Sunday Stash: Fabric Shop Tour 1

I recently returned from an end of summer vacation to the mitten state Michigan. It's a go to place for people who live in vacation destinations like central Florida. Seark and I packed up our Smart car and zoomed through five states, some mountains, several large cities and miles of corn fields to reach my hometown! Now I know that my last Sunday Stash questioned the ethics of stashing fabric, but I could not find restraint on this trip. Hence piles of fabric that look like they are going to topple over and smash someone. 

The spoils of a two week vacation/road trip!

Of course the two week vacation was not all about fabric shopping, though one might think otherwise if they only looked at the first photo in this post. Rest assured there were further adventures. We went to the county fair and feasted on fried goodies, meandered the midway and examined the exhibits.

The Ferris Wheel reminded me of the groves with the orange and green color scheme. 

We stopped in Kalamazoo to visit my alma mater, Western Michigan University, which has changed and grown to become even more beautiful than I remember. 

Miller Fountain Plaza (I may or may not have gone for a late night swim in that fountain.)

 We drove to Saugatuck and the west coast of Michigan to see the 'beach' and take in the sights and sound of the Great Lake Michigan. The water was really cold and I did not go swimming here, though we did get our feet wet.

The water has a gentler sound, lapping against the shore rather than the crashing waves of Florida beaches.

Not only did I bring home fabric, but also zesty homemade pickles, tart strawberry and rhubarb jam, childhood quilts, and the gem pictured below. This is the sewing cabinet that sat at the end of the hallway in front of a closet door at my grandmother's house. I remember rolling it aside every December to retrieve the Christmas decorations stored in the closet behind it. It contains some treasures that I may write about in a future post, the fondest of which is scent that brings memories flooding back of my childhood.

Now since this is Sunday Stash and you may have noticed that I've subtitled this Fabric Shop Tour, I will share a little more specific information about the fabrics I purchased on this trip and where I stopped along the way. The first quilting stop on this adventure was in Kentucky. Just north of Barea, KY in Richmond we stopped at Heirlooms Quilt Shoppe. Don't let the name fool you, this store was full of bright, modern prints. The staff was energetic and knowledgeable.  I picked up Citrus Slices, a Michael Miller fabric, and this other great metallic print that I bought in a fat quarter and did not get the selvage with the information about the maker. :( Sorry.  

Beautiful fabrics found at Heirlooms Quilt Shoppe.

There you have it, the first stop of many on a grand quilty adventure. Check back to find out where I went next. I also plan to share some quilt stories that found along the way. If you have any suggestions of information that might be helpful to you to share, please leave a comment. I'm linking up, once again with the fabulous Molli Sparkles and his Sunday Stash and the fantastic Lorna McMahon with Let's Bee Social.