Fabric shopping in Utah

So I love living in New Hampshire. Really I do. Nothing can beat it in the Fall. But we are seriously lacking in the quilt shop department. Utah on the other hand, has an over-abundance of fabulous quilt shops! And last week my mother-in-law and I went to 7 of them in 2 days. It worked out well for both of us - she gave me my birthday money to buy fabric, and she got someone to drive her to any quilt shop she wanted! She has failing eyesight and as such hasn't been able to drive for a while now. It was mutually beneficial! Plus we get on fabulously, and spending quilty time with her is always fun!

I didn't take many photos of the shops, but I couldn't resist this one in the parking lot of Piper's Quilts in Sugarhouse...They have the loveliest hollyhocks growing and it's worth a trip there just to see them! (Oh, and for the 20% off all fabric sale they have going on!)
This is my haul for the 2 days. First just haphazardly thrown on the table...and then sorted a little better...Fat quarters...half yards...2 yard pieces...
Why yes, that IS some of the out-of-print-impossible-to-find Flea Market Fancy fabric that sells for big bucks on Ebay and Etsy.
I'm tempted to go back and get the entire bolts. No I won't tell you where I found it!

I was excited to find some variegated Valdani threads at Pine Needles in Gardner Village... plus some pretty woolens...and from other stores, beautiful Riley Blake velvet Ric Rac...and a bag pattern plus upholstery weight Valori Wells yardage (50% off!) to use for the bag.
I am going to spend a few days with my mother-in-law again next week and there are several quilt shops we have yet to visit. Plus a couple of quilt shows. Stay tuned!

Pincushion Round Robin

I am participating in a Wool Crazy pincushion round robin with 3 quilty friends - Brenda of Pumpkin Patch Primitives, my internet BFF Anna, and Sharon Yeager of Daisy Cottage Quilting.

For those of you not familiar with how it works, this is what we do...the pincushions are entirely made of wool. First we each make a base using scraps of wool, basted together. Then we decide on a theme and add a wool applique to set the tone for out theme. Next we mail it to the next person, they add a wool applique, send it on to the next person and so on. You end up getting an amazing little work of art which you then turn into a pincushion. Pretty cool stuff!

Here is what we have so far...

Brenda's base(Fall theme) I think she's adding a pumpkin as we speak!Sharon's (Summer theme)Her base that she sent to Anna
And Anna's beautiful additionAnna's so far (Spring theme) Her base sent on to Brenda
And Brenda's amazing additions!Mine so far as sent to Sharon (Around the neighborhood theme)

See that logo on the photos that says Pumpkin Patch Primitives? That means that they belong to Brenda, and I did ask her permission before using them. Let me get on my little soapbox and say that it's VERY important to ask people before using their images! Brenda's a nice lady - so ask first!! And if you want to see more, go to her Pumpkin Patch Primitives Facebook page - she has a whole folder full of pictures like these ones!

I can't wait to see them all finished. It's so exciting!

The kids and I are off to Utah tomorrow for a 3 week vacation with the in-laws. So my next post will no doubt be from a different state. There are quite a few quilt shows on while I'm there, so I'm sure I will have something to blog about. Stay tuned!