Atlanta Shop Hop Day One

Shop Hop! A glorious day in Atlanta! It just doesn't get much better than this! 

It has been many years since I was able to attend the Atlanta Shop Hop on a Thursday morning, Day One. Our day began in Marietta, northwest Atlanta. My SIL Janice who is not  a quilter joined me on Shop Hop. She is making girlie playclothes for her granddaughter. Between us, we have five sons. It sure is fun to look at fabric for girls.

Our first stop was at Little Quilts.   LQ was transformed into a Bee Hive for the Tour of Homes. The shop was swarming with "worker bees" led by the Queen Bee, Mary Ellen, owner of Little Quilts.  The shop was 

swarming with quilter friends, like Silver Thimble ladies, Carol and Ann.

lots of neat bee decorations, quilts, fabric.....

a beehive of temptations!

Next stop: Tiny Stitches 

The Queen (shop owner, Maeta)

the "Engagement"

Tea

a cup for coffee lovers like me

a place of royal beauty!

A bonus at Tiny Stitches was visiting with blogger Melinda of Melinda Quits, Etc who works at the shop.

I'm out of time for tonight. More tomorrow......

Atlanta Shop Hop Part 2

Ok. I'm just plowing ahead with this post. I've been trying to get this post published since last Saturday. I've been working on my blog, changing a few things, updating the template and did something that wasn't right:) My photos weren't uploading right. Yesterday, it finally occurred to me what I could do to correct the problem. It has helped, but I've updated everything and am having to learn the new features on Blogger. I haven't been able to manipulate the photos, but at least they are somewhere on this post.

 The Sunday of the Atlanta Shop Hop was "field trip" day. Pat, Debbie, Kristie and I went on a road trip to Scarlet Thread Quilt Shop. There's always lots of laughter when we get together. Lot of "retail therapy", too. Scarlet Thread had some great samples and fabric. I was looking for yardage for the layer cakes that I won a couple of weeks ago. Sure enough I found what I needed to make a Schnibbles quilt or two. My cousin who lives in Houston is waiting for her first grandchild. It's a boy. I thought I would collect some black and white prints that looked masculine - no florals. I picked up fat quarters at Patchwork Cottage on Thursday, Sweet Home on Saturday and Scarlet Thread on Sunday. I'm actually working on 3 different black and white quilts. I do tend to obsess when I find fabric that I like :)

I

(From Sweet Home)

At Patchwork Cottage, I purchased a Bar Harbor charm pack to add to a top that I'm cutting out in reds, blues and tans. Kristie and I split a half-yard of the dog fabric. Even though this doxie is black and not tan like my Rusty, I "needed" this fabric:)

After shopping on Sunday, we ate a late lunch. In the middle of the meal, Kristie pointed to the medal colander on the table. Immediately Pat put it on her head, but alas "Moda Man" had already sent out the fabric waves that made us purchase much Moda.  Don't you just love the plaque that was hanging at Scarlet Thread, "Friends are Like fabric,you can never have too much." Bravo!

Shop Hop - Little Quilts

Lions, and tigers, and bear, oh my!  It was a circus (or zoo) at Little Quilts on Saturday morning. We drove from Conyers to Marietta in the very worse of the rainstorm. We bravely drove the interstate highways of Atlanta to get there! Brenda from The Quilting Cowgirl blog met us at Little Quilts. While in the shop, Brenda and I were magically transformed into circus performers. There have been many times in my years in a school media center that I've felt like we were operating a Three Ring Circus. Now, I have a photo to go with "our" circus. 

Little Quilts' Shop Hop Quilt is behind the cash register. Shop owner, Mary Ellen and her employees were all dressed as clowns. That's Gretchen and her Mom, Joette, finalizing their purchases with Muriel.

This is Star Gazing one of Pat Wys' Silver Thimble Quilts Patterns hanging in the shop. Stunning quilt, don't you agree? I wanted to take this quilt home with me.

