had a very nice trip. relatives in virginia are all doing well. had a nice gathering sunday with them.
had fun in Raleigh/Cary (except for the super-highways!). Vicki - sorry i wasn't able to get in touch with you. it got really hectic before we left. We were able to spend an hour or so in Etcetera in Cary. Loved it! Mom got batiks for a throw and i got lots of odds and ends and a pattern. then mom changed her mind about how she wanted to put her throw together halfway through the trip so we called back and had them send some more fabric. they remembered us! prices were really good, too! $8/yd for batiks? wow.
we also went to Michaels and Jo-anns in Cary/Raleigh. wasn't impressed at all with the Jo-anns. i've never seen such disarray (sp?) in a quilting section.
Then in Asheville/Hendersonville we spent about 45 minutes in 'My Quilt Shoppe'. Very nice, but seemed awfully expensive. Most fabrics were $10/yd! I did get some fat quarters to go with my BOM ($2.60 each). The brochure had mentioned Georgia Bonesteel so I assumed it was her shop. Mentioned it while we were there and got snapped at! Yikes! She doesn't 'own' it, but she had a little corner with her stuff in it.
We really liked the Hendersonville/Flat Rock area for relocation in a few years. Have to do some more research and look at a few more places, but it/they are definitely in the running (except for the cost of fabric!).
thanks, ladies for your input! really enjoyed your recommendations, and wish we could have done more! maybe next time!