Is anyone from Chapel Hill, nc? I'll be visiting there during Christmas and would love info on any quilt shops. Raleigh and Durham are also possible. :?:

I live in Chapel Hill. Thimble Pleasures is the local quilt shop - moved from Carrboro to Chapel Hill. I am there frequently...

Dragonfly is opening in High Point this weekend, but that is a haul.

I've been to Quilts Like Crazy in Wake Forest, very friendly.

I've heard good things about Wish Upon a Quilt and Bernina World of Sewing, both in Raleigh, but have not been to either.

Cheers, K

Thanks, K. DH and I will be in CH for the first time and will be staying at the Carolina Inn for the 24th and 25th, and then moving on to the marriott Fairfield until the 31st. Are either of these places close to the shops? Are the shops right in town? If you lived in town, would you be able to walk or take a bike to the shops in either CH, Raleigh or Durham?

Do you enjoy living in CH? I live on Cape Cod now, but the winters are not user friendly for me (arthritis and a bad back) so we're looking into retiring farther south. Checking out CH as a possibility.

In general CH, Raleigh, and Durham aren't too pedestrian friendly. I don't know what distance you were planning on traveling by bike or foot, but I am thinking that probably won't be a good plan. I went to college in Raleigh, but that was before I was a quilter so I don't know where the quilt shops are. I have been to a couple in Cary though (just out side of Raleigh).

We've been here for 18 years and are quite happy. The Carolina Inn is gorgeous and they do a great job decorating for Christmas. I'm trying to remember where the Fairfield is located. You do need a car to get around. We have a free bus system, but it is very limited during the University breaks and won't run on the 25th at all.

The area suffers from sprawl, not like Los Angeles or Atlanta, but definitely not compact. Thus the need for the car.

Chapel Hill is pretty bike friendly, and there is an active cycling group - the TarWheels.

On average the climate is pretty mild in the winter, but we definitely get freezes, just not long lasting ones. Some years we get real snow. Summers can be beastly hot like this year, or moderately hot like last year.

We are 2-3 hours from the beaches and 2-3 hours from the mountains, so a great location.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Cheers, K

I missed the question about a possible place to live. I LOVE it in NC! Like I mentioned before, I went to school in Raleigh, but now live about 2 hours west in the country. I love the proximity to both beach and mountains. As CorgiNole mentioned, things are a bit spread out so a car is a must. I met a lady who moved to Greensboro from NY and had to get her drivers license at 26 years old b/c it was so difficult to get around without a car. She tried walking and the bus system (which in our area is just getting started) and neither worked well for her.

What about moving to Charlotte?

I'll have to look up where it is.
I've spent several months in Hilton Head a few years ago, but it's really changed from what it was and so it's not as attractive. Beuford (spelling?) right over the bridge from HH sounds like a nice area but I think a car is definitely a necessity for that area. I'm trying to get to a place that I only have to use the car occasionally. Tired of needing a car to get away from my own backyard. Besides, quilt shops in the immediate area (the bigger the shop, the better) are a deal breaker for me.

CorgiNole, doesThimble Pleasures have UNC fabric? I am wanting a few yards for a project and will send my mother after it if they do.

I can't remember. JoAnn Fabrics carries it in Durham, which is where I got it for one of my projects. They do have a section on their website for Carolina Blue - with a lot of coordinating blues.

Cheers, K