I located quite a few shirting fabrics for my 16 Patches and Pinwheel Quilt (quilt in waiting) The blue fabric was not really on my list. Confession time:)  I was thinking that I would purchase some of the brown fabric that I used in the Neutral Quilt for my SIL. I have plenty of neutrals left from that project. This blue fabric from the same line as the brown insisted on coming home with me. 

Little Quilts was packed with quilts, projects, fabric, stitchery. It's a super quilt shop. It's probably a good thing that it's on the other side of the metro Atlanta from my home. It's one dangerous place :)

Shop Hop.- Sweet Home

Saturday morning in the middle of rainstorm, Gretchen, her Mom Joette and I took off in my car to visit several of the shops on the Greater Atlanta Shop Hop. Our first stop was Sweet Home Quilt Shop in Conyers, our favorite shop in town. The shop was decorated like Grandma's House. Doesn't Melisa, the shop owner, look stylish in her vintage finds?

Each shop designed a block and quilt for the Shop Hop. I just love the black, white and green quilt at Sweet Home. The quilt was stunning. My photo doesn't bring that out.

Here is Strawberry Pie by Pat Wys. I currently have a blue and white version of this quilt on my Finish It Up List.

I tried to stick to my "shop hop list." I didn't deviate too badly. The black with white prints are for a future project. I'm hoping to get to it this Srping. The shirtings are also for a future project. The green flannels are for a Rag Quilt for my Michael to take to college. His school colors are navy and hunter green. I was out of Retayne to use in pre-washing fabric. Sweet Home looked fabulous with the samples, kits, and vintage decorations. Melisa and her staff did a wonderful job! Looking at the photos makes me want to rush back to the shop!

Reflecting on Shop Hop Purchases

The Greater Atlanta Shop Hop began today. The earliest that I will be able to visit any of the shops is probably Saturday.  My first Atlanta Shop Hop was in 2004. My friend Judy invited me to join a group including  her MIL and MIL's friend. We took personal leave from our schools on Thursday, the first day of the shop hop. We visited 8 of the 10 shops that first day. We started very early in the morning, ate lunch in the car and didn't stop until late that evening. At that first Shop Hop, I began my practice of shopping for specific projects. That first Shop Hop I shopped for pink fabric, beige fat quarters and dog prints. My stepson's wife loved mauve. I was in the beginning stages of planning a quilt for her. I also collected dogs prints even though we  did not have a dog at that time. I did complete one of these projects. The dog quilt is still a UFO. I probably have enough dog fabric for 2 or 3 quilts.

The next year, I didn't have a plan until I walked into Stitch 'N Quilt. Their Shop Hop Quilt in black and white had me mesmerized. I didn't think that I liked or wanted a black and white quilt. This quilt changed that opinion. I only visited a handful of shops that year, but I did purchase black and white fabrics at each shop. I never even cut this quilt out (which is probably a good thing) I still have my black and white fabrics. I have another quilt in mind. A quilt that is close to the top of the new project list.

The next year, Debbie and Gretchen joined me in my van on the Saturday of SH. We had a wonderful day. Lots of laughing, talking and buying of fabric! A quilt in the December 2005 McCall's Quilting magazine was "Yelling" at me. At many of the  shops we visited, I purchased some of Moda's Wuthering Heights collection. I again ended with enough fabric for not one, but two quilts. One of the quilts is currently on our bed. 

 

With the extra fabric, I made the Strawberry Pie pattern by Pat Wys of Silver Thimble Company. This quilt actually now belongs to Pat. It is in her truck show and has been to Quilt Market. I also located the perfect flannel to match the backing of my Christmas Toile Quilt on this shopping trip.

In 2007, we filled my van with wonderful quilting friends - Gretchen, Pat, Brenda, Debbie and me. I knew at that time that I was transfering to my new elementary school, Mulberry Elementary. I found a pattern online called Mulberry Bush by Acorn Quilts Pattern Company. This trip with the help of my shopping buddies, I collected the fabric for my Mulberry quilt. It currently lives in my Mulberry Elementary Media Center.

