Good Bye Gray Weather Giveaway

Saturday was a beautiful day to go traipsing around Lancaster Country.  The brown fields are starting to turn green.  It was a great day to see the Amish out and about.  There were little boys with their fishing poles on the banks of the streams and horses pulling plows through the fields.

My friend Terry (TerryKramzar.com) and I went to a presentation by the fabric company, Northcott, put on by Burkholders Fabrics.  It was a sold out crowd as we got a sneak peek at fabric that won't be in the stores until this summer.  We also learned a lot about fabric manufacturing.  I was surprised to find out that 95% of our quilting cotton is made in South Korea. 

I met a student of mine at the presentation who brought us over to one of Burkholder's retreat centers, called the Cocalico Quilter's Inn. 

Vicki gave us a grand tour of the sewing room, kitchen, bedrooms and the outdoor living space.

It looks like an awesome place for a retreat for 14-20 people at an extremely reasonable price. The big bonus is you can go shopping at Burkholders starting at 8:00 AM, for forgotten items or that piece of fabric that you need to finish your project.

Of course we had to do a little bit of fabric shopping afterwards.  I bought some Mickey fabric for Henry and some of Northcott's Shimmer to go with this dragonfly fabric.  I love a touch of metallic!

When I got home there was a package I ordered from Massdrop.  I have ordered from them before.  They offer quilting items at reduced prices if enough people order.  They have a variety of items.  This time I ordered these Clover clips.  They are like little clothes pins and are great for bindings and putting in zippers - anywhere pins can get in the way.

To celebrate the end of those gray days and the arrival of Spring, I'm sharing some of the swag from the Northcott presentation  and a few Clover clips for you to try. Sign up to follow me on Bloglovin' (see the sidebar) and leave your email address with your comment.  

Come back on Friday to see if you are the winner.

Feeding A Quilter's Spirit

I am still unpacking from my teaching stint at MAQ.  It was a wonderful experience, as an instructor, to stay in one place and really get to know students over the course of 3 days.  I can't wait to go back next year and reconnect with my new friends.  my classes will be chosen by the board, so I don't know yet what they will be, but mark your calendars - July 18-20.

 

My friend Kathy flew in from Utah to take a workshop from me.  We met during a workshop from Lisa Call in Philadelphia last year.  She has been spending a few days with me, which has given me an excuse to leave my studio and visit some highlights of the Philadelphia area.  Monday we went to visit The Barnes Foundation.

This museum recently was moved from a Philadelphia suburb to the city amongst a lot of controversy.  Dr. Barnes, a wealthy scientist,  collected and arranged its contents, which includes a ton of paintings by Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso along with PA Dutch blanket chests and metal hasps, in a specific format to fit his view of art. He collected the art before it was popular.  His collection was not well received by art critics, so he turned it into an exclusive educational facility with limited access. He died in the 1950's.   Specific instructions were left in his will about the collection, that included leaving it in the suburbs.  It has since been moved to downtown Philly, as the culmination of a lot of wheeling and dealing.

 There is a great documentary about it called The Art of the Steal.

 

 I have been to see the collection in the suburbs a couple of times.  This was my first visit to the new Barnes.  Other than the cavernous lobbies with expansive seating, the collection is presented in an identical manner.  If I had been blindfolded and dropped into one of the rooms, I would not have known the difference. 

 

Yesterday, we just had to head to Lancaster County to check out the Amish and a bunch of fabric shops.  A couple of other women from MAQ joined us as we visited the best of the best.  We started at Burkholder's, then  stopped at Zooks and then The Country Store.  And of course lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, The Kling House, where sitting on the porch you can watch the Amish buggies clip clop down the street.  At The Country Store, we came across the Pennsylvania/New York Row By Row Quilt Shop Hop.  There are over 60 shops participating in Pennsylvania. 

 

Each shop has instructions for a row of the quilt.  This is the pattern from The Country Store:

 They also had a kit for the pattern.

 The theme for the rows is country fairs.  These canning jars are perfect for Lancaster County.

The we were intrigued by the shops participating in the Shop Hop.  We started our trip back home so that we could stop at one more - The Quilt Shop at Miller's.  Their row was a pinwheel pattern , and they also had a fabric license plate. We found out that some of the shops have them. (cost $3.99)

 

I think I need to make something from it.  Stay tuned.

 

A Trip To Lancaster County

When I am creating a quilt, it starts with an idea.  Next comes the color choices and then usually the fabric.  I have to say that I hardly ever have the entire quilt designed before I start.  The quilt evolves as I piece it together.  So of course then I get to the point where I NEED a certain type of fabric that I don't have on my shelves.

The dilemma then becomes where to go.  There are no fabric stores around the corner.  It becomes a road trip.  But I want to make sure that the odds are good that wherever I go I will find what I need.  Quilt shops have the personalities of their fabric buyers.  If I need a certain type of fabric, I go to a certain store.  The project I am working on is made from batik fabrics.    I decide to head out to Burkholders out in Lancaster County - a mere 1 1/2 hrs away.  My  traveling companions are up for a road trip, so my husband and Bailey pile into the car.

We head out to the quilt shop via the PA Turnpike.  This shop did not disappoint.  There was recently a bit of a change in ownership.  But I have to tell you that the shelves were packed.  There was over a 30ft long aisle filled with batiks.  If I couldn't find something here.  The batiks were $7.99/yd and if you are a guild member they give you a 12% discount.  I found several options and bought them all.  Yipppeee!  Success!!

                                                                                                                                                                                         

Then we headed for lunch at this nearby luncheonette, where the food is good and cheap.  And we were able to eat outside at their picnic tables with our chow hound.

               


We decided to mosey on home via a country road to get our fill of farm scenery and stop at farmstands for locally grown produce for our dinner.  The sky was so blue and there was corn growing as far as the eye could see.  You can't even count the number of farms.  Barns and silos everywhere dotting the countryside.

Maybe not a farm, but I couldn't resist.

How could this not make you smile?

A wagon full of canteloupes with 2 adorable Amish girls hiding behind it.  The canteloupe was as sweet as candy.

Border Collie pups or watermelons?

Hmmmm.

We got the BEST corn from this stand.

Road Trip

When you've been cooped up inside due to all the snow we've had and the days have been gray and gloomy, the snow isn't pretty anymore, just different shades of dirt, what's a girl to do?

ROAD TRIP!

So our gang headed to Lancaster County, Burkholders to be precise. There was some scuttlebutt that the new owners were the old owners, and the shop was overflowing, packed to the gills with fabric. I hadn't been there in a couple of years and hadn't seen its demise.

So that was enough of an enticement to drive to the middle of nowhere to check it out. If you blink, it looks like another Amish farm. But just keep your eye out for that sign on Rte 897.

Once inside, it was clear that the rumors were true. The shelves were packed. As in the past, if they had one color of a basics collection, such as Michael Miller's Fairy Frost, they had them all.
Gene Martin, the new owner, was busy cutting my fabric, while my traveling companion Kelly was bragging that her soon to be beach quilt, aka lobster fabric, matched her red coat.

This aisle was loaded with batiks.

The prices are good, but the best part is they give guild members a 15% discount. That's huge. And Mr. Martin told us they currently have somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 bolts. He and his wife plan on doubling the amount and adding a deli and a tearoom. A place to eat would make it a perfect day out. However, there is a charming luncheonette about 3 miles away, Kountry Korner. You can search very hard for a healthy choice or bring your Lipitor. No paper plates here. Sandwiches are served on a napkin.