Well, you can always grab something from your Stash to fondle while you do the hop on-line. I hadn't thought of that I may have to try it while I do the online shop-hop because my dial-up is so slow. I like to do some while at my church doing the bulletin because the computer there is much faster, which is more fun.

I love doing a shop hop. The one that covers Southern Indiana includes about 9 shops. You buy a passport for $5 and then have one full week to visit all 9 shops. The shops meet and select a specific line of fabric for that particular year. Each shop designed a block made from the fabric selection. Then, each shop designs a quilt of their own using the nine blocks.
For the shopper, each shop sells one block to the quilt for $5. After visiting all nine shops, you have the original nine blocks of fabric + pattern for that block in a zip loc bag. You can decide which shop's pattern for a quilt you like the best and make it. Usually the quilt pattern is another $5.
Each shop had a goody bag for us with contained coupons for a future visit and a % off; like 20% for your next visit. The shop hop visit also had a discount you could use on any one item on the day of your hop visit. They each had bottled waters and some kind of snack for us. It took us 2 full days to visit them all and we spent the night in a motel. It was so much fun!

Did you do the Christmas Hop, I didn't get to do it this year I just finished the charming one, and I didn't have the time for the Christmas one

Our area just had one, from me the shops were 2 hours in 1 direction, 2 hours in another direction and 1 hour in another...I didnt participate, with all the $ for gas just to get to each I could have bought enough fabric to last me a very long time...I may consider anotehr time if gas $ ever get back down.

I am "doing" a shop hop currently going on in western Wisconsin. Yesterday I drove 260 miles to go to 4 of the 9 shops. Friday I went to 3. Wednesday I will go to the final 2 shops. At each shop you get fabric and a pattern for a quilt block. This year's quilt is one of the ugliest quilts I have ever seen. One of the shops made a few changes to make it into a table runner. I will be making the table runner. I still haven't finished the one from last year.
This shop hop sounds like it is following all the rules from the original one. I wouldn't mind a sale at each shop! LOL

We travel as a group of 6 and are able to visit all the shops in one day (start very early). We too, at the first shop buy a passport $5. The shops have designed one quilt and have it made and hanging for display - what they call the shop hop quilt (always very beautiful and one of those you can't pass up). At each shop you have the option to purchase the fabric with the pattern for a portion of the shop hop quilt - they have them precut and bagged and show you the portion their kit makes - the kits are usually $10 to $12. They always have gift bags with coupons, treats, etc. - refreshments - a large basket with a lot of sewing notions, gift card, etc. that everyone can register for a final drawing on the last day of the shop hop. You get your passport stamped and at the last shop you are given a copy of the completed quilt and how to set it up. That also gives you the opportunity as a group to work on the same project and you all have a finished project that each enjoy. We have a wonderful time and look forward to the shop hop each year. Ours comes up the middle of October and we have a three day sewing retreat the last weekend in October. Works perfect. There is usually 7 to 8 shops.

Well I've only done two of them and they consist of only 4 shops. This year one was in Va Beach, one in Chesapeake, one in Newport News and the other in Williamsburg. At the first store you sign up and are given a sheet to take to each shop to get it stamped; this year at each shop they were each giving out a different trinket; a silver thimble, silver spool of thread, a pr of scissors and I can't remember the 4th one. At each shop you also get a pattern for a quilt square that will make up the lap/wall hanging size of quilt for that yr. Then you go to each store and get your stamp/trinket and pattern. At the end you get the instructions for the completed quilt; this yr was a wall hanging with a Q in the center and you attach the trinkets to it. Some of the stores offer special deals; like if you brought your canvas bag that you got last year you could get a free FQ of selected fabric. At the last store you turn in your fully stamped sheet and it goes into a drawing and each store gives out a goodie bag. I won this year; mine had a pattern, some FQ; thread a quilters travel mug and a few other things. Most of the shops I go to alot but the one only once a yr; it's an hour away. One store did a trunk show this year. I want to do the one in WV one yr; they have a lot of shops. I got part of the pattern one yr and a lot of the fabric that was specially designed for WV; one day will be quilts for my oldest kids who partly grew up in WV and visit it often. I'm sure others do it differently and like I said; I've only done it twice.

NO, at the last shop that you visit and after you have all of your stamps (4 in my case) you turn in your stamped sheet and then you are entered into the drawing. I thought that traveling an hour was long for me but then I see the one here where it's over a few hours and hundreds of miles; wow, that's a vacation.