One Quilt Place

I've got another peek into a quilt shop for you today. Fair warning: there are lots of photos, but it might even inspire some of you to make road trip plans.

One Quilt Place is located in Fredricksburg, Texas and if you've not been there, it's worth a trip. Fredricksburg is a little German settlement town, nestled in the Texas hill country, famous for it's peaches and charming main street shopping:

I love history and there's a Museum of the Pacific War there, as well as a beautiful Wildflower Seed Farm that has the best fresh peach ice cream:

But today we're going to take a tour of their quilt shop. Last year they moved their little quilt shop to a new location with lots of room for expansion. It's tucked alongside a little country road so you'll want to use your GPS to find it, but it'll be worth it!

They have a retreat cottage:

And a studio:

That flanks the quilt shop:

This is an amazing quilt shop:

I've found that all quilt shops have their own personality and fabrics they specialize in, but I've never been in a larger one and they have just about anything and everything here:

Batiks:

Tone on tones

Christmas fabrics:

Autumn colors:

Lots of landscape fabrics to choose from:

This is only a little of their wool selection:

They have western prints:

A wide selection of patriotic fabrics:

As well as a big corner of 30's prints :

You could drown in their choices of Civil War reproduction and Thimbleberry type fabrics. I couldn't even get them all in one photo. There's another wall to the right:

And if you need a quilt for a baby or a child, inspiration abounds here:

They had lots of samples sewn up - these used panels and simple strips to make cute quilts for kids:

Just the patterns alone could keep you here for hours:

And I wanted to browse their book selection, but I had to get back on the road:

My SIL fell in love with the Garden Delights line a few weeks ago and ordered it online when we were all visiting my in-laws a few weeks ago. I sent her this picture:

They have the whole line if she needs more. And I sent this to a friend because it reminded me of her, but I forgot to jot down the line and now she wants some of it.

.
It is really hard to control yourself in this store, because there is temptation around every corner. And I caved:

I was pretty good and just picked up some basics to add to my stash, some of them from the sale section:

Whenever I pull into the parking lot, "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!" immediately begin to endlessly play in my head. Those of you of a certain age may remember that line from a tv show called "Lost in Space" that was popular in the 70's. It is very applicable in this situation because there is something for everyone in this shop and I dare you to walk out empty handed!

Swayed by the Sea

I can go for a long time without bringing home any new fabric. Although my credibility may be in question here, as I brought fabric home in my previous post. :)

However, I love sewing from my stash and I tell myself that I AM making a dent in it. I am NOT tempted by all the fun fabric that flows into my inbox and across my blog reader.  And then it happens. I fall. And I fall hard. I saw this fabric line - On Deck by Lily and Loom - in a Craftsy sale email and added it to my cart before I blinked twice. Now, WHY a self proclaimed desert rat is smitten with a nautical line of fabric is anyone's guess, but smitten I am. And buy I did.

I've had this pattern for probably 5 or 6 years and have never found the right fabric. I'm a scrappy girl so sewing with an entire collection is rare for me, but when this came into my line of sight, I pulled the trigger and now this desert rat is sewing, singing a salty tune, and channeling her inner Jimmy Buffet.

Sew Special Quilt Shop

There are a number of quilt shops in the area where my mom lives, but I try not to visit them while I'm there. My mom never sewed, but she is well acquainted with my love of quilting as I never walk into her house without lugging at least one quilt in my arms when I visit. She encourages me to hit the quilt shops, but I really hate to take time away from visiting with her while I'm there, so although I have poked my head into a couple now and again, I rarely do. But when I am back on the road and headed home, my self control wavers and I have a hard time not stopping if a quilt shop happens to come into view. :)

The trip is over 500 miles one way and that already makes for a pretty long day so although I love to stop, it also adds hours to my time on the road. I drive right by the shop I'm sharing with you today. Sew Special Quilts is a Baby Lock - Bernina quilt shop, right on the corner of 1604 and I-10, coming into San Antonio, Texas. It's a small shop, with one side dedicated to their sewing machine sales, but they have a good selection of fabrics:

They do not carry 30's or Civil War fabrics, but they have lots of fun prints that would make cute baby and toddler quilts, with fresh, bright bolts of color lining their shelves:

They have a good selection of thread:

And patterns that I did not take the time to really study this time around. Their classroom is right through that doorway:

The staff is friendly and helpful without being pushy and the store is bright and open:

I was in a bit of a hurry, knowing how much road lay ahead, but I popped in to look for some coordinates for this:

I found these 3 pieces at a little quilt shop in Lamesa on the way down and I fell in love with the plaid. I think it'll be cute in a baby quilt although I haven't a clue what pattern I'm using yet. And with prices between $3-$6 per yard, I just could not resist.

At Sew Special Quilts, I found these fabrics from Sundrops by Corey Yoder that have all the same colors so I brought those home, but now that I have them home, although they do coordinate, I'm not sure they have the same feel.

The plaid has more of a country feel while the Sundrops are more modern to me. I see 2 different quilts in my future.

I'm sure glad these road trips don't happen too often. I'd be more broke than I already am!

Swing a Rope Sunday

Last week we had a little rain and DH was able to take our old backhoe and plow up the arena. We had some roping cattle that needed to be broken in and that means you can find us in the roping arena by 6:30 for as many days in a row as time allows:

It's been about 50° in the morning and that's perfect for a little roping practice:

The cattle don't get hot and we rope 'em easy:

And Skeet wasn't about to miss out on the action:

That little dog made every single trip down the arena:

And back again:

He was so good. He didn't get in the way and it almost looked like he was hazing the calves which means he was making sure they stayed fairly straight when leaving the chute:

The night before, he had played chase with a jack rabbit for a good 20 minutes and after spending a couple of hours chasing calves Sunday morning, the little guy was 'bout give out:

Think he can let that tongue hang out any farther? LOL.

A lesson from Skeet: Live life with gusto!