Cottonwood

One last shop stop on our trip to Blacksburg was on the way home at Cottonwood in Charlottesville, VA.  This was a last minute addition when we decided to change our route home and found out that this shop was open on Sunday.

Their row and license plate were front and center.  A large version of their license plate hung on the door.

The row was hanging above the check out counter opposite the entrance.  Both the license and row are a nod to the campus of the University of Virginia, home of the Wahoos ('Hoos for short).  The mini quilts on the row are done in UVA's orange and blue.  A clever link between the owls "home sweet home" and UVA.  As the parent of a UVA grad, a must-have row!

There is a wide selection of fabrics, from traditional to contemporary, batik to blenders and 30's fabrics.  They also carry wool for penny rug type projects, and sell Bernina sewing machines.

Something for everyone.

The shop's winning row quilt was on display.

Sue's purchases included the row kit and license plate and some batik fat quarters for use in a current project.

We were happy to find this shop open on a Sunday afternoon!

Sew Biz

Sew Biz, in Radford, VA is an interesting shop.  Housed in an 1890 building that used to be a hotel, the architecture is truly unique for a quilt shop. 

And on top of that there is so much to see in this shop it is truly overwhelming.  Everywhere you turn there is another nook or cranny filled with fabric, notions or yarn. The quilt below hangs in the entry area from the mezzanine level.

Brick archways that connect the rooms echo the arched shape of the windows.

This picture is  taken from the stairway to the mezzanine level looking down at the windows.  Fabric bolts even line the stairway landing.

On the upper level, there are more archways and tons of fabric!  There is so much to see - did I mention that it's overwhelming?  Maybe I was just too tired that day, but there really was a lot! 

Downstairs in the back of the building is a spacious classroom.

The short hallway to it is lined with fabric and yarn.

Their "Home Sweet Home" row features bird houses. I forgot to take a picture of the row but you can see a bit of it in the kit pictured below.

As their license plate says, keeping up with everything in this shop must keep them So Sew Bizzy!

New River Fiber Company

The New River Fiber Company in Christiansburg, VA is exactly what the name implies - FIBER, and lots of it! 

The entrance area served as a display space for yarn, quilts and seasonal projects.

The shop was half fabric and half yarn, with a modern vibe to the fabric selection.  For some reason I neglected to take pictures of the yarn section of the shop and the many projects on display.

Their row, kits and license plates were on display.

Sue's purchases included these yummy yarns for an infinity scarf but she forgot to take a picture of the finished scarf on display.  Darn.

This handsome quilt hung behind the check out counter.  New River Fiber is worth the visit.  And the proprietor will wind your yarn skeins into a more user friendly yarn ball for you!

The Stitchin' Post

About 10 miles from The Quiltery is The Stitchin' Post in downtown Lexington, VA, a town that is also home to both the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Washington and Lee University.

Outside the front window was a charming yarn-bombed bicycle.  As we learned from the owner, this was a left over from last year when they yarn bombed many of the businesses in town - it appears to have held up well.

The window declares this to be the place where fiber artists come to play.

Upon entering, we found that it was primarily a yarn shop, though they participated in Row By Row and had some fat quarters for sale.  As the owner told us, they are so close to The Quiltery that she just sends her quilting customers there for fabric.  But she does teach quilting classes, and has plenty of scraps available for anyone who wants to use them.

The row and license plates were on display.  Kathy was lucky enough to get the last row kit.

They had 2 license plates to choose from, or buy both!

The winning row quilt for the shop was on display.

Though there was not much in the way of fabric here (do we really need more?), the owner was delightful and we liked the row design.  Many quilters are also knitters, as both of us are, so would enjoy this shop as well.

The Quiltery

On her way to Blacksburg last weekend for a VCQ meeting, Sue and her friend Kathy stopped at 3 shops for Row By Row.  The first of these was The Quiltery in Fairfield, VA.  What a nice shop!

