Just got news that there is a new quilt shop in Anchorage, which in itself is exciting but the real interesting feature of the store is that they are going to do a stash exchange, which I've never heard of as a regular store feature. Does your LQS have this service?

http://alaskaquiltzone.com/frontpage

The owner, Diana, also has included her perspective on the issue of "wash or not wash" and combining both in one project.

I've never heard of a shop doing this. I wonder if it will be a popular service or a nightmare to manage?

interesting.

They have some great ideas. Wish I lived there. Anchorage is beautifal. Now I know where to go when I come visit my aunt. :thumbup:

I think the stash exchange sounds very interesting! I wish the stores around here did that!

What a great way to thin out your stash of fabrics that no longer catch your eye!
I hope that other shops are taking note of this :D:D:D

Just curious, is that the only quilt shop in Anchorage? My hubby is applying for a job in Valdez, and I was amazed to see that in a town with a population of only 4k, there is a quilt shop... and a guild!

Valdez also has a biennial quilt show that is very well attended - nationally known teachers, three or four days of classes,etc. I haven't gone yet, but hope to do so in the next couple of times they do it. Good luck to your husband on his job. Valdez is one of the most beautiful cities in alaska.

and no, there are many quilt shops in alaska. Our shop hop is state -wide and since most folks cannot travel to all the locations, a lot of get our blocks by mail from the different locations. In Anchorage alone, a town of about 260,000, there are now four quilt shops, including the one that just opened...and all are good. Twenty minutes away is another, three more within 45 minutes drive from Anchorage....and those are just to the north. The Valdez shop is not counted here since it's much farther away. Going south, if you want to do a shop hop over a weekend, you can get to five more...and a sixth one just closed down her small shop but kept her retreat center. Quilting is definitely an active business in alaska!

Not sure where your Aunt lives, but if you make it to anchorage while I'm in town, I'll give you a tour of the shops

Thank you for that information! I would be in hog heaven if we could move to Alaska, I did read about the quilt show in Valdez and it made me want to go even more!

We have something similar at my LQS, they call it the Yard Sale. People bring in their excess fabric, measured and marked with the price. The seller gets store credit not cash when the fabric is sold. I have bought some very nice pieces for pennies on the dollar.

That will work for me. Have you been to the Alaska Fur Exchange?. I'm not sure of the address. She use to work there until recently. She had a stroke so won't be working anymore. I have an exchange student here until June so I'm hoping to go up sometime after that. Would love a quilt shop tour. :thumbup: Oh my aunt lives on Sentry Dr.

What a great idea!! I haven't heard of it where I live. Have fun!! :D

Been to the Fur Exchange frequently - always take visitors, so probably have seen your aunt in there over time. and I'm familiar with where her street is. In my opinion, best time to visit Anchorage is late summer or early Fall (September) - you get all the beautiful flowers but no snow yet. Tourist season officially ends mid Sept so fewer crowds at that time as well. Hope to meet you when you come.

Great. Yeah thats usually when I come up is September. The hills are beautifal and the tourist season is mostly over. Lines are much shorter. Maybe you know my aunt Vonna. She is the one that made all the dolls in the shop out of fur. She is very talented. I got one of her last dolls that she made. I'll post of a picture of it later. Can;t wait to come see all the shops. Before when I was up there I didn't sew. Saved alot of money that way :D

All this talk about Anchorage has made me long to come back. It has been years. I used to work at Three Sisters Fabrics - not a LQS... Quilting was not the rage at the time. DH and I enjoyed the fishing when we had time off.

Times have changed...Three Sisters was bought out by Seams Like Home which IS a quilt shop and they now are in the University mall...combining quilt and quality sewing fabric into a single store...a real treat to go into...and I do...a LOT! (Note - it was not a hostile takeover, the 3 Sis's owners decided to retire so they sold the business.)

Because of all this interest in Anchorage and quilting, maybe we ought to plan a real Quilter's retreat for folks that want to come in from other states....get in your quilting fix while seeing the most beautiful country in this country (IMHO!)...Hmmmm! have to talk to the shop owners about this idea when I get home.

Glad to hear the take-over was not hostile...

If you plan a retreat, I hope you post it on the board. I'd like to know about it.

Another time to visit might be just before the regular tourist season... We came in May one year, and saw the last of the snow on the mountains. Before we left, it was gone, and we had had a lot of fun outside.

Hi ktbb, here are pictures of my aunts doll she made me last year. You may recognize it from the shop. Maybe not this one but several others made like this. This is made of: fox, wolverine, otter, beaver, coyote, and a few others. She also did the taxadermy moose thats in the museum in Anchorage.
She was very talented. She signed stuff in the name of Von.
Now that she has had a stroke she is no longer able to make these beautifal items :( . I can't wait to come see her and if you do get a retreat together let me know. Would love to come for it. ;-) Oh this doll is called Mountain Man Trapper

Von did amazing work! I have an old man doll that was made by a woman who used to live near Talkeetna.

ktbb would love to see a picture of it.

unfortunately it's at home and I'm in Illinois for another couple of months...maybe when I get home.

Okay. Well you have fun. Happy sew'n :thumbup: