Lost in "Limbo-Land"!

I've been home a week ... and am finding "re-entry" a bit difficult.  I'm still processing our time on The DillyDally Trail, which makes it confusing to adjust to normal life.  Whatever normal is ... ;-)!  I keep telling myself that my current state of mind is typical.  Whatever typical is ... ;-)!

After having a goal, working towards it for three years, sharing it with others, then implementing and achieving the dream ... one can expect to find themselves in "Limbo-Land" ... right?  Tell me it is so!  It has been a struggle to blog as well ... I can't seem to move forward ... so ... being a mostly proactive person ... I think the best way for me to work myself out of Limbo-Land is to allow myself to continue to share our trip.

There were several different facets to our trip, so it helps me to compartmentalize it.  Today, I'll focus on the Shop Hop segment of our time on the trail.  My hope is two fold ... that it helps me find my way out of Limbo-Land and that this will help other quilters who may be traveling portions of Oregon in the future.

The Minnesota Cowgirls arrived early enough on Sunday for us to work in a couple of Portland area shops.  We began with the Pine Needle Quilt Shop in Lake Oswego!  Jet lag did not appear to hinder our quilting spirits!

Our second shop that day was Cool Cottons in Portland.  Lots of personality at this shop!

Monday was our coastal day!  We began in Cannon Beach at Center Diamond Fabrics!

We were greeted with gift bags ... wonderful way to begin our day on the beach!

Our second stop was Creative Fabrics in Wheeler!

In Tillamook, we found yards of treasure at Jane's Fabric Patch!

Tuesday we moved on into the Willamette Valley and began with Boersma's in McMinnville!

Next we were on to Oregon's capital, Salem where we visited Greenbaum's Quilted Forest!  They shipped our purchases home for us!

We drove over the Cascade Mountains and landed at the Stitchin' Post!  I had been advised to shop there before the big quilt show.  It paid off, as we were able to browse at our leisure and pick out souvenirs in advance!

In Bend, we visited two shops.  Sew Many Quilts thanked us for stopping by with gifts!  Sew thoughtful!

We ended a very busy Tuesday at BJ's Quilt Basket!  Lots of shopping and silliness ... will share the silly fun in a later post!

On Wednesday, we worked our way to eastern Oregon.  The fun began early Wednesday morning at The Quilt Shack in Prineville!

They were kind enough to open early for us as we had a long day ahead!

Next stop the Shiny Thimble in Mt. Vernon.  The population in this community is 513 ... love to see quilting thrive in small towns!

Near the end of the John Day Valley we stopped in Prairie City at Quilts and Beyond!  Another small community of 892 with a strong quilting culture!

Our last stop of the day was Treasure Every Stitch in Baker City!  They stayed open late for us ... we were so grateful ... a great shop!

Thursday morning we traveled the back roads to Halfway ... the home of Quilts Plus!  They opened an hour early for us, and made rice krispie treats too!  Halfway is about as far east a quilter can get in Oregon, their population is 286!

By Friday we had worked our way back to central Oregon.  We visited the Material Girl Fabrics shop in Redmond!

The Oregon Summer Quilt Expo hosted many vendors ... more shopping was enjoyed!

Our final stop was the Hollyhill Quilt Shoppe in West Linn, Oregon.  A great place for our final shopping spree!

I had planned for two opportunities to mail home purchases ... we needed and took three! ;-)  Eighteen quilt shops and an Quilt Expo provided inspiration that just had to work its way home with us!  In total ... as a group we mailed home twenty flat rate boxes ... add to that the treasures we stuffed in our luggage ... it is safe to say we did our part to assist the Oregon quilt economy!

Mr. DD didn't see the dining table for days upon my return!  ;-)  Finding a place for everything takes time!  Again ... I found I needed to compartmentalize all this fun!

The assorted patterns I bought!

Needlework books.

Quilting books ... I've enjoyed reading them while in Limbo-Land!

Kits ... those that were preassembled and those I assembled.

Christmas fabric that inspired me!

The only precuts I bought ... yep, it took a ton of restraint ... I love precuts!

Super cute fabric line that makes me weak in the knees ... had to have!

Fun and unusual panels with coordinates!

General stash building ... sew fun!

To add to my berry collection ... plus, authentic (woven) red gingham ... yep, I should have bought the whole bolt!

Two fabrics that were too stinkin' cute to pass up!  Kitties and Home Ec-ies for hoarding, of course!

And a few souvenirs ... to remind me that dreams do come true!

If you've gotten this far in the post ... I just have to say ... thank you!  It takes an exceptional person to travel along with someone who is lost in Limbo-Land!  Just know that I appreciate you!

Do what you love.  Embrace Limbo-Land.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally