Hi,
Some of us from Michigan have connected and had the opportunity to get together, do some shop hopping, have lunch and get to know each other. I thought I'd start this as a topic so more of us could touch base with each other, maybe plan more get togethers, and share info about some of our LQS.

We're hoping to get together again this month. Not sure when or where we're going to meet - I think somewhere between Taylor and Livonia.

Is anyone interested in this as a topic? I wasn't sure if this should go under chit-chat.

I am in! :) It was great meeting you,sunkistmi and Dee Dee!

I would love to meet but driving alone that far is out of the question for me LOL, I am way up in NE Michigan and thats about a 3/4 hour trip....let us know who showed up

I think it was DeeDee that suggested the 13th. Is that a good date for everyone interested in meeting? I'll be coming to your area - so do you have a suggestion for a place to meet? Shopping and eating - can't wait.

I don't have all the information, I will get it if anyone wants it, but a museum on main street in Belleville is having a quilt show the month of March. It runs Tuesday through Saturdays from 12-4:00 pm. Admission is $2. Sponsored by Threads and Treasures

These are some of the discussion/demo topics:
March 5-6 Orphan Blocks
March 18 at the Library - Progression of quilting
20 & 26-Hardinger emb. demo
27 - Underground RR

Hope you're all having a good day - I've got sunshine here so I'm getting outside -gotta rev up my internal solar cells.

Will do.

I'll be up in Wolverine, just south of Indian River probably in May or June. Will I be anywhere near you? Maybe we can get together. And maybe someone from up in your area will get in on this topic and you can meet and have a little shop hop/lunch. I hope this topic spreads state wide and we can all make new friends.

Have you been to the quilt house in Indian River? The owner is a little bundle of energy and always so enthusiastic about my projects and so helpful if I get stuck. Just wish I didn't live 5 hours from there.

Kay is a great lady to deal with (if you don't know her). Her shop is behind her house and small but she has a LOT of fabric. I was just there last week. If anyone is interested in the quilt show and visiting Threads and Treasures, there's also a great Mexican Restaurant in the area just off I-94 and Belleville Rd. I'll keep 3/13 open to see where we end up. There's also a nice shop in Dearborn on Michigan Ave near Wayne Road.....another Michigan Ave, off Outer Drive in Dearborn. We're lucky in this area to have a nice variety of shops. There's also 2 in Wyandotte.

Some of us from Up North should plan a get together too. I live in the N/E.

I live in Ann Arbor but go up to Wolverine starting in May to visit with my sister who summers up there. It's so beautiful up there. I usually spend about a week at a time. Would love to get together sometime. LindaR lives up there somewhere, too.

Would love to join you gals, but I'm in the Saginaw Bay area, and just can't justify that kind of a drive right now (too many ongoing projects to get out for a day of "potential stash adding"! LOL

Actually, I have met UpNorth, and I know there are a few here from the Saginaw/Midland/Mount Pleasant areas, too. Whaddya say, folks, should we plan a get-together near us, too?

Odessa

yes I would love to meet some of you if possible. I currently am in west michigan. I am actually going on a shop hop this next weekend, Mar13-20th. It includes shops around here in Grand Rapids, south haven, Kalamazoo, etc.

Definitely, and then as quilters meet in different areas of the state convenient to where they live, we can all share here about the fun we had, where we went, who we met, etc.

Odessa, I think you should definitely go ahead with your idea of getting a group together. It is fun.

we could meet in Alpena???? they have JoAnn's and a LQS downtown that I know about....should do before summer gets too busy

As far as I know the LQS downtown Alpena closed about a year ago. All they have is Joann's there is a LQS near Hillman Maybe the Ice house in Grayling? I met Odessa in Mio at a little shop I worked in Alpena for years and their LQS were short lived. Walmart still has a fabric department but downsized.

I have been in the one in Mio, nice shop....

I'd love to go but March is no good for me. Most of my Saturdays this month are involved with playing mom's taxi for the boys. Be sure to post pics.

Okay, Saginaw Bay area quilters, since this IS National Quilting Month, and the 20th is National Quilt day, shall we plan something? If so, suggest your favorite shop and we'll pick one or two to meet at. I don't want to run all over the place (lots of projects, you know), but 2 shops for me would be do-able. If we select 4 shops, and everyone makes an attempt to do at least 2, that would be awesome!

Any takers? I'll suggest Fabric Fair in Downtown Bay City as a place to work from. Anyone else???

Odessa

I am in Mtorris but I would love to go to the fabric fair on the 20th. Things should be quieted down here by then and I will be able to see to drive. If not will have cousin bring me. She goes there a lot but I haven't been yet.

If people let me know ahead of time I can go almost anywhere in the state to meet. Would love to meet everyone of you.

To far away for me I live in Ludington :?

:-) Ok ladies how about Lapeer or oakland county

I live in Midland and we also have a house in Cheboygan. I think that it would be super fun to get together. i love fabric Fair and have also been to the shop in MIo as my Mom lives up there. Haven't been to the shop in Cheboygan yet, but it's in the near future!

I'm in SW Michigan but can't plan any day trips right now. I did forget about the shop hop in Kalamzoo coming up. Have to think about that.

