Quilt Shop: Fiddlesticks Quilt Shop

I almost didn't take the time to visit this shop, but I'm so glad I did.  It was absolutely darling, and in a cute part of historic downtown.  I've realized that I'm more likely to visit a shop when it is the only one for miles around.  While there were five quilt shops in Albuquerque, I didn't visit any of them.  I didn't want to go to all five, and the decision-making process about which ones to visit was too difficult for me to contemplate.  I know, it seems crazy. 

Mike and I refer to this as the "cough syrup syndrome."  Have you ever walked into a pharmacy for some cough syrup?  There are so many kinds!  Plain cough syrup in 15 different brands.  Cough syrup with decongestant in another 15 different brands.  Cough syrups with expectorants in another dozen brands.  Cough syrups with decongestants AND expectorants in twenty brands.  Throat lozenges and cough drops.  What's a coughing person to do?  I'll tell you what we do.  We usually leave without buying anything.  We can't make up our minds.  It's the same with too many quilt shops to choose from.  Any more than three, and I feel overwhelmed.

So all of that to say that after changing into some cooler clothes and sandals, and then drinking the beverage of my choice, I was ready to brave the approximately one mile drive to see Fiddlesticks Quilt Shop.

I almost didn't see the shop because I approached from the right side, and there was an old theater marquis on the right side of the building.  The shop, being under this walkway, was almost invisible.  There was plenty of on street parking, and so I parked and walked and found it right away. 

What a fun shop!  There was lots of fabric to look at, plenty of books and patterns, and it was very tastefully decorated.  I could have spent quite a bit of time there had it not been so near to closing time.

They advertised classes, although I didn't see a classroom.  There were some women there from out of state who had come for some kind of annual retreat.  I imagine it's mentioned on the website.  (Please see the link I provided above if you're interested in knowing more about the retreat.)  Most of the fabrics were florals, 1930's prints, and civil war prints, none of which are my kind of thing.  However, they had a nice remnant bin and I ended up purchasing this candy stripe print.

I have fabric pulled together at home for a pink flamingo quilt I want to start at some point in time.  This will be great in that quilt.  The pink flamingo fabric is the first piece of fabric I ever purchased for my stash some three years ago.  I didn't have a pattern in mind at the time, but we'd just come from a scuba diving trip in Bonaire (where they have wild flamingos), and so it appealed to me.  Even if I don't use it in that quilt, I think it will work in the pattern I bought recently about A Day in the Life of Mr. Bear.

Also, I found only the second of these since I decided to start collecting them.  I have a dozen or so at home, but I've ended up with them sort of by happenstance.  Now I'm purchasing them as souvenirs of our travel.  (I like souvenirs that don't take up a lot of room.)

Sorry, it's not a very good image, but I think you can make it out.  That's a phone image for you.

I definitely would visit this shop again.  It was easy to get to, plenty of parking, lots to look at, friendly service, and good prices.  I give it five rotary cutters out of five.  If you find yourself in the area, do stop in.