A Perfect Combination

What do a tearoom, an antique shop, and a quilt store have in common? In my (Kara's) mind it would be that they are three of my favorite places, and on a corner in Gulfport, Florida, those three places happen to be right next to each other.

On a recent trip to visit my in-laws, my mother-in-law treated my son's girlfriend and me to lunch at Sweet-tea Celebrations. I do enjoy tearooms, and this one did not disappoint. 

Some of the beautiful giftware available for purchase

A sweet crocheted teapot

It was tastefully decorated without being overdone, and the food was delicious. We chose to eat lunch instead of having the high tea, but we saw one go by and it looked spectacular!

Such a beautifully presented plate!

Lovely company for tea

The Boulevard Shoppe and Garden (antique store) was connected to the tearoom by a courtyard, so after our lunch, we meandered over to see if we could find any treasures. I have been on a quest for an antique chatelaine, so that was my first question to the salesperson. She didn't think that there were any to be found but directed me to a specific case and encouraged me to dig around.

A case of treasures

But alas, as is usually the case, there were none there, and my search continues. All was not lost though, as I found a beautifully embroidered goldenrod panel stitched in what appears to be silk.

So many French knots!

I love the contrast with the black background

I also found a set of lovely, hand-etched, mother-of-pearl buttons. These will look lovely worked into my next crazy quilt project.

Mother-of-pearl has so many color variations

This red really stands out

The next room contained quite a few beautiful, vintage linens. I was tempted to add to my embroidered pillow case and tea-towel collection, but I exercised some restraint.

A selection of linens

This flowerpot quilt was in great condition and had a wide variety of flowers. 

Pretty Pansies

In one of the rooms I found this exquisite cross-stitch sampler dated 1810. It was in excellent condition, and I might have snatched it up if the budget had allowed.

A sampler to be proud of

The Boulevard Shoppe and Garden had a nice variety of items, and I didn't even make it out to the courtyard to check out the garden items they had. This will definitely be a "must-stop" the next time I am in the area.

To complete the perfect shopping afternoon, Ruthie and I walked across the street to a lovely little quilt shop called Fabric Smart. Karen Donnelly had been selling fabric online for some time when circumstances changed and she decided to open a storefront.

 

Karen and her shop

While she still has her online store, her shop has a broad and beautiful selection of fabrics, as well as some rare and hard-to-find fabrics. Supporting our local quilt shops is important, and I was happy to hear from Karen that business is good and growing.

If you are in the area, it is worth a stop, and if you'd like to know more about Karen's class offerings just email her at info@fabric-smart.com.

What a fun afternoon we had in all three places! Finding this perfect combination of some of my favorite interests, at an all-in-one walkable location, made me feel like I had hit the jackpot. Do you have special places like these where you live? Tell us all about it, so others who might be in your area may enjoy them as well.