Shop Hopping

 Shop hops are more fun with friends!  How about a bus load of friends?  I really didn't take many pictures last week on the shop hop, but I did have a really good time.  Full disclosure - some of these photos are "borrowed" from the websites of the shops. 

We left town (Mitchell SD)about 7:00 am, and our first quilt shop stop was The Old Alley in Sherburn Minnesota, right along I-90.  The building is an old bowling alley and the wooden alley floors are still visible inside. They have a wonderful selection of fabrics and patterns.  Since the Minnesota Shop Hop begins at the end of this week, the shop had this year's special fabrics displayed. We could purchase them but have them shipped after the shop hop starts.  I know a few ladies took advantage of having the Minnesota fabrics shipped to them.  

I found a couple of good blender fabrics to use for a new Quick Strippee baby quilt.  I had the elephant print already.  The teal herringbone and the peachy-orange blender will be perfect accents.  And there were some other purchases - one of which will arrive in the mail.  I didn't get too carried away with buying, but it was hard to completely resist some of the new Minnesota fabrics.

Our main destination for the day was New Ulm Minnesota. If you've never been there it's definitely worth a visit, and it's not far from where I grew up so I always feel like I'm in familiar territory.  Plus I've been there quite a few times.  It's a beautiful old town with lots of historical sites and reflects the German immigrants who settled this river valley area in the late 1800s.  Great places to eat, and 3 - that's right - quilt shops.  

Our bus parked downtown, and we had 3 hours to explore both downtown quilt shops, eat lunch at the location of choice, and check out any other shops we might have wanted.  I ate at Lola's Bistro downtown with a few of the ladies. They are known for their chicken pot pie.  Yum!!!

The Thimble Box is right on a corner downtown. It specializes in panels.  That shop had an amazing array of panels displayed along with lots and lots of coordinating fabrics and panels.  

I bought the perfect ombre piece of fabric for a sunset sky in a Halloween wall hanging I am planning. I also picked up some patriotic fat quarters, and half yard cuts.  I could have spent a lot more time and money in that shop.  

The other downtown shop, Spinning Spools is a short 1 block walk down the street and is so unique.  This is a very small shop with the entrance on the side of the building through a grape arbor, with a patio that just invites shoppers to sit and relax in the shade under the grapes.  They had fresh ice water with lemons or cucumber waiting for our group for refreshment on that patio.  I enjoyed sitting and chatting - and drinking icy cucumber water - under the grape arbor after my retail therapy purchases inside.  A small shop but so interesting!!!  They had really lovely samples displayed, and a surprising selection of fabrics in a small space.  

Our final quilt shop stop was Sewing Seeds Quilt Shop.  (Logo borrowed from their website!) This shop has been featured in the Quilt Sampler magazine a couple of times as a "top shop" to visit.  That is well deserved!  Fabulous selections - lots of Civil War, seasonal, batiks, Aboriginals, French General, Tula Pink, children's novelty prints, patriotic . . . and so much more.  There is a whole room devoted to wool applique!  I linked their website above, and it's worth checking out.  We were greeted by 2 of the "loose threads" who own the shop.  They made us feel so welcome with treats and a "bed turning" of some of their featured quilts!  I have some fun purchases from here that I may share some other day.  One purchase was a small wool applique kit to work on while I'm recuperating from my hip replacement.