Just off I81 in the Shenandoah Valley, the shop is housed in a building that was originally an 1820 log cabin with an 1840 addition that was formerly the Fairfield General Store.  It makes for a great setting for a quilt shop, as you'll see in the photos.

It has a several rooms, with the room inside the entrance being the largest.

Their sample row was on display in this room - "Home is not a place, it's a feeling."

Antiques are part of the furnishings and several of the floors are painted with geometric designs.

Instead of the typical bolts of fabric, their stock is wrapped onto mini bolts. 

Look at this compass and on-point checkerboard.  So much to see in this shop!

The notions room was well stocked.

An enclosed porch was converted to classroom space.  Who wouldn't want to sew with this outdoor view?

Another painted floor.  Fabrics were organized and beautifully displayed. 

Sue purchased this gorgeous digital print fabric, along with the row kit and license plate.  We loved this shop and would be happy to go back for another visit!

Lizzy Stitch

Another trip to the airport for Elizabeth to drop her sister off meant another chance to squeeze in a visit to a quilt shop.  This time she tried out “Lizzy Stitch” in Concord, New Hampshire. 

Two summers ago we had visited there when their very popular row was flip flops.  This year, the row is two chipmunks in their underground burrow.  It includes some hand stitching on the applique parts. 

While there Elizabeth also bought a kit for last year’s row which was Geese, Ducks, and a Frog. 

The license plate has the humorous statement “SEAM RIPPER BFF”.  Sometimes we can all relate to that!

Lizzie Stitch is conveniently located off the Interstate and offers a class every Wednesday evening, even in the summer months when most stores in NH stop offering classes.

The Quilt Patch in Bedford, NH

Elizabeth’s family had a wedding this past Saturday in New Hampshire.  Sadly, Sue’s husband wasn’t well enough from his accident for the two of them to travel up and they were genuinely missed.  Since Elizabeth has been busy with all the preparations ever since she arrived in June, she hasn’t set up the garage studio or even plugged in a sewing machine.  That is quite different from our normal summer routine, especially with Sue not able to be here and with Barbara now gone.  Perhaps, the wedding was a good diversion from what had become a relaxing and creative routine and now next summer we can move on to a new schedule of creativity?

Shopping has even been put on the back burner, but yesterday when Elizabeth took her husband to the airport she snuck in a quick trip to a quilt shop not too far away.

The Quilt Patch in Bedford New Hampshire is a small store with a lot of inventory.  The clerk was quick to welcome Elizabeth as she walked in and was happy to point out the row hanging on the wall behind the cash register as well as provide the pattern.

As usual, Elizabeth found a few new items to buy.  Who can go to the quilt store without buying something?

Bedford turned out to be one of those small New England towns with the traditional white buildings, such as the imposing large town hall and a quaint library.  If you are ever in southern New Hampshire stop by The Quilt Patch in Bedford.

Z Fabrics in Portland, Maine

Elizabeth had to go to Portland, Maine recently and decided to stop at Z fabrics to check out the store and pick up the pattern for their row, seen below. 

Z Fabrics is in downtown Portland, a city that was bigger than she expected but an easy drive in and out. 

Since it is a downtown city center, shopping there requires parking in a garage and the store, while well marked from the side street (Preble St) is not easy to find.  The street address (477 Congress St) took us to the public library where across the street was the biggest statue I have seen outside of Europe, easily 4-5 stories high.  Fortunately the resource librarian was able to direct us on how to get to the store.  It was not far. 

The shop is small but full of unique fabrics from vendors we do not see at a typical quilt store. Elizabeth bought two fat quarters that appealed to her and a half-yard which she thought might be a compliment to the row from the shop in Tilton, NH (the turtles). 

If you enjoy beading, a bead store is next door and we had great lunch sandwiches at a funky little café called Dutch’s down the street. 

Dutch’s was definitely the highlight of the trip, not only were the sandwiches very good, the wall décor was decisively Maine.

Even the wall paper in the bathroom brought a smile as it seemed a throwback to the time when Elizabeth was a child.

 If you are ever in Portland, Maine, this shop may be worth a stop.