Quilt Shop: Quiltworks

The second shop I visited today was Quiltworks.  This was a large shop with a lovely large classroom in the back.  I always like visiting when a class is in session.  The attitude and liveliness of the participants always tells me a lot about the store.  I've come to think of successful quilt shops as gathering places where people who are passionate about their craft come to learn, visit, and show off their creations.  This was such a place.

The store was laid out nicely, although I prefer to be able to make my way through a store in an organized way.  This one had fabric lining opposite walls and also some display tables in the middle.  It meant doing some back-tracking in order to see everything.  They had a lot of merchandise and a good display of books.  Some of the books were tempting, but I usually avoid buying books in a quilt shop.  I can get them cheaper on Amazon. 

The fabrics held something for everyone.  I was hoping to find something exclusive to Oklahoma.  They did have some Oklahoma State University fabric, which looked amazingly like Oregon State University--same colors--I wondered if they knew I was in town at first glance!  There was also a supply of cowboy-related fabric, but I'm afraid I'm never going to be a cowboy of any kind.  (When I was a kid, I always rooted for the Indians while watching westerns on TV.  I'm a born social worker, I suppose.  That's not a slam to any of you cowboy fans out there--just personal preference.)  In any case, again, nothing really caught my eye.  I was tempted by some football fabric for a quilt I have in mind, but even it wasn't anything truly unique.  I think my eyes are just full of fabric at this point.

I'd give this quilt shop five rotary cutters out of five.  It had a good supply of anything a quilter would need to keep them well-supplied and contented.  In addition, I got the distinct impression that it was a good place to take a class, and the employees seemed knowledgeable and friendly.  If you find yourself in Oklahoma City (or if you live here), I'd definitely recommend a visit.

So that was our day in Oklahoma City.  Mission accomplished.  Mike picked up some hardware at the local Ace Hardware Store to repair a bolt that had sheared off our trailer hitch.  (Not a good feature.)  So we'll be moving on again tomorrow.  This is a turn-around point for us and the road leads home at this point.  I expect we'll be traveling for another couple of weeks, however.  Our precise next stop hasn't been determined yet, but we're on our way to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico.  These are two towns we've wanted to visit for a long time.  The weather is still brisk in both places, but not so cold that we can't put on our coats and brave it.  The biggest concern is having our hoses freeze in the sub-freezing night time temperatures, so we'll have to pay attention.

After that, we'll travel across Northern Arizona.  We'd like to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the slot canyons in the Page area north of Flagstaff.  If we have time, we might venture a little further north to Zion National Park, a place we've only driven through before.  Then, we'll make one last stop in Death Valley for the anticipated wildflower bloom.  And after that . . . home, sweet home.