Hi!
do you really know how lucky you are. Well may be I am the one who is lucky as I would probably buy more fabric that I will ever be able or willing to quilt... loll

We went on a 5 week vacation in the USA in April and while looking at some info from a visitor center in Tennessee we found out that there was the "Appalachian quilt Trail"
My husband suggested that we did one trail towards our destination that night. I had heard that some people painted some quilt blocks on their barn or garage. What a nice day it was. We stopped at Holloways Country Home and then, I thought I had earned the lottery or rather, I wish I had won the lottery.... I had never seen so much nice quilting fabrics on so many shelves..... in one single store
I felt like a child in a Chrismas Shop.

Many days later, we happened to drive by a LQS from the author of the book with which I am starting to learn to quilt: Harriet Hargrave
Well, I just could not beleive all the nice fabrics I saw there too.

We looked in the directory book for quilting stores and to no surprise to me, there are not any in my area and not too many in this part of my country.

My only travel "souvenir" was... fabric
I already had a lot of blue, because I just like blue. I did not have much red or neutral colors and no green because I have a hard time to like green in general

If only for that, what a nice trip we had... lollll...

Congratulations and have fun with your cool fabrics, tell your hubby another road trip for you

You got some BEAUTIFUL fabrics. This gives you a good excuse to come visit the US more often, all the LQS and there are many much closer to you, like in NYS.

What a wonderful discovery for you! And I think quilting fabric souvenirs are just what you needed. Hope you get to come back here sometime soon so you can enjoy some more of our wonderful LQS. We really are blessed with our shopping choices & sometimes we need someone like you to remind us.

Yes, we know how lucky we are. I'm glad you got to share in that luck.

Are you doing the quilter's university by Harriet Hargrave? I've bought volumes 1 and 2 and would hightly recommend them to any beginning quilter. I took a 2-day machine quilting class from her and just loved it (and her).

You did great....love your choices...

This is exactly what we do on vacation. My husband stops at every quilt store we pass and I stop with him at every steam train or museum. Works out well. I have an app on my phone called Point. You type in "quilt store" and it gives you every store in that area.

Sounds like a great trip. Did you see any barn quilts along the way?

No I'm not. My SIL lent me her book 3 or 4 years ago and I read and re-read it more than once and referring to it as needed.
When I mentionned to the store person that I had that book the answer was:
"Oh! it is not available anymore..."
lolll and she told me how this old edition was redone in different books with more and more details.
but I am very satisfied with mine as I am a part time (very part time) quilter but still enjoy it.

what I really appreciated was that the lady took all the time to help me find and choose some coordinated fabrics according to my taste (remember, I am not too inclined to choose greens but I wanted some) she did not choose for me ....
I have to say that my husband was very interested for the first 2 stores we visited and after that, I started to think that a couple of hours in 2 of them was enough.
I'm still working on my first quilt that I started may be 5 years ago and I have enough fabric now for at least another 5 years considering my pace loll...

Sounds like you had a great time!! We are very lucky with the wide selection of fabrics we have around us. :)

Cheers!
Rachel

for not liking greens, you sure picked some nice ones.

Yes we did, we even went on some dirt roads to go and see some
all that information we found in Visitor Centers as we entered each State... just great!

Thank you!
not that I dislike it but I am not inclined towards it. Sometimes I wonder if it's all my mother' fault. she just love greens and she make a lot of my clothes when I was young. I must have worn to much green in my youth.
She could not help it she was a 6th generation irish descendant (and could not speak english.... ) what time does to us sometimes loll

Just love your choices.

Your fabrics are luscious! I have had to learn that I don't have to buy when I go to a LQS. We have five with 6 miles along with JoAnns, Hancocks, and Hobby Lobby. Although I have to say I ordered some fabric online and even with all those shops I had a difficult finding a background fabric to match. It was rather discouraging.

Oooo I love your fabrics :D:D:D
I am so happy that you got to enjoy some of our LQS her in the states. Hope that you get this chance again soon!!

I'm so glad you had a good trip ... especially, glad you made it to my home state of Tennessee. I have several LQSs that I love! Like you it is hard to leave one without some fabric, even if it is just a fat quarter ... I have to have something. Have fun with your fabric!

Thank you all!
I think I understand now what is that disease called "fabric addicted" loll.
Of course I took this occasion to buy what I could afford because I know I won't be going back that soon. Quite a far distance from home...I bought some to give to my SIL who has been a fabric addict for many years and with less choise than I could see in only a few days.