Last year, Pat, Debbie and I attended Bonnie Hunter's Workship, but we managed a side trip to Little Quilts. I found neutrals for my sister-in-law's neutral quilt. On Friday of Shop Hop, I made a trip to Sweet Home to visit Melisa and Mike. I found border fabric and other neutral prints there.

Now, I'm sure you might be wondering why I'm writing about previous shop hops. You got it right. I'm trying to justify the fabric that I'm planning to purchase this year :) I have a new project in mind with the black and white fabric that I haven't used yet. I NEED more black with white prints.  

Actually, my Shop Hop record is not so bad, only 2 unfinished projects. Wish my record was this good on all my shopping trips :)

Places to Visit

Well, blog places to visit that is.  My friend Brenda celebrates her birthday this month. She has an awesome give-away to help celebrate this event. Visit her blog The Quilting Cowgirl and leave a comment to get your name in the drawing.

Another neat place to visit is the blog for The Atlanta Quilt Shop Hop.  Melisa, owner of Sweet Home Quilt Shop has a super give-away, a Sweet Treat bag.  The shop hop is March 26 - March 29th and includes nine wonderful quilt shops in the metro Atlanta area. Melisa and the other shop owners are asking for feedback on shop hops - what you like best what you like least and ideas from other shop hops. Hop over to this blog, make a comment and get a chance to win. Please mention that I sent you so I have a chance at a Moda Mini Honey Bun Bake Shop Box (that's a mouthful)

I think I'll hop on up to bed. I'm reading Eldest, the second book in the Eragon series. On a cold night like tonight, curled up in bed with a pile of quilts and a good book is the best place to be.

   

Shop Hop Confessions

Ok. It was just too much for me. I was not able to resist the Atlanta Shop Hop. Thursday afternoon on my way home from school, I stopped at my local shop, Stitch 'N Quilt. I got my passport stamped and looked at the neutral fabrics. Sandy was working that day. It was a treat to visit with her. Friday after a super day at school, I decided to travel to Sweet Home Quilt Company in Conyers. It took me almost an hour and a half driving from work to the shop. I forget that my new school is "out there". The shop was worth every minute of the drive. Melisa, the shop owner, has THE best taste in fabric. I could have purchased lots and lots of yardage. I did purchase only those things on my list. I bought 4 different one  yard and a fourth cuts of flannel for Sarah's rag quilt. I had them cut FQ's of four neutral fabrics for the neutral quilt that I am making for Janice, my sister-in-law for Christmas. So that was 5 yards for flannel and 1 yard of neutrals. I was also able to pick up the Stitchery block-of-the month that I am participating in. I have never done stitchery. This BOM will be new learning for me. It will also give me a hand project. Saturday since we were so close to Little Quilts, we took a quick detour after the workshop. There were lots of temptation waiting for us there. I found some brown textured fabric for the stars on Janice's neutral quilt. I've been looking for the right fabric and felt fortunate to find this. I picked up two neutral FQ's and black DMC floss for the stitchery kit. That's a total of 2 yards from Little Quilts.

I did bust some stash this week. The first grade teachers asked for fabric and batting donations for a project. I brought 6 yards from my stash. Gone!

Such Luck!

The past three days have just been awesome. Yesterday, I was fortunate to attend the Crumb Piecing Workshop with Bonnie Hunter in Marietta.  The East Cobb Quilt Guid had Bonnie in town for lectures and workshops. I just love using scraps and crumbs. Bonnie was an excellent teacher. She had wonderful hand-outs, great demos. and colorful quilts for us to drool over. Yesterday, I wasn't crazy about making Maverick Stars and letters, but I think I was just exhausted from our activities at school. Today, I like both techniques alot and think I will make those blocks in the future. I didn't take any pictures of Bonnie. I don't know where my head was. I did take pictures today of my blocks. Yesterday was also special because of spending the day with two of my favorite quilting friends, Debbie and Pat.  This is the third year that we spend the Saturday of the Atlanta Shop Hop Week together. Lots of sewing! Lots of laughter! Even some retail therapy, but more about that later! Missed our buddy Gretchen. Hopefully, she will join us next year.