Quilt Shop: Bella Quiltworks

There are four quilt shops in Tucson, Arizona.  Today, we visited three of them.  Before, I start, I wanted to say something about the directory I've been using:  the Quilter's Travel Companion.  I'm working from the latest edition, but I learned the hard way to call first before I trust the information in the directory.  Even quilt shops that are listed in large font because they've purchased an ad in the directory are sometimes no longer in business or they have a new address.  The directory is a useful tool, but it's irksome that shops that are listed are sometimes not really quilt shops.  Two of the listings in Tucson (in small font) were individuals who made quilts for sale.  One woman went so far as to say that she made "bedspreads," which could mean a lot of things.  So, if you find yourself traveling, I strongly urge you to check ahead before driving out of your way regardless of the size font in the directory--this one, or any other.  These shops tend to come and go, and with the price of fuel being what it is, it's a shame to drive up to one only to find a "For Lease" sign in the window.  (Not to mention being disappointing.)

With that caveat out of the way, I'll tell you about Bella Quiltworks.  This was a very nice shop with some things I'd not seen before.  For one thing, they had a book and some materials for doing a craft called locker hooking.  It appeared similar to latch hook, but done with fabric.  It uses a tool that looks like a crochet hook, but it is slightly bent and it has a large eye at one end.  The products made from this technique are mde from strips of fabric, but when finished it appears to be made of straw.  Very interesting.  I'm going to look into it more when we return home.  They didn't have any kits made up that I could see, and I rarely buy books in a quilt shop.  Too expensive.  They're much cheaper online from Amazon, and so I just make note to look into it later.  In any case, I'd love to hear from those of you who've tried this technique.

I suppose being from the Portland, Oregon, area, I dislike this kind of construction.  The shops located in these strip malls seem so sterile in comparison to the Victorian-style homes where quilt shops are often found where I live.  Nevertheless, once inside, the shop was warm and inviting.  I always like a quilt shop that catches my attention the second I walk through the door.  This one had a cute display of small kits (I seem to think they were about $10) all made up and tempting to grab right from the get go.

They were for making this little wallet

So welcoming, especially with the little welcome sign so prominently posted.  Overall, the shop looked like this:

It was a large shop with lots of fabric that I hadn't seen before.  There were beautiful quilts hanging all around, and especially in the large classroom off to the right.  (They asked me not to photograph the classroom for that reason.)

I found a couple of things I liked.  I couldn't resist this when I saw it.  Remember the candy corn tablerunner pattern I picked up for one dollar at Rosie's?

I thought this would be perfect for the back!

I picked that up right away and carried it around while I looked at their other merchandise, patterns, and quilts.  Just as I was about to check out, I spied this and fell in love with it instantly.  Doesn't this look so Southwest?

(And then later, I found something else that I might be able to put with it in the right design.  Look for it in a later post.)  I've never done any of those stack and whack quilts or the One Block Wonder, but I know I've been picking up some fabrics that would be perfect in one of those.  This one might be pretty done that way.

When I went to pay, I picked up on my new-found "collection."  I'm a collector of all things tiny that don't take up much room.  When I was in a guild, I was putting those little tack pins you see at quilt shows on my nametag, and I had collected half a dozen or so.  I had a few I'd found online too like this one from The Alliance for American Quilts,



and another that said "Fabricoholics Anonymous."  (I definitely fit.)  After I left the guild, I didn't know what to do with all of my pins, and so they're all stuck in a piece of scrap ribbon and hanging next to my sewing machine right now.  But while we were in Hemet, we visited a woman who was selling quilts, and she had hers displayed on a doll-sized quilt she'd made.  It was sort of a 25-patch.  I liked the idea, and so I decided then and there to do the same thing.  And that meant I could start collecting pins again now that I had an idea what to do with them.  All of that to say that when I went to pay, I found this:

They're relatively inexpensive and don't take up a lot of room, and they make for a nice souvenier.  Unfortunately, I missed at least one in my earlier travels.  I can't even remember where I was, but I know I'll never be able to forget "the one that got away,"  like the prairie dog socks I neglected to buy while we were in South Dakota.  (Now you know what you can get me for Christmas.)  I've never seen them since, and I have looked!!, believe me.

So that's all I have to tell you about Bella Quiltworks.  It was a nice shop, and definitely worth the trip.  The service was good, but a little "hovering," if you know what I mean.  I like to shop in private, even if I am the only one in the store.  There was another woman in the store with me, but I still felt uncomfortable with watchful eyes following my every move.  I made the mistake of asking permission to photograph their shop, which I've not felt a need to do before.  I asked because they were watching me so closely.  They told me not to photograph this or that . . . oh yes, and not that either.  Obviously, I did take one overarching image of the entire shop, but otherwise, I felt uncomfortable.  For that reason, and that reason alone, I docked them one rotary cutter, giving them a rating of four rotary cutters out of five.  Not bad.  I would go back again, however.  It's a very nice shop.