Shop Hop fun

Today, My SIL and I joined the hoards of quilters in Western Washington on the annual Shop Hop.  The Hop started Wednesday, and we did visit one shop then, but today we visited four.  Our first adventure of the day, however, was a ferry ride across Puget Sound, or as it is now being called, the Salish Sea.  We were headed for a garage sale where a quilter who works in a fabric store was destashing.  All the fabrics were packed in very large plastic bags and priced according to the pound.  It averaged out to about $1.50 per pound.  Here are some of the yummies I found at the garage sale.

In this bag, I found four plus yards of the fabric on the left.  It is browner than shows here.  It is perfect for the back of the traditional quilt I have been working on.  I also found several yards of fabric with Japanese prints that will go with other fabric I have to make a quilt I have had in mind for a while.



Look at all the yummy reds in this bag.  Some of it is reproduction 30's.  Quite fun.

At this annual shop hop, each participating shop designs a quilt block around a piece of fabric.  This years fabric is the blue floral in the front.  As you take your "passport" into each shop, you are given the pattern for that shop's block plus at least three pieces of fabric, including the main fabric.  I really like the fabric for this year, so I bought a little extra to make a cheery table topper with a few of the blocks.

At the last shop we visited, I fell in love with all the fabric.  Island Quilter on Vashon Island has the best collection of Fasset, Jacobs, and all the rest of those wonderful designers who create such bright and bold fabrics.  They also carry plenty of blender fabric that goes with it.  They have a room of novelty fabrics as well as a room of yarn. I wanted one of everything but the yarn, but I am on a budget.  I am going to have to collect them slowly.  I bought these three to start a quilt for Bella.  She wants purples, pinks, and fairies.  I think this is a good start.
All in all, four quilt shops, a garage sale, and three ferry rides later, we had a wonderful day.  We came home to a sunny day, and nothing is prettier that a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest - except maybe the fabrics at Island Quilter.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Bella's third birthday.  Whoopee!  Tonight, I start putting the binding on En Vino Veritas, if I can stay awake long enough. 
Joyful quilting, everyone.