Not only is this my week's scrap quilt, it is this month's UFO. I drew #10 UFO, and it is another oldie but goodie, a Split Nine Patch I started years and years (and years!) ago. I started this quilt before I even thought about managing my scraps -- the magazine that has the pattern is dated 2000.
This Split Nine Patch starts with 3" squares of light and dark fabrics, and 3" light-dark half square triangles.
Some of these fabrics are from a P&B Textiles fat quarter bundle I bought when a shop here in the Springs went out of business -- 10+ years ago! Which just goes to show, fabric doesn't go bad.
Here is the first finished block (made when I started the quilt):
Clearly, I wasn't as precise in my piecing back then. I will have to see if the new blocks come out the same size, now that I know what 1/4" seams look like.
And now, a review of some of the many shops I visited on the Nebraska Shop Hop 2012.
I started hopping in Fremont, which is about 30 minutes northwest of Omaha.
I Love Sewing may become my second-favorite shop in the state. They have an outstanding collection of contemporary fabrics, and really, their staff is the friendliest I met during the entire two days I spent in Nebraska. I snapped up some International Harvester (tractor) fabric -- because crops are green, tractors are red!
I also visited Sunshine Stitches, whose staff told me where I could find my own elusive "Shop Hop" bag. Another Omaha shop I visited is The Quilt Studio. The location seems unlikely (it's right next door to an auto repair shop) but the selection is out of this world! I would swear they have every fabric in the Kaffe Fassett line, and many many other contemporary fabrics as well.
From Omaha I headed to Plattsmouth and Seams to Be:
My GPS had a little trouble finding downtown Plattsmouth. Beatriz (the wife of Ferdinand Magellan, and the name of my GPS) tried to send me down one way alleys and dead end streets. But I persevered and found quite possibly the largest quilt shop in Nebraska next to Material Girls in Grand Island! They have a very wide selection and their helpful staff advised me how to get to Lincoln without driving on the Interstate. Highway 34 is a scenic two lane highway with minimal traffic through beautiful Nebraska farmland -- much better than struggling through construction zones on I-80.
My first stop in Lincoln was a shop that was not part of the shop hop, but which I've wanted to visit since my first trip to Lincoln two years ago. The Quilted Kitty doesn't have a lot of contemporary fabrics, and I didn't get to meet the kitty, but they have an extensive display of Cat's Meow wooden plaques. I got the Nebraska plaque and may have started a new collection.
Aaahh -- The Cosmic Cow. I first discovered my favorite shop in the world two years ago when I visited the International Quilt Study Center and Museum. I only had time to visit one shop, so I asked the clerk in the museum's gift shop where I should go. She asked "What kind of quilts do you like to make?," and I replied "I'm really into the modern quilts right now, Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler." She instantly answered, "You HAVE to go to The Cosmic Cow." Who could resist a shop with a name like that?
I had seen a collection of fabrics I loved on someone's blog the night before. It was Sarah Fielke's "From Little Things," and I thought I'd never find it in a shop. Imagine my delight when they had the complete collection at The Cosmic Cow! This trip, they came through for me again when they had the solid grey-green of Malka Dubrawsky's "A Stitch in Color." Woot woot!!
Tomorrow: More Nebraska quilt shops and my Brown Bag Surprise quilt.
Remember to comment to enter my giveaway here!
From the desk of your
![auntmartisignature](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/6914513082_37879e40b3.jpg)
I'm loving hearing the names of these shops - highly commended awards for ingenious namws!
ReplyDeleteI'll be in Nebraska next month, so I will definitely check out some of these shops. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would love to check out these shops!! I just started blogging and would love for you and your friends to come and join me. www.sewcraftykathy.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old post from but I just wanted to thank you for it. My husband is going to be working in Grand Island, NE on a contract for 8 months and now I know about the quilt shops to check out while we're there.
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