First, we are in the middle of the first Northern Illinois Quilt Fest which involves activities in almost every town across northern Illinois with barn quilts, shows, QOV, a three month shop hop, quilt appraisals,etc. Hundreds, maybe thousands of women are participating. One the Fons will be speaking at an event next weekend.

Now remember you have 3 months to do a 22 store shop hop plus all the other activities so it's not like you are rushed to make it to the next store before they close.

My little town is doing something but I think it could be made alot better...none of the people on the committee this year were quilters.

I suggested an idea to the committee chair for next year and before I get too deep into it I wanted to pass it by you guys. It would be like solving a puzzle.

We have no quilt shops in our town but they have to pass through our town to do the shop hop no matter which direction they are coming from. My proposal is that we set up five quilt gardens with coordinating wooden quilts in parks and businesses along the main highways--no GPS needed. I dont want the quilters to be driving all over town. I want to make it so the quilt gardens are essentially along their shop hop path. From one end of the town to another is only probably three miles so it would be pretty compact.

At each one we have a sign explaining the game and where you can redeem your prize.

We do a word scramble puzzle. At each quilt garden we have the name of the quilt square and we circle letters. Visit all the gardens and put all the circled letters together to form a "quilty" catch phrase.

Then when you say the catch phrase at ANY or ALL of the local participating restaurants, gas stations, ice cream places, etc, you get a discount or freebie. For example, buy a donut get a free coffee, 50 cents off of an ice cream cone. You could get little discounts at five local businesses and not spend more than an hour in town.

I figure it would be small but a little fun and the businesses could make a couple bucks while the quilters could get some freebies. It is about 20-30 minutes to the next set of shops on the hop in any direction.

Would you stop by and do this if you saw it in a brochure or were driving through a town and saw big banners for it? You wont break my heart if you say no, I would rather know now than after I have proposed it to the Chamber.

Thanks

Cindy

sounds like it would be fun...
We have painted Buffalo and went on a "buffalo hunt" all over OKC... a lot of fun

what a great idea.

Sounds like fun. The shop hop we have we hit 11 shops in a day and would not stop for something like that, most likely because we have some much ground to cover in a limited time. But since you have plenty of time for the hop, it would be fun to stop and look at the displays.

Good idea....
Here's a couple of Q'
1. Are you thinking of barn size, blocks? maybe with the instructions on how to put together that block at the stop.
2. Would they be good with keeping it up for the 3 months or maybe just on weekends.
3. Willing to work with the shop hop ad's to promote this and help explain whats going on? or a few of the shops near your town to help pass out flyers?
Think it's a Great Idea and a good way to promote local merchants. Good Luck!!

sounds like fun

why don't you put on a quit show and have vendors come to your town

I like that idea, but I know I'll never get there, so my opinion may not count for much.

great idea. my quilt group always has what we call an opportunity. the group makes usually a queen size quilt and sells tickets all year at various town functions. the money from the ticket sales goes to charity. in your case i'd have a different quilt in each town and use the proceeds for possibly that towns food bank. if people bring a can of food and buy 5 tickets they could get a second ticket free. have the drawing at some public function to bring attention to your group.

i don't think i would spend an hour to get a 50cent discount. i would probably spend that hour to see actual quilts or actual gardens though.

I'm always up for something fun.

No, I wouldn't stop for something like that if I were only 20 from a LQS in any direction. That means only 40 minute drive between stores. Does your town have something that makes it worth the stop? A really great place to eat that could have a featured quilt display? An ice cream store with a quilt display? I would stop for something like that but not to play a guessing game and spend time in a town that was essentially only a delay on my shop hop.

I like it, good luck.

Sounds very doable. We love stopping in small towns for any reason. You meet the nicest people! Can you place an ad in the event flyer/website or in newspapers in the area. Sounds like it could be good photo opps even for regular travelers. Good luck! My gosh our Quilt Across Texas includes 90 shops and it is only the Month of September.

I think your idea is marvelous and I would participate.

Thanks for the ideas. We have an ongoing antique quilt exhibit at the county historical museum which is about 10 minutes away. They are doing a big quilt raffle. Probably raise 10K.

Yes the barn quilts would stay up for three months. There are about 10 or 15 of them on barns out in the country along the shop hop drive on private property. The instructions for the quilt block would be a great idea,

This year they put small wooden quilts in the windows of the downtown businesses which are in a cluster around an intersection of two busy highways. Problem is you cant park there and get out to get see them with so many semi's driving through so people look and drive by. The committee thought that quilters go around the block to the community parking, would park, get out, dodge the traffic and then walk up and down the four blocks in 95 degree heat. I told them that was not going to happen but it was already in motion before they asked me.

My object was to get them to stop in an easy parking area like my office which is directly on the highway, isnt open on the weekends and has 22 parking spots. There are several spots like that along the highway, like the bowling alley or the Road Ranger.

Who picks up the discount or 50cents?
Can the quilter go to several stores and get discounts at each one?
Maybe a one use only ticket.

Stores running on a tight profit margin may not be able to afford the loss of revenue. They'd have to mark-up high enough to allow for it and that might alienate the local people.

It does sound like a lot of fun, but if I am honest I would probably keep driving to a quilt shop.

sounds like a good idea to me.. heck if I was driving thru a town and saw this I would stop... lol.. Go Figure..