Jun
26
2005

Wasatch Front Shop Hop 2005

An article by Rachel

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A week ago, my mom and I broke free from our mundane jobs as we participated in the Wasatch Front Shop Hop. This means we spent the whole day in quilt stores. A couple of years ago we went to all of the stores in the Shop Hop. It took 2 days. It was a lot of time in a car.

This year we decide to be a little more pratical. We’d take one day and just visit the stores in the Salt Lake Valley. While we missed a couple of stores that we really like, it was a lot more relaxing.

Store #1 Sew Sweet
Sew is actually in Tooele,about 20 miles to the west of Salt Lake. I like the store, but rarely visit because it is out of the way. So we made it our first store. The Shop Hop quilt was boring. I don’t have a picture to share. The theme is Celebrating Utah. I realize that it takes a lot of time to design, make, and quilt a Shop Hop quilt. However it wouldn’t be hard to be a little creative.

I did buy these batiks. In my Saturday quilt group, we are making blocks for each other. The blocks for this month are in batiks. Hopefully, I’ll finish mine over the holiday weekend.

Store #2 Threads of Time

Threads of Time use to be a very fun store. About a year ago it was sold. The new owner doesn’t have the vision. I don’t think she is cut out for the retail world. Now the store is kind of boring. It needs a fun personality. She doesn’t buy very many new fabrics. She needs new fabrics to keep people coming back.

I did buy something. I collected these yellow/orange fat quarters. A friend and I are making a baby quilt for a mutual friend. It is the Pineapple quilt in a Buggy Barn book It will be very cute.

Store #3 Quilter’s Haven

Quilter’s Haven has the honor of being the closest quilt store to my home. They satisify most of my emergency needs. So I wasn’t expecting to see any too new. The displays were familiar. The sale fabric was new. They had a lot of their baby flannel $4/yd. While I don’t need any baby flannel. I know a good deal when I see it. So I bought 1.5 yds. of 4 different fabrics. Which gives me enough fabric to make 2 baby blankets if I can’t think of anything else.

Store #4 Mormon Handicraft

Mormon Handicraft gets points for making a creative quilt. While I have no desire to make it myself. I love to look at it.

I made one purchase here, this pattern. It is cute, but doesn’t meet my expectations. We live in an age of advance desktop publishing. If I’m going to pay $7 for a pattern. I expect the pattern to be well done. Am I asking for too much?

Store #5 Piper’s Quilts

I bought nothing and I have no pictures. The displays are always beautiful. This is an eye candy store.

Store #6 Elaine’s

In general Elaine’s gets a lot of my quilting money. I’m not always fond of their displays. However when they buy a new line of fabric, they buy a lot of it. They’ve saved me on more than one occasion. I bought 2 more fat quarters for the pineapple quilt.

Store # 7 Gentler Times
Hands down, Gentler Times made the most creative shop hop quilt. Other shops should be envious of this beauty.

Store #8 Quilts, etc.
Quilts, etc. get points for enjoying the moment. In the classroom, they setup a western themed room. They fed their shoppers food, lemondade, and provided a nice place to rest. I wish I had a picture. Here is their quilt.

I had no plans of purchasing anything at this store. I had what I needed. Then I found this toile. I love toile. I can’t explain why. It is purely emotional. This toile is especially nice. It is a very small scale and it includes kids. While I love toile, I’m not a fan of hunting scenes. It isn’t me. This I like. Now I need a plan.

Store #9 Thimbles & Thread
I haven’t visited this store in 2 years. It is far from home. I don’t have a lot of reasons to drive to Draper. Now, I think I’m going to reform my thinking. Since my last visit the store is under new ownership. They carry a lot of more fabrics. Bolts I hadn’t seen before. I didn’t buy anything. I’m not worried. Next time I want to make a cheerful quilt. I’m going to Thimbles & Thread.

Store #10 Pine Needles

The last store! Pine Needles started out as a embroidery/stichery store. It grew into a quilt store. I love this store because the fabric selection is a little different, they carry every bolt of Amy Butler fabric, and it is surround by a lot of pleasant stores. Here is their quilt.

I did buy this book. During the shop hop I saw a lot of quilts from this book. I’m not sure which one to make first. Right now I’m leaning toward the Pumpkin/Cat quilt. I need more Halloween decorations.