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A Meeting of the Minds
Preparing for Shop Hop 2012
The 12 shops participating in the Bluebonnet Shop Hop in April 2012 are already working hard to make this the best hop ever. We all meet 4 to 5 times during the year so that we can decide on challenge fabric, prizes, dates, hours, and all the other details that make our hop fun.
The meeting was held at Gone Quiltn’ in Bandera, our new shop on the hop for 2012.
We have exciting plans for our shop hop quilt this year. Each shop will use the same blocks in the same fabrics to create a quilt, but the layout and fabrics for finishing will be completely individual. Hoppers will be able to purchase the block kit at each shop for $5.00 and then look at the different quilts to see possibilities for finishing their quilt. Shops will have finishing kits available. This is a new concept for our hop and we are very excited about the individuality this gives the shops to each create their own quilt.
Hope you will make plans to visit The Bluebonnet Shop Hop April 12th – 15th, 2012. |
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Meet The Bluebonnet Patchwork Trail Shop Hop Owners |
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Julie and Kathy
Our 13th Annual Shop Hop is now just a fun memory and we are making plans for another great year in our shop and working towards another shop hop. This year we had a Fiesta as our shop hop theme since we also celebreated the opening of our new retreat center, The Main House. You can get all the details and dates of our upcoming Creations' Samplers at our website www.creations-online.com and use the link to The Main House.
We are all making plans for next year's hop, but hope you will find time to visit each of the shops during the year. You can use the driving instructions on this website as your guide. We will be delighted to see you, offer you a cup of coffee and help you plan your next sewing or quilting project.
Oh, and if you are wondering about our theme for next year -- it's always a big secret!!!!
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Lori and Nancy
What a fun time of shopping and spending time with friends! Whether you travel alone, with a small group or with a large group, shop hops are great fun. Prior to the event you can participate in the block challenge, helping children in need while you enjoy some creativity and fun. During the event, you get to view the event quilt made by each shop and receive free patterns and fat quarters. It's a great way to be introduced to stores you may not have gone to before. We plan to be in a new location by that time and look forward to having a big shop warming party during the hop. So, gather some friends and plan to join the fun.
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Dixie
Hello to all you folks! Twenty-one years ago we were informed that my husband of 30 years had colon cancer. Since I worked for him, we were searching for a business for me in case he did not recover. Our planning turned out to be for the best. After a 3 year battle my beloved was taken away from me. The business we purchased was a sewing machine only, sales and service. I began by adding a little fabric at a time and very simple classes. Employed a lady to teach quilting and things begin to happen! Now 21+ years later and 3,000 bolts of 100% top quality cotton fabrics (plus a selection of wool) many books, patterns and all of the notions needed, I have been able to provide a comfortable living for myself. Both of our children were grown and happily married when their dad passed away. I now have 4 wonderful grandchildren and live within 10 miles of all.
Enough about me! Seventh Heaven, which means "the place you most want to be", is a friendly, laid back quilt shop in beautiful Alamo Heights area of San Antonio. We have ample parking, the coffee pot is on most of the time, my staff are all proficient quilters and can assist the customer with most any request. SHQS is the only authorized Baby Lock Sewing Machine dealer in San Antonio. Baby Lock is most known for the very best serger available today. But the Baby Lock sewing machine is also second to none and very reasonably priced.
Shop Hop is always an exciting time in our shop. One of our customers favorite part of shop hop is the challenge block. Quilters always seem to enjoy doing for someone else. The last few years the challenge blocks have been made into quilts for various children camps and or hospitals, etc. I think it is important for you to see what we do with your blocks that you make. This year several of the shops hosted sewing days to make the quilts. Several came to SH to help recently and others donated already made "filler" blocks, batting, fabric and quilting expertise of some of the quilt tops. I hope you enjoy seeing a few of the quilts that were either constructed or finished in Seventh Heaven.
We are looking forward to another Blue Bonnet Trail Shop Hop in April 2012. Our only request is that south Texas get some rain next fall and spring so we will have some blue bonnets to enjoy! But blue bonnets or not, the 12 shops will be "hopping" with fun and lots of new gadgets, fabrics, books, patterns and of course refreshments. Make your plans now to enjoy that fun too! We look forward to seeing you!!
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Ronna
We love the Shop Hop because we get to see so many quilters that we may only see once a year, those who travel a great distance to visit with us. It is also fun to meet the many new quilters and First Time Hoppers who are on the trail with so many sites to see.
Ready To Sew Bernina stands out for us because we are so eclectic. We do not focus on any one type of fabric or designer. We LOVE it all and we try to carry as many different styles of fabric as we can possibley squeeze into the store. We are also very happy to constantly be moving our store around. This may not make all the customers happy as what they saw last week may not live in the same spot this week, but it makes us happy to find new niches and spaces to display or show fabrics.
Our store is extremely light and bright, very colorful with all of our assorted collections or fabrics, many samples showing off class projects or new patterns we offer. The staff is friendly, always willing to lend a helping hand in fabric choices, figuring yardage for the quilt, borders or backing. We love the opportunity to add our "opinions" with new or experienced quilters. Making new friends and encouraging the development of quilters is probably the most important part of our "job".
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Dianne
I started quilting in my 20's. My sister, MaryAnn, taught me to quilt. It was the dream of me and my sisters to grow old and open a shop. The opportunity arose sooner than we expected and I am now living the dream! We have been open since 2001. The highlight of our year is the Bluebonnet Patchwork Trail Shop Hop! We love seeing customers from near and far. The festive atmosphere and laughter are my favorite parts of the hop.
