Back in August, I promised one of my pals that I would take a few days off and go quilt shop looking ... we weren't going to buy anything ... just 'touch with your eyes' like I used to tell my boys. We both just needed some visual stimulation. Yike yike yike ... how on earth did we put over a thousand miles on the car? And how did all those bags get into the back seat!
So I found some great shops, but for some reason Harper's in Overland Park, Kansas ended up with a bunch of photos! Probably because this is where we stopped for lunch. A yummy place across the street was the perfect way to get ready for poking through the store. This store was picked for the current Quilt Sampler magazine and I for one will say the staff at American Patchwork and Quilting picked a great one!
What on earth did I see when I went through the doors ... well after the fabulous Autumn fabric display ... was a Terry Atkinson shrine just like at my store! Gotta love a store that loves Pretty Paisley.
They had the sweetest baby area ... makes me wish I knew someone with a baby coming. Love how its not just little quilts for babies anymore ... you get to doll them up with their own bag and cute bibs and fun dresses and sleepers. My favorite thing was the chipping paint pink door. Doesn't it make you wonder who lived in the house this door came from?
Peek up on the wall to the right ... fabulous batik quilt. They had a terrific selection of batiks and may be the start of a conversion for me. Yike ... I didn't say that!
They also had the hugest selection of Jo Morton fabric I've ever seen! If you need more for a project and can't find it at your local shop, call them next. They have a very active Little Women's club and here's just a sampling of their samples.
As part of their club, they had a challenge ... four patches put into a strip setting. Amazing how each quilt looked so different. Viewers could vote for their favorite ... the one I voted for is in this photo ... can you guess which one?
Go to their web site and look at the quilt they submitted for Quilt Sampler ... then come back and look at these three quilts. Here's your quilting lesson for the day ... choose the fabrics you like best and then just go ahead and make your quilt. That's the best part of quilting ... you start with the same set of instructions but you know you won't end up with the exact same quilt as the girl next door. Proof right here!
Just a few hours before we walked in the door, Harpers got their latest shipment of Amy Butler fabric. There's none left. My friend bought it all! JK!! But they can re-order the bolts she cleaned out ... just kidding again. They did have a wonderful selection of Amy's fabrics and Kaffe Fasset (is that how you spell his name?) and holy cow ... purse patterns!
It was hard to tear ourselves away from this great store but eventually we had to ... but we still couldn't get away from the quilts! We ran back into the cafe across the street for 'one for the road' ... they have more quilts from the store hanging on their walls. Total immersion in quilting in this town!
We needed to get back on the road but it sure would have been fun to linger on their patio. It was a perfect Fall day!!!
