I decided to pack up some work and get in the car to go visit a friend who lives there. I've been teaching him to quilt and he's been helping me get some samples made for Market. I needed the break anyway. It was so invigorating to work with the ladies at Cotton Fields Quilt and Knit last Thursday that I couldn't stand the thought of going back to working by myself at home over the weekend. This was the perfect getaway for a bit of a "working" vacation.
Yesterday, we decided to check out a couple of the quilt shops in the area and it was a great afternoon! Quiltique was the first one on the list. (You can click the names of the shops to go to their websites and take a look around for yourself.) What a cool shop! Jan and Bob and their daughters Jennifer and Kara (I hope I spelled that right) have put together a beautiful space for quilters to see all that they have to offer...and it's a huge offering including Bernina sewing machines. They were worried that we showed up during a remodel/expansion but it made no difference to us. Not only is the shop beautiful but the staff is so friendly and helpful, too. They also picked up a few of my patterns so you'll have another place to shop for them...in their shop when you visit or online when they get it all set up. Be sure to visit their website to see what I mean.
Next, we headed to Boulder City (near Hoover Dam) to a shop called Fiddlesticks. This was another great surprise. It's located in a beautiful old, historic district. We spent a good deal of time there just chatting and laughing with Merry, the owner, Kathy, and Jan. Merry also picked up some patterns and already has a little display set up in her shop. They're another great bunch in another beautiful shop that you have to add to your list of shops to visit when in the Las Vegas area. I'm so glad we took the time to go to both shops and I think we may take another couple of hours this afternoon to visit more in the area. The hospitality here, alone, has been worth the trip.
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It's nearly 6 p.m. and, despite feeling HORRIBLE from a nasty sinus infection I picked up over the weekend, we hit 3 more Las Vegas shops this afternoon. I'm so glad I didn't give in to my pounding headache and pass up the chance to see The Christmas Goose, Fabric Boutique, and Nancy's Quilt Shop. Las Vegas has not one or two but FIVE fantastic quilt shops for you to visit. I'm not just being PC here. I kept thinking we'd eventually walk into a shop that didn't quite measure up but each and every one of them was as enjoyable and had as much to offer as the one before. The key to their respective successes was obviously the fact that they understand and cater to the needs of their customers.
The Christmas Goose is a great shop in the "country" category. After looking around awhile at the many bolts of fabric and samples I felt like I was in a shop that occupied an old building like Fiddlesticks. But it was just the owners' attention to the ambience of the shop that gave that feeling because it's located in a newer shopping center. They did a great job and have a knack for mixing brighter contemporary colors in, quietly, with the usual country palette they offer.
I was blown away by the amount of samples on display at Fabric Boutique and Nancy's Quilt Shop! There were quilts and wall hangings and any other quilted thing you could imagine hanging everywhere....all beautifully done. Both of these shops are bright and colorful with lots of fabric and a huge selection of patterns. Nancy's also has a section of the large store devoted to knitting and her customers that love it.
The most important thing, to me, about all of these shops is the way we were welcomed into them by a friendly and helpful staff and we felt completely at home. I'm thrilled that every one of the shops picked up my patterns so I hope you'll take a look at their sites and turn to them if you're in need of something you cant find in your local shop!
I'm looking forward to coming back soon but I better get back to work because I have to head home to Phoenix in the morning. Thanks for looking in on me :)
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