Hop Until We Drop

Some genius near Philadelphia came up with the idea that seven shops should have a nice little October Shop Hop. It's a mystery theme: One pays to enter and receives a tote bag and a passport. Then over the next generous week, one visits each of the seven shops, picks up two fat quarters at each and gets one's passport stamped. At the final stop, one receives a pattern book (that's where the mystery comes in) with the choice of two patterns. The rest is regular shop hop stuff, i.e., make the quilt, be the first, enter the raffle, yada yada.

Well, she thought, isn't this the most brilliant thing for these troubled times? So yesterday, four of us embarked on a glorious day, visiting five of the seven stops, oohing and aahing amidst the bolts, philosophizing and laughing in the car, treating the driver to a delicious lunch (onion rings de rigueur), and almost literally shopping until dropping.

Four of the five places we visited were brand new to me and there was something to like about each: Cut & Sew PHL, Byrne Sewing, Needles & Bolts, Stitch Central, Steve's, Seamless Sewing Arts, and Pottstown Sewing. I still have two shops to visit!

Seamless Sewing Arts was particularly captivating; they are very small, have made clever use of their space, and have fabric we'd never seen anywhere else. That's where I saw the quilt pictured above. It is just stunning and I had to have a photo. They had kits to duplicate it and somehow I resisted because I already have enough Octoberish quilts.

Around four o'clock, I got home with my spoils, took a lengthy, restorative nap, awoke, and realized I didn't have to use orange and black fabrics to make this quilt. I promptly ordered the pattern from a Guild friend, and am now off to sit by my mailbox.

Oh, yes, if you are also enchanted by this pattern, here's where to get it: Janet and Sandy's Shop or, of course, Seamless Sewing Arts!