i love these! i am not in an area that has one right now, and i miss it. sometimes, the shops on the route are so crowded that i don't get to do much shopping, but the excitement is worth it! even if i can't buy anything, it gives me an idea about what the shops carry. for example, one shop specialized in civil war reproductions and another in 30's reproductions. from what i have seen, the shops get together and choose a color combination or a pattern, and each shop makes their own quilt using those quidelines. it is fun to see who comes up with what, and which shops didn't get theirs done! i have also gone on hops where shops give away little quilting items, like a small pair of scissors or a tape measure or a pen and tablet.