Quilt stores on the road

I love my local quilt store, it is my true and trusted friend.  It is located on my same block which may or may not be a good thing!  I have run up there for advice, a spool of thread as well all the fabric for an entire quilt.  It was my first source for long arm quilting before I got my own.  I love it, I really do but when I go on vacation there is nothing I enjoy more than discovering a new place to indulge my fabric habit.

"Hello gorgeous" was my enthusiastic response to the store I happened upon in Hannibal, MO.  My next response was:  I. WANT. IT. ALL.  There were four rooms and I could barely breathe by the time I got to the last one.  Plus, my husband was napping in the car.  Be still my heart and focus, Kathy.  But the new fabrics!  The bright fabrics!  The new kits!  I was debating, did we really need to buy groceries this fall, could we skip paying for the utilities?  Breathe, Kathy, breathe!  You may get a few treats, put those bolts down.  No, you may NOT buy one whole room.

Luckily, I had remembered my blood pressure medicine that morning so the only serious damage was to the credit card.  One kit, 3 yards, one fat quarter bundle, two books, a couple of panels and one or two other trinkets made it into a bag and then the back of our car.  I climbed in the car, had a sip of water and fought the urge to go back a second time.

Someone recently asked me what my favorite quilt store was and I truthfully answered I don't have one.  I find a quilt store on every trip and all my souvenirs are gathered from these treasure troves.  I've bought fabric in Leadville, CO, Aix-en-Provence, France and Paducah, KY.  For fabric, I am the equivalent of the bad girlfriend.  I am always flirting with a new store, calling out "Hey there sailor, show me what you've got."  Sometimes I remember where I got all the lovelies in my stash and other times I have no idea.  I am lucky to have Quilt stores to channel my fickle side, my wandering eye and my untrue heart.

Then I get in the car to the true love of my life who takes me to all these stores and pretends to believe me when I answer his query, "What you'd get?"  with "Oh, nothing much."  Now that's worth my unwavering loyalty, plus... he's really good at driving me places!