Teri's Travels: A Quilt Shop Mecca!

During our cross-country road trip in July, we spent almost a week in the St. George area of Utah. The landforms of the state are absolutely stunning, and much different than what this Maryland girl is accustomed to seeing. Whether we were in Zion or Bryce National Parks, or just driving around the area, I marveled at the colorful mountains.

Zion National Park

Bryce National Park

Having been to the Grand Canyon, I had anticipated how thrilling the landscape would be. What I hadn't contemplated when we decided to land in St. George for five days was that there could be enough quilt shops to fill an entire day! My husband was on his own, while I explored the quilt shop mecca.

 

My first stop was Scrap Apple Quilts. I was warmly greeted upon entering the store, by both people and bolts of fabulous fabric. I thoroughly enjoyed wandering in the shop, admiring the project samples and fondling the fabrics, trying to decide what I might "need."

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The next stop was a bit of a surprise. Superior Threads and Fabrics surpassed my expectations, even when I realized it was the Superior Threads warehouse. It was actually two shops in one: fabric upstairs and thread downstairs. Yes, two full floors. With a surprise on the lower level...

 

Mother Superior's Fab Fabrics houses over 8000 bolt of fabrics, beautifully arranged by color. I may have found the perfect fabrics for my mushroom cap and fall oak leaves for our 2020 Academy of Appliqué autumn wreath block. It would be hard not to find a few greens with shelves packed like these—so many choices!   

Having made my purchases, I headed downstairs with thread on my mind. I passed the kimonos—a cheerful welcome. I easily got lost in the thread selections: any and every kind of thread imaginable. I even found some silk ribbons, always a great addition to my collections. But the surprise was the gallery of quilts, like a mini quilt show, showcasing various Superior threads. Such inspiration!

Quilts by Natalia Bonner

Quilts by Marilyn Badger

Quilts by Linda Brown

Pharoah's Offering, by Sandra Leichner

Jingle Bells, by Kathy McNeil

 

The quilting adds such life and detail to the horses. Just look at that face. And that eye! Wow. (Yes, the lashes are dimensional.)

      

Emily Milne created this masterpiece, based on Van Gogh's Starry Night, using (of course) MasterPiece thread. To read more about this exquisite piece, click here. 

I could have drooled admired these works of art for hours, but I had a few more shops on my list to visit.

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Unfortunately, my next stop was closed. The day I was shop hopping was Utah's Pioneer Day, and this shop was closed for the holiday. Who knows what trouble I may have found in here?! 

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Quilted Works met me with a challenge: to celebrate Pioneer Day, they had all red, white, and blue fabrics on sale. Now, I'm not one to pass up a good sale, and I love red, so the search was on. It was almost a dare; okay, I made that up... I was daring myself not to walk out of that shop without any red, white, or blue fabric. And I won! In fact, I found some fabric in all three colors—no surprise!

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My final stop for the day was at Clover Patch Quilt Shop. I knew before I crossed the threshold that I would enjoy this visit, just based on this sign. You have to love a sense of humor! The inside of the shop did not disappoint: rooms of fabric, lovely displays, and fun projects abounded. 

 

 

And I found the perfect panel to commemorate my visit to Utah!

What a wonderful day, exploring a new area with spectacular views both outside and in—inside all those quilt shops, that is! Not only did I find some great fabrics, but I also met some delightfully friendly and helpful people. In each shop, I was welcomed and shared conversation as if I were a longtime friend. That is the beauty of our little quilt world—we are all friends, with the passion for fiber as the thread that binds us together. 

We loved our visit to Utah, which took us across the state to Moab. The landscapes, the people, and the quilt shops all made for a memorable visit. We just may have to go back again!

Some desert flower stitching inspiration