Did you have a pen pal as a child? I did! What an adventure! You got to "meet" someone who often lived in far away places you hoped to visit some day and learn about their lives through the exchange of letters.
Blogs posts are much like letters. I have many blogs I follow faithfully and almost feel like I am keeping in touch with each of these people. I speak with my "face to face" friends something like this? " Did you see the new house Mary has moved to? Lucky girl! Did you see her sewing room!" and Sally? That quilt she is working on is to die for! ...
I never actually met any of my pen pals as a child, but yesterday I was pretty excited because I got to meet a blogging friend for the first time, a kind of "modern day pen pal".
There's always a bit of anxiety when meeting someone new. We had spoken in person on Sunday evening and made a plan to meet up, she would take me to her favourite "local" quilt shop. I offered to make lunch and we could come back here and sew for the rest of the day. I was excited!
I made a pot of homemade soup for our lunch, boiled some eggs for egg salad sandwiches, cut some fruit for a fruit salad; I had gingersnaps, home made fruitcake, and tea and coffee. Work area was tidied up, and I was dressed, with my shoes on ready to go. Promptly at nine my new friend pulled up. She came in bearing her contribution to lunch, we greeted each other, I kissed Mr. O goodbye and we were off to a quilt shop! That easy! We chatted along the way, enjoyed the lovely countryside roads, while getting acquainted. It really wasn't like meeting a stranger. We had been friends; we just hadn't met yet!
I'd like to introduce you to my friend, JoAnne! http://thepatrioticquilter.blogspot.com
JoAnne was kind enough to do the driving and she took me on a 40 min. drive out into the "boonies" as she laughingly described it, to a lovely little quilt shop, well worth the drive. The scenery was lovely and we saw a bald eagle at pretty close range before arriving here at Millstone Quilts.
I only had my camera on the phone and didn't take too many photos, but trust me it was so quaint!
It looked quite small, but was deceiving. There were three floors, jam packed with some yummy fabrics, loads of samples and just oozing with character! Trust me when I say this, because I'm not the only one who says this; in fact, Quilt Sampler magazine in fall 2011 featured this shop and gave a lovely overview of the shop and the history of the gristmill.
Regina, the shop owner, (yeah, we're old friends too now!) is just as sweet as can be. Friendly, welcoming and helpful with a wonderful sense of humour.
"Each May, customers from as far away as North Carolina, Maryland and Kentucky bring their finished quilts for display at an outdoor show. About 125 quilts hang on lines stretched tree to tree around the property. "It is so pretty to see the quilts under the trees when the wind blows," Regina says. At the same time, a shop sale encourages quilters to purchase materials for quilts for next year's event, and lunch is on the house: Chris (Regina's husband) serves the customers barbeque, coleslaw, beans and soda in the pavilion he constructed on the grounds." (Taken from the Quilt Sampler article)
Doesn't this sound like a quilt shop you would love to visit? Oh yeah!
Again, I went in with great intentions; get books and patterns to help use your stash at home...and I did; sort of...until I spotted this bundle of woven fabrics
There were just 2 bundles, and there just 2 of us shopping...it was meant to be! Yup, SOLD!
There were great samples everywhere, but my time was limited so here are just a few.
Regina says her favourite colour combo for quilts is blue and white, but I only seemed to have eyes for the red ones.
After shopping was finished
And yes I did get a new book and pattern. When paying for your purchase of $25.00 or more you getto pick a number from the December calendar page and receive the corresponding prize.
JoAnne paid for her purchases before me and received a 20% of coupon. Regina said I could have that too, or I could pick my own. Maybe I should have taken the offer and run, but there is just a bit of my mom in me and I took a gamble and hoped for the 30% coupon; my prize....
The Sidewinder....One of the big prizes apparently.
When I arrived, I asked Regina if it was okay to take pictures, she said, " you can take pictures of whatever you want, just not me!"
Sorry Regina, but you were just too sweet to leave out, and really, you are just barely in this shot, just your smile!
I hated to leave, but we had the rest of our day planned so we arrived back at 1, had a bowl of soup and a yummy salad,(thanks JoAnne!) and then spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and sewing. Well JoAnne sewed, I mostly "un-sewed". Apparently I cannot chat and follow a pattern at the same time. ;)
All too quickly the afternoon had slipped away and my new friend was packing up to go home. It was really fun JoAnne, and I wish we lived closer. I just know we would spend more time together. Quilters are just the best people!
Thank you for the lunch salad, it was yummy and I finished it up for supper, and thank you also for the gift of chocolate.
In case you can't read the label, do not be fooled. It does not say Skinny Cow. It is Silly Cow Chocolate Truffle hot chocolate. Yummmm
I'll be sure to share with Sue. We missed you Sue!
