppe (the scalloped borders and the quilting were amazing). Most of the shops offered patterns and/or kits so that you could re-create their quilt. (So if you see one you love, you should definitely call them and ask about it!)

Because I managed to visit all of the different shops, I actually have the patterns for all of the blocks. Yay! I'm planning on putting them to use this week as I make some blocks to enter into my guild's April block lotto.


And of course, there was some shopping. The budget was tighter this year, so I had to watch my spending. But I did get some fabulous fabrics (mostly for use in my Jane Stickle and Playtime quilts), a couple of patterns (future Christmas gifts, if I can get my act in gear!), and some silk thread (because I keep hearing tell of it's awesome applique powers).

The boy and I traveled together on Thursday and Friday. He was a real trooper, but by the last shop on Friday, he was done. I mean, really, really done. I don't foresee any more shop hopping in our future... at least, not without a shop hop buddy who could help entertain and keep an eye on him. But overall, we had a great time. He was well-behaved (if a little energetic!) and happy. On Thursday, we even took a fun park break between stops.


Today, the boy stayed at home with papa, and I headed out on my own. It was a nice change of pace just being able to take my time at each shop and really look. And, as always, it was so fun getting out and visiting so many quilt shops. Each shop is so unique and it never ceases to amaze and inspire me.

Shop hopping!

The boy and I have been busy the last couple of days. We've been on the road visiting quilt shops in northwestern Washington on the second annual tri-county shop hop. We've been to eight shops so far, and I'm hoping to visit the rest tomorrow.

I'll be back with a report soon!

Family Adventure Day!

Today Keith took a vacation day and we ventured forth on a family mini adventure. The 10th Annual Western Washington Shop Hop is going on right now, and so we hopped in the car and headed westward to the peninsula.

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.