Shop Hop 2011: Day One

Today Mom and I hit the road with four stops in mind. Two quilt shops, a flea market, and an antique mall. We headed south to Clifton, TX to visit the Quilting Cousins quilt shop....a small shop with a very decent selection considering the size. The ladies were very friendly and talkative and the resident cat was snuggly and cute. I would happily visit again because it was a nice shop, but it is not a shop that will become a destination (think Creations in Kerrville, TX). I'm certainly not saying that to in any way demean their shop, but living near Fort Worth we have other shops that can fill our needs that are much closer to home, but the point of our "shop hops" are to spend the day together, explore some different shops and towns, and ultimately create a quilt.

Next stop, Chickenhouse Flea market, between Dublin and Stephenville. This was my second visit and I would say that overall it is about a 2 star set up. There are a few booths that have interesting stuff, the others are bedraggled, garage sale quality "stuff" (and I'm being nice using the word "stuff"). I don't remember it being so very dirty the first time we went. Last summer when the hubs and I went I came home with a very nice (new, I might add) straw hat and a watermelon. This time there was not a lot to tempt me.

Third stop, lunch, Cotton Patch, filled the void, enough said.

Fourth stop, The Flying Needle quilt shop in Stephenville, TX. We visited this shop in 2009 and I found it much the same, but with a funky smell this time.....like maybe the roof leaked and the carpet was mildewy or something. Nice enough folks, but their chatting didn't stop quite quick enough when we brought our fabric to the cutting table. Just saying....

Fifth stop, an antique mall on the outskirts of Stephenville and right on the way home. I don't think I had ever been there before and found it very nice, very neat, but felt like maybe they were a little proud of their antiques. That is not to say that there weren't things that I could both afford and thought were worth the price, but several things I picked up were (I thought) ridiculously over-priced, but hey, what do I know. If I like it I buy it and the whole "what's it worth" debate is sort of moot when you buy what you like, instead of collecting things for their current and potential worth.

Well now, re-reading this post I sound a bit negative, but I'm not one to mince words and I tell it like I see it. I don't regret the time I spent in each place and it was great to spend the whole day with my mom. I bought eight fat quarters or quarter yards in 30s reproduction prints and while the jury is still out, I think I will be making a Dresden Plate. We will see.