Quilting Sisters

I think I'll start talking about the quilt shops I visited on our journey to the Sisters Quilt Show.  I absolutely love quilt shops.  Don't you?  They are always so colorful.  I always feel as if I'm walking into Oz.  There is a quilt shop in Merrill, Oregon, just south of Klamath Falls.  I'll be telling you about it eventually, but for now, I'll just say that was my destination.  Using the Quilter's Travel Companion I looked up Klamath Falls and found two listings:  Quilting Sisters, and something else that had a phone that had been disconnected.  I always check to make sure the store I want to visit is actually in business.  I don't know about you, but I've driven up to a lot of empty store fronts in my quest to visit every quilt shop in America, Canada, and Beyond.  (About a dozen down, zillions to go.)  When I called, a woman answered and demanded to know who had said she was no longer in business.  Guess I'll need to think of a new approach from, "I was just checking to see if you're in business."

So we punched in the address on our navigation unit and drove all over Hell's Half Acre (did you know that's a real place?) looking for it.  We ended up in The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Oregon, when we had "arrived at our destination."  That would be a good one for the "Things I want to Punch in the Face," blog:  the voices on navigation units.

Here is her card.  I don't know the woman's name, but she was delightful.  I was a little nervous walking into the place, but it was clearly marked, "Quilt Shop," and "Open," and so I got up my nerve and walked in.  She was standing in what appeared to be a classroom, but nothing looked like a quilt shop.  There was no fabric visible.  I told her I was happy to be there, but that it didn't look like she was selling fabric there.  She happily turned on the lights in the next two rooms to reveal TONS of fabric.  Bolt after bolt of beautiful stuff.  I have no idea how she makes a go of it in such an out-of-the-way place, but apparently she does.  I chose a pretty floral and went to pay for it. 

While she wrote up my order and figured the price (using a pencil and writing on an empty bolt--nothing as impersonal as a cash register), she gave me a lesson on how to make a pillow case.  She also showed me her method for making a potholder, and gave me one that was left over from the 4th of July.  I've never had a fabric store owner be so charitable and glad to see me.

So if you're going, be prepared for the look of the place.  I have to apologize for forgetting to take a picture.  There is a house visible from the road, and one has to walk farther back to see the quilt shop.  It definitely feels as if you're going to walking into a private home, but I promise, you won't be.  It's worth a visit just to meet the owner.  She was just so sweet.

Next up, I'll tell you about Tater Patch Quilts, which was my actual destination.  For now I'll just tell you that we were visiting our son who attends Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls.  It's always such a treat to see him because he's doing so well.  We also got to meet his new girlfriend, Lindsay.  We liked her a lot.