Monday, March 19, 2012

Quilt shops and houses

While in California being a granny nanny, I did manage to break away on Andrew's day off from work to explore the quilt shops of Murrietta and Temecula. The three I visited were each fun but very different. First stop, the Pieced with Love Quilt Shop off of Murrietta Hot Springs Road just east of the 15 where I used the online coupon I found while researching shops to buy the EZ Easy Dresden template. My "block (row) of the month" Aunt Grace's Garden Party from The Fat Quarter Shop came with a generous amount of fabric and when I saw all the Dresden plate quilts popping up this year I decided to use the leftovers for a Dresden. I downloaded a pattern from Bunny Hill Designs from the Scrappy Plate Club.

Second stop was Quilters Coop in Old Town Temecula. Might I say that I loved Old Town Temecula. It was a great place to walk, browse, eat, and shop. Quilters Coop has a lot of everything. As I cruised the store I was drawn to charm packs of 1862 Battle Hymn by Barbara Brackman and Prairie Paisley II by Polly Minick & Lauri Simpson both Moda fabric lines, but was not sure what I would do with them.

I also fell in love with a bundle of fat eights of Jo Morton's shirtings. And then I spotted the wall full of Schnibbles quilt patterns. I had seen these on other blogs and had even fallen in love with Full House and now I knew what I would do with those charm packs and fat eighth bundle. I felt that all the stripes in Battle Hymn would make adorable houses and have finished all 18. I am now working the border strips and checkerboards.


I felt like Prairie Paisley II would be beautiful in Betsy. Schnibbles were created so that small scrappy quilts could be made from scraps or utilizing charm packs. I love how I can have a bit of each fabric from a collection in a quilt.

Third stop was Temecula Quilt Co. at Temecula Parkway and Butterfield Stage Road. It's specialty is reproduction fabrics and small quilts. It is a beautiful little shop and I purchased two of their little small quilt pattern books in preparation for my planned antique looking small quilts for my American girls and their dolls on birthdays this year.

My little adventure reminded me of my Saturday escapes when I had a house full of little boys. Having a bit of solo time was always rejuvenating back then as it was this time.

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