Another Day, Another Quilt Shop

On Wednesday night we stopped in Arlington, Texas to spend the night. I told you about that on an earlier post, how we innocently stopped for dinner in a Restaurant/Brewery and I'd never seen so many different kinds of beer. For a person who might have one glass of wine a year that was a real eye opener!

But ya'll the next morning before we left town we made a quick stop at The Lone Star Quilt Shop. Well, I thought it was quick but I'm not sure what Jerry thought since he was waiting in the truck for me. The Lone Star is in an old house in a residential neighborhood and they had more stuff than I could take in. They had stuff in every room of that house, including the bathroom! In fact, I bought a couple of patterns out of the bathroom. :) If you like reproduction fabrics and/or primitives you would love this shop. They had some nice wools, lots of wovens, kits galore and samples hanging everywhere. They have some great Blocks of the Month (which you can find on the website if you're interested) and were just the friendliest people to work with. I suppose they would tend to be friendly though since I was standing there with money in my hand. :) In my defense I'm doing my best to help with my very own stimulus plan - our economy will be grateful I'm sure.

The rest of the trip to Abilene was uneventful and pretty quick. We have been participating in a Volunteers in Missions training at McMurry University and have met the nicest people. Not only am I going to have to live to be a hundred to do all the quilts I want, I'm going to have to be a hundred to volunteer in all the places I want to go! After I get home I'll tell you about this training on my other blog (www.aservantsjourney.blogspot.com) where I'm sort of journaling our mission trip experiences.

When I get home I'll post pictures of everything I bought - you're gonna' love it all!

God's Gifts

"Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you...." John 17.7

"...God has given His gifts to you..." Romans 11.28

I believe God created quilt shops just for me. Well, maybe not only me, but I know He placed in me the desire to create and gave me the ability to learn and to use my knowledge to satisfy that desire. He gave that same desire to a lot of others and some of them got a double heaping helping of talent to go with it! He even supplied the materials we need to make our creations. For some of you the creations are paintings; for others it might be a beautifully decorated home. Some of you love to make flower arrangements or grow big, delicious vegetables. But whatever it is you love to create He put everything you need somewhere close to you, or in a place where you can find it. And He put quilt shops in lots of places I visit. Isn't that just like Him? He put one on the way to Sam's and He knows I have to shop at Sam's quite often. He put one near friends a few towns north of me. He put one just 10 miles from my son's house. He put a new one about 15 miles from me, right on the way to a couple of fellow guild members. And He put two in San Antonio! Well, actually He put more than two in San Antonio but that's the way He is - He overflowed my cup! I know that gluttony is a sin so I was careful; I only went to two. Wasn't I good?

The first shop I went to in San Antonio was Memories by the Yard, a large, bright & friendly place with a fabulous spot for husbands to sit and wait. The first thing I saw was a Christmas wallhanging. Now it's not like I don't have more Christmas wallhangings than I can hang in my house, and at least a half dozen Christmas wallhanging kits that I haven't yet made. But I love Christmas and this one was really cute...I know it's hard to see here but there are snowmen peeping over the first little sash, a sort of fence. And then a row of trees and a row of gingerbread men. Such a cute pattern how could I pass it up? I wandered around for a while, looked up, and there was the cutest baby quilt I ever saw. I have absolutely sworn I would not buy another applique pattern until I made several of the ones I have. But I have a new grandbaby coming. And this was so cute. So it came home with me too. It won't be hand appliqued since it's for a baby and needs to be sturdy so it should be pretty quick to make.

The second shop was Plain Jane's. This shop was difficult to find and was in a sort of industrial section. It didn't have a highly visible sign so we passed it by once. It was tiny, wasn't well lit, and had only one person working. There wasn't really room for many more people than my husband, me and the one person working. But friends, she had wonderful fabric, really fun patterns, and excellent prices. She had some cute samples and nice sale fabrics. I know she has a website and I think she may do a good bit of internet business. I bought a couple of yards of a fabric for the baby quilt from the pattern above :) and three patterns.

One is a Valentine wallhanging with both embroidery and applique. Another is a patriotic redwork pattern. And the third is also an embroidery - a family sampler.

I am thankful that God loves me so much and that He loves to give me the desires of my heart. I hope that the pieces I create are pleasing to Him.

What do you love to create and where did God put the stuff you need?