When in Dallas...keep calm & sew on

From the green hills of Vermont to the hot, hot, hot streets of Dallas...

I'm fortunate enough to travel with my job (sometimes unfortunate if you've killed as many hours as I have stuck in airports), and days are pretty full, but once in a while I get a chance to search out the LQS.  Such was the case this past week when I realized I was only a 10 minute drive away from CityCraft (citycraftonline.com) a vibrant store carrying a bunch of lovely fabric.  No stereotypical "Texas" fabric here - just a huge array of bright, bold, yet mostly feminine fabrics for quilts & clothing.  Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, FreeSpirit and some unique fabrics from Japan. My thanks to Jennifer who was helpful without hovering.  I only wish I could have stayed for the skirt class that evening.

One look at this display and I knew I was in the right spot

Words to live by!

My happy haul - I love finding fabrics I haven't seen before, and most of these were new & delightfully unique in my eyes

The hills were alive with the sound of Singers...

and Pfaff and Jenome and Bernina.  That's right, the first week of June was celebrated in my favorite way - the annual Quilt Weekend Retreat in Chester, Vermont.  Hosted by Country Treasures, this is a weekend my sister Christine and I look forward to every year.  It's a great group of ladies who have returned every year since it's start in 2008.  If you haven't ever been to the Country Treasures quilt store in Vermont, you are truly missing out - clean out your car trunk, hop in and hit the gas.  The setting is an idyllic Vermont village complete with lovely churches, inns and a gazebo on the green.  From the front, Country Treasures appears to be a small shop with some cute gifts upfront.  But then you walk and realize it goes on and on and on.... Your heart will be racing as you try to take in room after room of fabric.  There are dedicated rooms for novelties, brights, batiks, color sorted rooms, areas of wonderful Asian fabrics,  reproductions, huge back area of clearance and an attic full of flannels and holiday fabrics.  The owner Sue hits Quilt Market each year so there's tons of the latest to choose from, and the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful.  Chester is not too far over the southern Vermont border (hour or so), so go go go!  Their website is www.vermontquilting.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me in the glorious Batik room

My niece Emma learning the ropes of fabric shopping from Mom

Christine at the all too familiar checkout