Road Trip Wrap-Up

Best word to describe the sunny Avon Quiltery in Avon, Indiana: COLOR. Shop owner Dian Himes let me test several sewing machines. Pretty tempting. Then I remembered. My van was already full of fabric and notions and tools. Still, Dian made all those fancy stitches look so easy...



















Looking for a quilt book? Angie's in Effingham, Illinois, probably has it. Owner Angie Neu, above, looked on as I joined her customers to search for just the right buttons for the charity doll clothes they were making. Fun search! Nice ladies!

The shop is just minutes from both Interstate 70 and Interstate 57. Really great road-trip location. Check it out!



I learned quilting is big in Mexico, Missouri. There are multiple shops on the town's square. My first stop was at the Mexico Sewing Center. Rosalind Dial greeted me at the door, and Carol Wyss, above, let me help cut fabric. Shop owner Bonnie Janssen was away at a regional quilt show. I'll have to catch her next time. I love her fabric selection: brights, batiks, big prints, black-and-white prints, and more.

I picked up an Accu-Quilt GO! fabric cutter for a great price at the Stickey Wicket a block away, and found a huge stock of reproduction, Thimbleberries, and novelty prints a block and a half away at the Homestead Hearth. Just had to get some of the Dr. Seuss prints by Kaufman that were creatively displayed in an antique bathtub with legs. Made me want to crawl in and snuggle up. Guess I'd better make the quilt first.



I decided to get off the interstate to see more of northwest Missouri. That meant checking out the latest edition of The Quilters' Travel Companion to see if I could plot a course with at least a few quilt-shop stops. Bingo! I discovered The Quilt Shoppe, home of the Tula Pink Pattern Company, was right on my route. I set the GPS and cruise control, then drove right to the shop. I met Tula, left, and her mom, Kathy Runyan. Kathy owns the shop, which features wonderful fabric--including Tula's designs, of course--patterns, and gift items.

What a great visit! Tula was working on...now that's a secret.



Here I am resting near Tula's parking space. There was also a space reserved for the shop's
"Quilter of the Month." I asked Kathy how this person is selected. She smiled. Another secret. She did say you can't "buy" it. And there was a third space reserved for Tula Pink's Mom.

Cool shop! Friendly folks!

I'm back in Colorado now, resting from my road trip. Not much time to rest, though. Tomorrow I start packing for Houston. Quilt Market, here I come!