QBee & Me-Day Two-MN Shop Hop 3

Back Porch Quilts - Detroit Lakes - 6/4/10

Our third shop on Day Two of our hop was Back Porch Quilts.  Last year was the first time I had been to this shop...I was looking forward to returning and sharing it with a QBee!

Yes!  It really does have a huge porch!  Filled with quilts, fabrics, patterns ... you find yourself inspired before you even get in the door!

Moon Glow was the first thing Diane saw when we walked in ... she only has a few blocks left on hers ... it is always inspiring to see something you're working on done ... you know what you have to look forward to!

It's always fun to see types and styles of quilts mixed together in the same display ... this just screamed "farm country" to me ... I loved it!  

Another version of Heather Mulder's pattern from her "Sixties" book.  What fun!

QBee Terry back in Alaska and I are big fans of Pam Bono ... I had never seen this pattern before ... it is a block of the month ... I think the QBees and I might have to get our hands on this pattern ... the quilt is stunning Terry ... wish you had been here to see it!

Darling children's section...some of our QBees are having children this summer ... some are having grandchildren ...  wish they could have seen this ... just too darn cute!

Love it!  Just breathes farm country!

This chain and star quilt just has Mrs. DillyDally written all over it!  If it had been for sale, I probably would have bought it!  It just needs to be mine!  Seriously!!!!

The owner, Terri, sat down with us and explained their current clubs ... it was so kind and wonderful of her ... of course clubs were as wonderful as she is!  One was a seasonal wall quilt each month ... hence the watermelon with ants ... no ... I didn't join the club ... yes, I did buy the patterns and kit for June and July!  I just couldn't help myself!

This is another BOM ... it teaches everyone to use all those stitches that our machines are capable of, but we never use.  It sounds like a ton of fun!  They have used the decorative stitches on the backgrounds ... how clever is that?  Love it!

This block of the month had both Diane and I speechless.  Yes ... I ... Mrs. DillyDally was speechless!  Ask Diane ... she was there!  Gosh ... we were both sooooo tempted ... but we refrained ...  we are both so ashamed of ourselves ... what kind of dillydallier practices restraint?  We learned our lesson ... we have since recovered! ;-)

Sooo one of our retirement dreams is to park an RV in the parking lot of Back Porch Quilts, and spend a summer dillydallying with Terri and her crew...sounds wonderful, doesn't it?  It was late afternoon when we left...we pushed the speed limit in our efforts to get to shop four ... but that's another story for another post...

QBee & Me-Day Two-MN Shop Hop 2

Bay Window Quilts - Perham, MN - 6/4/10

This is a shop that my mother-in-law took me to around 3-4 years ago!  I loved it then, but have been unable to return since.  QBee Cece travels to visit family near Perham every year and returns to Cordova with her treasures from this shop.  So between her shopping experiences and the shop's website and blog, I've enjoyed keeping up on them.  When QBee Diane decided to visit me here in Minnesota, I knew that I had to be sure to put this shop on the agenda!

The drive between Garfield and Perham was beautiful ... we took the back roads ... lovely ... so relaxing ... exactly how a shop hop drive should be!  What an inviting storefront...can life get much better? 

This line of fabric is called "Chirp" and it was designed by one of the co-owners of this store, Katy!  It is so cute ... I love the contemporary feel of it!

Tons of fabric ... 

...tons of samples...

...tons of inspiration...

...sharing it with a friend...

...and just when we thought it couldn't get any better...it did!  It was early afternoon, so we asked for a recommendation for lunch...of course, I can't remember the name of the restaurant now...darn...but the food, service and atmosphere was awesome!

The atmosphere was just too good to be true ... how cute is this ... a grandmother's flower garden quilt on the ceiling...

... yo-yos under glass on every table ...

... we had a lovely lunch made with fresh and natural ingredients ... we seriously dillydallied our way through lunch!  It was so perfect ... we didn't want to leave ... so to extend the experience ... we got dessert as well!  Hey!  We QBees take our dillydallying seriously ... whether over quilts, shopping or lunch!  Our Perham experience was lovely in every way ... we highly recommend it ... to all dillydalliers everywhere.

QBee & Me-Day Two-MN Shop Hop

Common Threads Quilt Shop - Garfield, Minnesota - 6/4

We were able to sleep in on Friday morning, as Garfield is only 12-15 miles from Alexandria.  We picked up the mandatory latte' and began the beautiful drive to Garfield.  We enjoyed the rolling hills of fields and woods ... it was gorgeous!  Garfield is a very small town with a population of under 300 ... and we found out later ... they are very proud of the four-way stop signs in the towns main intersection!  Love it?  ;-)

Here's QBee Diane...looking rested (?) after her two day flight and three shop hop Thursday!  ;-)  There was soooo much to see ... here ... take a look for yourself ... 

... a portion of the batiks ...

... an amazing collection of 30's fabrics ...

... juvenile & whimsical prints ...

... traditional...Thimbleberries...civil war...

 ...and contemporary fabrics ... this is just some of the fabrics you'll find here at Common Threads.  Their displays were also very inviting...

... see ...aren't they amazing?  Made us want to move in and spend the summer!   

Working away in their classroom ... designing ... finishing touches ... lovely workspace.

This is how the ladies at Common Threads put together a panel and fabric collection featuring pheasants.  It is stunning to see live ... every hunter would love to have this in his den or office!  Love it!

These designs and fabrics come from another designer, Darlene Zimmerman, that I have followed for years.  Just too cute for words!

Yes...obviously...I am coming home with this pattern!  It just screams Mrs. DillyDally!  It was designed by the same woman, Lori Holt, that did the Grandmother's Kitchen quilt I'm going to finish ... some day ... ;-) !  I know what you're thinking ... you can think it ... but don't you dare say it! ;-)

Here is the team of lovely women we met ... the owners are the two on the left ... what talent ... what fun ... QBee Diane and I both left saying, "If we lived here, those women would be our best friends."  Wonderful things are happening in that "Four Stop Sign Town" (that is how QBee Diane remembers it ... how funny it that?) at Common Threads!   Thanks ladies for showing us a wonderful time!

QBee & Me - Our MN Shop Hop! Shop Three

Quilted Treasures - Rogers, Minnesota

Our third and final destination on Thursday was Quilted Treasures.  We arrived around 6:30 pm ... fortunately they were open until 8:00 pm ... so we were not rushed as we dillydallied our way around this amazing shop!

This shop is filled with inspiration ... there are samples everywhere ... take a look ...

Here are some samples from Judy Martin's books ... I am a big fan of her work ... it was so fun to see some of her patterns made up!  I really liked how this shop has a great mix of fast and easy quilts along with those that require more time and skill ... something for every one at every level!

Mary, the owner introduced herself and we enjoyed a wonderful conversation with her.  She shared with us the new classes and techniques that they are teaching in the near future.  Her daughter-in-law is working with women new to the quilting universe ... she shared how fun it was to watch their growth and see their interests in fabric and patterns.  She spoke to us about the recent market that was held in Minneapolis and the trends that are on the horizon.  It was stimulating for us who are isolated from the industry to hear what market is like ... we can only imagine how "crazy" that must be!

This shop was a wonderful way to end the first day of our shop hop ... Mary was so kind to spend her valuable time with us ... this shop is a treasure!

We grabbed a bite to eat than hit the interstate for a one and a half hour drive to Alexandria.  We spent the night there and began Day Two this morning.  More details later ... ;-)