Adventure’s in Quilting

I LOVE SHOP HOPS!!! God help me, I do. I love my local shop, but it is fun to see what is out there. Every shop has its own personality and it is always good to know where to get a fabric fix no matter where you are. It is not uncommon for me to plan extra time in a day trip if I know I am near an awesome shop.

Sadly, with two small children, I don’t get to do the hops very often. There is already enough problems with bathroom breaks and tantrums in traffic that I don’t need to add a 3 and 5 year old;) So imagine my happiness when my husband found out he had Friday off for Veterans Day. The same day as the 2011 Quilter’s Quest started in northern California. Awesome!! My good friend, Crystal, was as excited as I was for the hop so naturally we decided to make this a mini road trip. Double Awesome!!

Originally, we had decided to do this over two days. We started with breakfast at the Black Bear Diner in Suisun City. With full stomachs, a full tank of gas, and our heads full of fabric dreams we hit the road.

First shop: Queen B’s Quilt Shop Antioch, Ca

These ladies could not have been sweeter and they had a very nice pastry spread. Perfect for the first stop:) We got a little rained on, but we got to see the start of the Veteran’s Day Parade in downtown Antioch

Second shop: ThimbleCreek Quilt Shop in Concord, Ca

This is a shop I like to browse through and their staff is always friendly!

Next….Starbucks!!

Third shop: The Cotton Patch in LaFayette, Ca

This shop was fantastic! Every shop hopper received a bottle of water and a bag of M&Ms! The staff was nice and I found something I couldn’t live without.

Yes, I bought fabric….gasp!!!!! It was a really amazing brown with copper….how could I not…and the fabric fast is a challenge to myself and most people don’t know why I am even keeping it up this long. Oh well, at least I have the fabric to comfort me…

Next shop: New Pieces in Berkeley, Ca

Many of you know how much I love this shop. If you need something interesting, you go to New Pieces. The East Bay Modern Quilt Guild meets here on the last Tuesday of every month so if you are ever in the area, check us out. Last but not least is Sharona!

Sharona is a wonderful mix of knowledge, enthusiasm, and honesty that makes her opinions helpful and entertaining. Everyone should know a Sharona!

We then had a quick bite to eat at Jimmy Bean’s (which I highly recommend if you are in Berkeley). We realized that it was only noon and we could keep going…maybe even finish our hop??

Next shop: Picket Fence Quilts in Novato, Ca

This is where I will dispense some advice. If you are a quilt shop owner, you do not have to participate in these hops. It is insulting to the shop hoppers if we waste time and gas to go to your shop only to be treated as an inconvenience. I will leave it at that.

Next: Pit Stop

Next shop: Broadway Quilts in Sonoma, Ca

This shop was awesome!! Their staff was friendly and they had some very cool fabrics. Crystal had a great time going through their batiks! I was of no help as I told her to buy a yard of everything;)

I won’t lie, after this stop time began to slow down. The day was rainy and gray.

We began to lose our silliness and I was getting tired. But we knew that we were going to finish this hop!

Next shop: Quiltmaker in Napa, Ca

I have been to this shop before and they are always friendly. They are a small shop, but stuffed with some amazing finds.

Next shop: A Quilted Heart in Vacaville, Ca

This shop holds a special place in my heart for one reason. I took my beginner’s quilt class here almost 5 years ago and I haven’t stopped since.

Last shop….5:45: Cornerstone Quilt Shoppe in Fairfield, Ca!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, we finished with a few minutes to spare. I even got to see the fabulous Dawn Schwab

This shop is my home base and I can’t say enough good things about these people.

So, what did we learn from this adventure

1. 1 yard of fabric, 1 magazine, and 1 pattern after 9 shops is an amazing amount of self control.

2. I am not a bad navigator, no matter what Crystal tells you.

3. I am not a fan of the shop hop fabric or patterns so I am doing something else.

I will leave you with some of the fabrics that were given out at the hop. I am still working on what to do with these fabrics and will be sharing more in the future.

Until next time, show your local shops some love!