Is there anyone here who is from the UP? Sault St.Marie has a tremendous quilt shop called "Gloria's Happy Hooker" that I went to last October...wonderful shop, small, but with plenty of selection, and the staff was terrific! Next time I head up to the Mackinaw City area, I plan to make a stop at the Soo, too.

Also, the Ice House in Grayling is wonderful, and the little shop in Mio (don't recall the name right now) which has a HUGE selection for such a small space. So we want to see you all get together, too!

Saginaw Bay area: how about Fabric Fair at 11:00? I'll be there (unless that's a state solo & ensemble competition for DD - vocal, instrumental, it doesn't matter; she does it all!), and then we can spend a little time, a little money, and move on. Where shall we go next???

Odessa

I live in Romeo I would be willing to meet in Lapeer.There is another shop in Davison and Marlette too.

Hello fellow Michiganders! So many of the towns and quilt shops are familiar to me as I have lived in the Grand Rapids area, the Flint area and now in the U.P. and travel through Grayling frequently as well as visiting the Soo. There's anothr little shop in the Soo called "the Quilted Moose" which is nice. She has great prices I think. I live in Newberry, about an hour west of the Soo. There's a great quilt shop in Curtis, about a half hour from me, an hour from the bridge run by a great lady named Linda and she is so warm and friendly. I go there with a friend to work on a charity quilt and she always has cake, cinnamon rolls, or lunch to offer us. And her prices are wonderful. She says she doesn't want to get rich, just make enough to support her habit, so she doesn't charge normal retail prices. I do make it down state every other month or so, so meeting up with other quilters is not out of the question, just depends on when and what's going on at the time.

For those who live close to Lapeer, there's a wonderful quilt shop in Port Huron called "Sew Elegant". It's my favorite quilt shop because it's large, packed FULL of fabric and so many of her fabrics are marked down 50%!! If you're shop hopping, be sure to include it!

Wow I could be traveling all the time. ope my money holds out. lol

I am in. I am not sure of a good place to meet tho. Open to any suggestions anyone may have. The museum sounds like fun, shop hopping and eating too. Are there any LQS near the museum?

The 13th works for me. Does the 13th work for everyone else?

I am looking forward to meeting more local quilters also. I met Kim last month, and had a great time!

I have recently went to both of the LQS in Wyandotte and the one on Michigan Ave in Wayne. All nice shops! Are there any shops anyone has wanted to go to that they have not yet made it to or would like to revisit?

DeeDee

wow didnt know that but thanks and I will be going there

Drat - I wish you all were meeting a bit closer to me!

Anyone more in the SW area want to get together?
:) :)

I am west, thats a bit closer and there is a shop hop that includes kalamazoo and schoolcraft next weekend if that is closer to you

Star, I am in Otsego, about 20 minutes from Kalamazoo! :)
Where are you located?
What shops are doing the Hop in Kalamazoo?

There is a shop in Saginaw called Quilted Cottage. It is a really neat shop . it's on the corner of Gratiot and Center. Also there is a shop in Hemlock called Miles of Stitches( i think). There's Material Mart here in Midland too.

Pamela,
My friend has a cottage in Newberry and we have visited the quilt store in Paradise. Have you been there it is very nice.

Also,Pamela, Mary Maxims in Port Huron has some nice material. It's not real big but they also have scrapbooking things too, so you can support both habits at one visit!!!

sorry it took me a while to get back :( the shop in Kalamazoo is Quilts Plus Inc., 3314 Stadium Dr 49008. so are you also close to schoolcraft,mi? that one is called Big Island Quilt Co, 13210 N US131 49087. oh yeah I am in Holland

I'm in Lansing area. Anyone going to the quilt show at The Summit in May?
Linda

Linda, do you belong to the American Sewing Guild? The Lansing chapter is called the Lansing Clippers. They are a fun group.

No I don't belong to any group at this time. I have thought of joining the Lansing Area Patchers, as they are the closest I had found and I'm not real big on driving long distances.
Linda

The Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids/Schoolcraft shop hop is March 13 - 20.
Big Island, Schoolcraft
So South Haven, SH
Quilts Plus, Kazoo
Lakeshore Sewing & Smith Owen - GR

A couple more stores too. There is also a shop hop for just 3 days in late April . Here's a list of those shops participating. 3 shops in Kalamazoo then
http://www.berninakalamazoo.com/news.php

I don't usually participate, but I'm game right now! Need a mental pick-me-up. LOL

Our guild is having a National quilting day show. It will be in Mt. Pleasant at the Commission On Aging building on Lincoln road. From 1-4 on the 20th of March. We are having many demos; a bed turning and lots of other things as well. We have a NICE quilt shop on Mission road next to Jons; and the auto zone. So I would not be able to join in a day of travel. We also have Elm Creek in Farwell, Patty anns is Clare and A WONDERFUL amish quilt shop near Jays on Surrey road. No credit cards at the amish shop but she takes checks. It ould be fun to meed with some of you. Kathi

is anyone from the saginaw-bay-midland-mt.pleasant area going to fabric fair tomorrow? i'm not positive yet if i am- things are a little crazy around here this week. i don't want to go over there if no one else is.