Honey Bee Quilt Store prides itself on our reputation for outstanding customer service. We really appreciate everyone who comes to shop with us. We love seeing our customer's quilts, hearing their stories and are honored to be a part of their quilting experience.
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Jessica
We have our first Shop Hop under our belt, Whew, no one could have prepared us for what a delightful time we would have. My face hurt for days from all the smiles, laughs and conversations with everyone. It was so much fun meeting all the quilters that were new to our shop, and catching up with those of you who have been such a great support to us. We are looking forward to 2012 Shop Hop now, and have already started planning. We have many activities through out the year to keep you inspired, so check out our Calendar and stop in to see us soon. Thank you for your support during 2011 Shop Hop and we will see you in April. ;)
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Alice
Have a seat in our Library of books for sale and enjoy our cozy fireplace. Then, stop by Karen's kitchen, it is so inviting with such wonderful smells.Sit with a friend and enjoy a snack while taking in all our wonderful fabrics. Here at Memories by the Yard we are helping make Memories.
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Francine
You are invited to step inside our little yellow frame cottage and return to a simpler, more relaxed place in time. Our century old Sears house is a charming venue for our assortment of quilters’ needs. Here, yesteryear’s nostalgia sits alongside wild and wonderful modern prints. Many of our kits are original designs by our staff.
Several classes are available on a variety of projects. Especially popular are Basic Handpiecing, Handquilting, Punch Needle, Applique and wool art. We intentionally keep our class sizes small to ensure personal instruction.
We take pride in offering only the finest quilting cottons, wools and textiles. Along with many books and patterns, we carry unique trims, beads and buttons. Here you will find the unusual to be commonplace.
For 30+ years our co-owners, Francine Pons and Toni Reyna, aided by their creative staff members, have labored to bring you a welcoming, friendly environment filled with inspiring, novel projects to encourage and grow your own talents.
Our quiet homelike setting amid tall trees and picket fence belies our 2 mile proximity to all the major hotels along the San Antonio Riverwalk. Tourists seek us out. They come as strangers and depart as friends.
It is our hope that you will visit soon and discover Las Colchas, where creativity lives.
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Deanne
I have owned the Quilt Haus since 2002 (some of you may remember baby Greta in her bouncing in her exer-saucer - she's NINE now!). I love all the styles of fabric, but especially those fabulous, big, contemporary prints. I enjoy creating original patterns to showcase large-scale prints and fun fabrics in acheivable quilts. Many of these patterns are featured in our displayed quilts. Our store has 3,300 square feet full of unique and exciting fabrics and notions, high ceilings that give us lots of room to show lots of quilts, a pretty fantastic, permanent Sale Room, and a friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. We are very proud to be the home of the New Braunfels Area Chapter of Project Linus, and the official Drop-off Shop for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. We enjoy hoting sew-ins for both of these causes, too - check out our calendar for upcoing date!
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Jeanne
With the 2011 shop hop past us, we are busy preparing the shop for the rest of the year, and yes, planning for our 6th shop hop. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Birthday Party for Claude!
The goal in our shop is to make sewing fun. I have always enjoyed sitting at the sewing machine and creating something, and I want to inspire everyone who visits the store to feel that same way. Whether you are making a quilt, a garment or something to use around the house, it is our goal to make sure the creative sewist leaves our shop inspired to sew.
We look forward to seeing everyone throughout the year, and also at 2012 shop hop! Gee, what will we do for a theme? Don’t worry, it’s already in the works.
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Laurie
When I first started the store, I was all over the map trying to please everyone. I had every type of fabric, but never the "kind" anyone wanted. I then realized that we sold what we loved, and we love bright, con-temporary, happy fabric. So we focused our fabric buying in that direction and Bright and Happy is a great way to describe our store. We have lots of basics, but we also carry many groups from Moda, Westminster, Riley Blake, Free Spirit, RJR, Benartex and many others. We have a large selection of novelty prints for kids quilts and a good selection of Batiks. We display many quilt samples throughout the store! We also love to make bags, wall hangings, and clothing.
Overall... we are a very active, fun shop that strives to keep you inspired and wanting to continue creating. We would lvoe to have you visit anytime, but you won't want to miss our store during Shop Hop. We pick a theme, and the store is transformed. We have quilts, decorations, demonstrations. and refreshments that all make the store a sight to see. We look forward to seeing you during Shop Hop and througout the year.
Debra Pavelka, Gone Quiltin’ Bandera Texas, I am so pleased to be on the Bluebonnet Patchwork Trail Shop Hop for 2012. I purchased “Gone Quiltin” in October of 2010. I never set out to buy a quilt shop, this opportunity just fell into my lap. I am so excited about this store and its transformation. When I bought the store, it was very heavy in Western and Juvenile fabrics, and not much more. First, I have added Batiks in a big way mostly because they are my personal passion. I have added florals and some more modern or “edgy fabrics”. I came from the quilting world and have sewn since I was 9, but only started quilting about 15 years ago. The first time I started feeding strip sets into the machine, I was hooked. When I first started buying for the store I had no idea where to start so I have purchased fabric with a mind of what I would like to buy. We welcome our customers and let them know that if they need help with anything, “Just come on back”. In addition to fabrics, notions, and classes, we sell the Janome sewing machines and the new Janome Artistic Quilter 18 long arm quilting machine. We also teach long arm quilting and after a class you can rent our long arm and quilt your own projects. I have brought my Gammill long arm from home and also custom quilt for the public.
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About Us
