Thursday afternoon shopping!

Let's face it, this will be a long post because it was a very long day. Good and full of fun, but long. When we left the Baptist church where all the classes were being held we drove down the road and called QuiltGranny Sharon and Carolyn who were picking us up at the hotel. There they were! After hugs for both, we dashed upstairs, threw in the class stuff and headed back out for the main event...SHOPPING!!!

Libby beat me to the punch again and has all the correct names of the shops on her blog post which you can read here. Once I see the shop and walk inside I can't be expected to remember things like names and ceilings...fabric fills my head and my eyes go wonky and I am intoxicated by the fabric and all the goodies. Tunnel vision over takes me and I see nothing but stuff I can't get in person here. We hit Jason's Deli for lunch and then went right for the first little shop in Eudora, Kansas. Very cute and full of the 30's prints I love. Now this was a primitive weekend, but I do love those 30's prints. The colors were fabulous!

These were the ones I picked up that day with the pattern that was placed so perfectly right beside all the fabric. These stores know what they are doing when they have the wonderful quilts made up and looking so pretty! I had to buy the pattern. I have a terrible time finding oranges locally and this little shop did not disappoint. I grabbed a FQ of each one and a few of the teals too. The little blue stack was found at the 3rd shop but I lumped them all together just for ease. I can't wait to have the time to start working on the blocks. It will be one of those lazy quilts where you do a block here and there.

Then we moved along to Lawrence, Kansas and the most fabulous store ever! Sarah's Fabrics was amazing! We went in the back door and I was again intoxicated. Floor to ceiling full of fabrics that are from all sorts of collections and era's. Sharon says they never discount or move older fabrics out so if it doesn't sell ...it doesn't leave. Anything older can be found here. The back corners had rows and rows of homespun and I was so overwhelmed I could hardly see them all. Quite frankly I'd need about 6 hours and several $1000's of dollars to do that store right. But I forced myself to shop with my meager limitations. *G*

The ladies were so helpful and sent us in any direction we needed. Libby was on the hunt for something in particular, but I was searching for anything homespun. Just seeing these in person is enough, but getting to pet them and compare the colors...YUM! I have to buy online and you aren't always sure of what you are getting. These are the ones I picked up...
Now if I had it to do over I think I would have gotten less of each and more variety. I think I got 3 and 4 yd pieces of each one. Something Lynda Hall said in class the 3rd day really stuck with me. She buys 1 yard pieces and generally never more because she said she likes to "run out and be forced to find something else to use along with the later pieces". I've never thought about it that way. The browns and the pink were something I had found at the local quilt show in 1/2 yard pieces and had NO idea how to ever find again. SO when I looked down and saw them sitting there...oh my, I was happy. The top piece is a pale aqua stripe and will be just right for something as will all the others. I have no plans for any of them except to use them. I also wanted Civil War fabrics in black. I am in a swap and sorely needed blacks for August swapping and the saleslady went around finding me these wonderful gems. CW blacks are hard to find and these will go a long way in many quilts.

Now please go read about Libby's brush with fame and meeting Barbara Brackman. She was so excited. Sadly, when she ran over to say I had missed her chance meeting and conversation, my response was "Who's Barbara Brackman?" I did mention I am new to primitives stuff right? I warned you I see only fabric right? I would have missed a big pink elephant walking in unless he had some fabric draped across his back!

After we left Sarah's we went across the street to another perfect little shop called Stitch on Needleworks where they had a bit of everything including wool! Sharon had graciously called ahead and asked them to have plenty of wool ready for us and they were more than happy to go in back and find any color we wanted. This stack includes the wool I got from Quilter's Station on the first night as well as at the wool at this shop. All lovely pieces that will show up in quilts, needle holders and sewing kits!

I was going to write about the entire day but just can't do it...it's too long and my neck is tired. I'll be back to finish the evening this afternoon. The fun we had getting to Sharon's house, seeing her friends, dinner, and our own personal truck show with the Quilting Babes!