When in PA---

There are just certain things that quilters HAVE to do when they reach the Mecca of Near-Lancaster-County, Pennsylvania!

We have our “Routes” and our “Routines” and we map them out to a T to make the best use of our time, not leaving out any possibilities for BARGAINS!

Yes, folks, yesterday was my Fabric Acquisition Road Trip!

Although I threw myself behind a little bit…one must always be open for DETOURS, right?

What’s this up ahead? a huge YARD SALE!

The sale looked to be run by a bunch of “plain folk” with SO MUCH STUFF! There were baked goods too, but I passed on those, I’d just had breakfast!

There was even something for the men folk! THis whole flat bed trailer was laden with tools and implements and fun stuff like blue canning jars!

I had to wander around a bit….I really enjoyed seeing what they had already planted in their garden too..it looks to be huge! I did bring home a few things….a couple quilted heart pillows made from antique quilt, and a small flow blue dish that was too pretty to pass up. I’ll get pics later!

From there on I was in a HURRY….

Which of course meant that I was going to get stuck behind slow moving buggies! ((But this makes me giddy too!))

I took this pic while sitting at a stop light…most of it is blur….but you should see these horses! You can tell they LOVE pulling the buggies..they are so regal and proud!

My first stop? OBIE’S!

It looks fairly unassuming from the outside, but when you get inside….OH. MY. GOODNESS!

Fabric is stacked floor to ceiling several bolts deep ….and the aisles are NARROW!! If you are looking for fabric from the 1970s? For that UFO your mother never finished? You just might find it here!

I KNOW I have sewn with this at least 30 years ago! LOL!

It’s a tight squeeze through here….but we are on a mission to find bargains…can we do it?

Maybe around THIS corner, there has to be something that I need in here? I just need to look!

This is upstairs! And it is all full of Amish made quilts….I no longer feel guilty about my stash of quilts at all…LOL!

There were so many gorgeous ones! Can you see that red ocean waves peeking out in the front? Where do you start to look?! Really nice workmanship on many of these…

ALL of this wall was quilts folded on shelves, pillows, pot holders, oh, and there were more potato bags here ((the microwave kind)) than I have ever seen anywhere!

Novelties, baby prints, can you fit down this aisle? I gave up trying!! I was afraid the whole pile would come down on me….”Clean up on Aisle 11!!”

Can I have that bolt? Yes, that one, the 6th down from the ceiling, 3rd pile to the left?!

Did I leave happy? Yes I did! I found some chrome yellows, a beautiful blue indigo, and a peach floral thing that is big enough for a backing. Price? $3.49 per yard ---well worth the thrill of the hunt!

Next Stop?

On to Zooks! It’s changed since the last time I was there….the flat folds are in the front now, and they were only 3 yard cuts, so I didn’t find anything that I really wanted or needed here, but it is always fun to go!

Sauder’s was next! And it has the most memorable aroma in the world. How can you combine the smell of fabric, bulk foods and spices and NOT remember it the next time you walk in? I’ve been here many many times, and it is always the aroma that hits me first…..pavlov’s dogs effect I guess!

Yes I did find some big pieces for backs etc on the remnant tables! I’m a happy quilter!

I’m enjoying my time with Nancy, NP! We have a fun day planned today, stay tuned!

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Pennsylvania Road Trip!

I left for Pennsylvania on the wee small hours of Wednesday morning --- Up at 5am, out the door by 5:30 am! More and more I’m liking getting an earlier start. I have always been a morning person, and when you have a 9 hour drive ahead of you, it doesn’t feel so bad to get there by 3pm instead of 6 pm. I know that it is the SAME amount of hours, but believe me…you feel like you just have so much more day left that way, rather than just check into the hotel and go straight to bed after dinner from being exhausted after driving so far!

However, upon hitting West Virginia on my way up I-81, Things came to a complete stand still!

I slowed down as the tail lights in front of me were all blaring red…and we crawled to a complete and utter STOP. And we parked there, on the interstate, in miles and miles of traffic due to a wreck up ahead. Someone said it was a 10 car pile up—I have no idea if that is the case or not, but the traffic was stopped in BOTH directions, and they were using the opposite lanes of traffic to bring in the emergency vehicles –and there were several helicopters ((News or Life Flight? I don’t know??)) and my heart was sick for the people who were involved.

And we were stuck there! With the price of gas skyrocketing (( I watched it climb another 20+ cents in the time span of about an hour here yesterday afternoon while I was out for a power walk!)) people turned off their cars, and their trucks and rolled windows down. Some started to even mill around and talk to their “neighbors”.

I don’t know if you can tell from the above picture, but the traffic goes on for miles in front of me, around that bend.

And miles BEHIND me! See those guys in the median? They had a football and were throwing passes to occupy the time. I was glad I had my phone. I checked email, I checked face book. I seriously wished that I had hit the last rest stop I had passed!

That silver Saturn? That’s the Quiltville Mobile! And I am not sitting in it! I am sitting on a rock in the shade, just watching people and enjoying the beautiful weather—we CAN make the most out of every bad situation, can’t we?

We sat for an hour, and just when I thought I would have to resort to the call of the bushes, we started to move ---Exciting stuff being a traveling circuit quilter, isn’t it?

I had a lot of fun meeting everyone at the lecture on Wednesday evening…..and we ALMOST found ourselves having the trunkshow from our TRUNKS! The church where we were meeting was locked up tight, and no one could be reached to come open it! Quilters are always ready for everything, and it was a nice enough evening I think we could have pulled off a quilty tailgate party in the parking lot if we had to!

Some other ladies and a girlscout troop showed up, and we were let in, and set down to business.

DO YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THIS SPOOL OF THREAD?!? They really believe in gifting big here in PA! I had a huge laugh over this! LOL! I’ll have to put a date on the inside and see just how long it takes me to use it! Thank you ladies for bringing me laughter and friendship, and I know not only your HEARTS are big….and yes, we now now that that infamous saying also applies to quilters – SIZE DOES MATTER!

Yesterday we had a really fun and full Virginia Bound workshop ---and though we started out in the pounding rain as a thunderstorm moved through in the early morning hours, we sewed and sewed and sewed, and by the time we were done, the sun was out in it’s full spring glory!

		Virginia Bound Workshop, Middletown PA 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

You have to check out the tiny 4” block quarters that make an 8” star! TOO CUTE!!

And I also have to confess – the ONE thing on my must do list for my time in PA has been accomplished!

Yes, I succumbed to the call of the Harrisburg style cheesesteak! OH GOODNESS! Messy, saucy, cheesy goodness! It’s a good thing that I’ve spent the past two mornings up early and on the elliptical trainer here at the hotel, and since yesterday afternoon was so lovely, the running shoes went back on my feet and I got another 3 miles in before dinner – just because!

Today? RETAIL THERAPY! I’m headed for a bit of Zooks & Sauders and whatever other antique mall trouble I can get myself into!

Enjoy your Friday, Everyone!

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