Lived in Alaska for 54 years before moving to Florida in 2007- Your picking the coldest time of the year for a visit. Northern lights can be a hit or miss, nights have to be clear and then they are usually very cold. As for quilt shops, Anchorage has a few (look in yellow pages) Kenai has the "Kenai Sewing Center" which was packed to the gills last time I was there. They have just too much to drool over. Small store in Seward (where I had lived) there was one in Palmer & Wasilla, Eagle River, but who knows what has changed since I lived there. Enjoy your visit & welcome to the board.