WHat a nice souvenir. I know what you are saying: I just spent 2 weeks in Germany and my sister took me to one of the few craft-stores in the rural area. I KNEW that the fabric would be expensive, but to see it first hand is something else. I didn't buy much.

glad you got to stop at some quilt shops.

I'm so glad you had a fun trip!!!!!!! Your fabrics are beautiful!!!!!!!!! :)

I am so glad you had that experience. We take our fabric stores for granted. I am in a rural area but near enough to a city large enough to have 2 small quilt shops, Hancock's, Joann's, Hobby Lobby and Walmart. I still order a lot online.

If you are in the southern part of Quebec, you are not too far from quilt shops in Vermont. I have not looked for fabric when I have been there (DD lives there) but there are a lot of quilters in Vermont.

Pretty fabrics!

Congrats on the beginning of a lovely stash!
I guess I should tell my DH that Quebec is definitely on as a vacation destination because he won't have to find all the quilt stores.... I haven't been to Quebec in YEARS and years...hope to take him there some day soon!

Yes Barb44
I just looked on google and actually, it would be something like a 4 hour drive from Québec City!

Since I started quilting some 3 or 5 years ago I always found my fabrics in fabric stores with a section for quilting stuff and it has been alright. But to see so many stores with only quilting fabrics wow!
Now I know what to look for loll

loll I guess it would be safe for him. You're welcome to come back. I moved here only 6 years ago and I love it

yes, there have been a few threads lately about the prices of fabrics in different countries, too ~ in Poland, its nearly impossible to get anything other than the basics. No pretty prints. No printed kids character fabrics. The USA has many great shops, as well as chain stores ~ the best fabrics I have found are at the little shops out in the country ~ in Ohio, we call that Amish Country in the middle-ish of our state.

Glad you got some great "souvenirs" ~ enjoy them, and I would say "honey, I need another road trip" ;)

even if you don't like TACO BELL- you can still"HAED FOR THE BORDER!" LOL!!!!!

Wow! You got some really nice stuff!!

Your fabrics are beautiful! When we vacation, my souvenirs are fabric also. And I'm lucky my husband is willing to go out of our way to indulge me. :)

Thank you!
I better get some use of what I have first He would not beleive I need some more so soon! loll but.... we're heading down in the falls so...!!!

I think we sometimes forget how fortunate we are in the USA for things like fabric. I was on a long awaited trip with a friend to Italy about 6 years back and we found some beautiful fabric but very few cottons and those were both made in France and exorbitant in price. That was a shame as I really like going to a new place and visiting the local markets and fabric stores and meeting the people that live there as well as seeing the sights.

Beautiful fabrics! Although there are a few LQS in my area, I buy most of my fabric online. The price difference is significant. In the LQS fabric is sold for $15-18/metre, whereas on line I spend $3-5/yard. I try to buy other things (needles, thread, stencils) at the LQS, but fabric is just out of my price range....

My SIL who lives in St Hubert near Montreal, also buys her fabric online and she is always quilting something and has been for at least the last 20 years.

Claddaughquilting
you probably know the store called Fabricland (Fabricville) That's where I usually buy mine for less than 10$ a yard (most of the time) but they don't have a big selection for what I like. I paid as much as 15$ a yard at times but not often as I don't quilt as much as some of the quilters here on the board

Henri3rietta
That's why I thought I would post about the nice LQS I saw (and passed without stopping) while I was on vacation last April. We very often take things we have for granted but to me it was really out of this world to see so many. Yes the price per yard is somewhat expensive but the selection is so beautiful!

Your fabrics are beautiful. I can imagine all the eye candy you had along your way. Next time you will know to bring along some extra cash-for-fabric.

Sounds like Canada needs a quilt shop in your area.
Sounds like you'd be a great LQS owner.
Dream big, girl, God is bigger.

What a wonderful way to enjoy your vacation! Looks like you found some really cool fabric!

Sounds like a great trip.

Helou-Same mom story even house was painted green. Wouldn't let me wear red.

How nice for you. We also just came back from a 5 week trip, but we took a different direction. We visited mostly the western parts of the US and believe me, we are very fortunate to have so many LQS's in so many parts. I hope you are able to visit us again, there are still lots for you to see. :wink: