Day 1

First 'official' day of my shop hop. Started the day off with a trip of of the beaten path. I visited a Fabric Warehouse in Brooklyn Park. I have never seen anything like it. There were rolls and bolts of fabric stacked to the ceiling in a warehouse size building. There was everything from Cottons to silks, quilting fabric, bridal fabrics, upholstery and trims of all kinds. It was the most amazing thing. Way too much to take in with one short visit.

The first store on today's trip is Fat Quarter Quilting, LLC in Coon Rapids. I have been at this store before on other shop hops. It is in a shopping center and has a nice selection of brights, florals and batiks. A demonstration of yo-yos was available on Saturday, the day I attended. Hit the first of several bus tours that I was to see on Saturday. Large selection of sale fabrics.

Nest was Rosebud's Cottage in North Saint Paul. This shop is the one you want if you want country colors, wools and country designs. The shop is small, but has a large classroom in the back. Lots of samples are available to view. Staff is very friendly.

The Quilted Shingle in Oakdale has a large selection of batiks and brights as well as novelty fabrics. This shop also has a large selection of table runners by Pieced Tree patterns. Shelly Robson in Forest City, Iowa is the designer. This shop also has a nice selection of oriental fabrics.

Charlotte's Quilting Web in Stillwater was the next stop. This shop has a large selection of sale fabrics. Nice selection of samples for inspiration. The shop has a wide selection of fabrics, so a little something for everyone. I stopped for lunch at this shopping center,

On the way out of the metro area, I stopped at Bear Patch Quilting. This shop is quite large and has a wide selection of fabric. Lots of samples are available for inspection. The staff was inspecting a new sample quilt while I was there. The shop also has lots of patterns, so be sure to take some time to see everything.

My trip leaves the metro area of the Twin Cities at this point. Next stop is in Rush City. This little shop has quite a range of fabrics. I was able to find a coordinating fabric for a piece that I had purchased previously about a year ago. I bought the original fabric in Des Moines, so was happy to get another piece of that line. Refreshments and a coupon for future purchases. I also picked up a nice piece of rayon on sale

Mora was the next stop. The Homestead Quilt and Gift shop is in a barn. Lots of samples, including clothing and clothing patterns. When I was in Kauai, earlier this year, the owner of the shop on the island lamented the fact that no one was making clothing out of some of the beautiful prints available. She reported that when she had been in Houston the year before, she had worn clothing made from Hawaiian fabrics and had received many comments. So many of the fabrics would look great in clothes, but I guess that sewing clothing can be intimidating. Nice gift shop in the 'hay mow' of the barn. Check it out.

The last shop of the day was in Hinkley, at the Quilted Lighthouse. I arrived as a little boy was changing the sign from open to closed. I was still able to visit this airy and open shop. (thanks!) Lots of nice samples, including the quilt made with the Quilt Minnesota fabrics. It has been great fun to see all of the ideas for using the shop hop fabrics. Go to the shop hop web site www.quiltminnesota.com to see the fabric and a list of all of the shops. Unfortunately, I was already hearing at some of the shops that they were running out of fabric.