Road trip

My friend Kim and I had a wonderful road trip on Thursday. Getting out of the house was "just what the doctor ordered" as far as I was concerned. We started out with breakfast at a little restaurant where Kim can get her favorite biscuits and country sausage gravy. I had an egg, two link sausages, and three dollar pancakes. Perfectly sized breakfasts found on their "early bird" menu.

Next we headed up I-5. Kim programmed our destination into her GPS unit and demonstrated how it worked. Pretty clever - but then for $400+ dollars it should be! Our first stop was Sisters Quilt Shop in Chehalis WA. A tiny shop that is completely stuffed to the ceiling with fabrics and more. You really need a shopping list before you go in - otherwise the choices are too overwhelming. They had a little Halloween wall hanging displayed in the window that I decided to get because the kit contained already cut pieces - except for the face. Since I can sew a bit but can't cut at all I figured this was something I could do. I've already placed the pieces on my design wall so they are ready to be stitched together. I also got two sizes of the new yoyo makers. I want to do some fabric garlands for our Christmas trees.

Our next stop was our ultimate destination - Carriage Country Quilts in Des Moines, WA. This was a top 10 quilt shop in the Spring 2007 issue of Quilt Sampler. I'd been there once over four years ago during a shop hop and have always wanted to go back. It certainly didn't disappoint. We were there for about an hour, and I found lots of things of interested. I walked out with the following in my shopping bag - a kit for a Halloween wall hanging all done in wool, a couple stitchery patterns, and a kit for the Winter Wonderland BOM stitchery quilt by Crab Apple Hill. I've been wanting to do a quilt combining stitchery and piecing, and since this was done in my favorite red and white setting I decided it was perfect.

Following this spending spree we stopped for lunch at a little place about a block south of the quilt shop. We each had a large crab salad - marvelous! It was piled high with six ounces of fresh Dungeness crab meat - pure heaven for the palette! OK on the diet too. What wasn't OK as far as the diet was concerned was the marvelous garlic cheese toast we had with the salad. Oh well, calories don't count on a quilt shop road trip, right?

On the way home we stopped at our favorite Momma Made It in Longview. Sharon was getting everything ready for her booth at the Portland Quilt Fest that opens this Thursday. We got a preview of some of her new quilts, and both Kim and I reserved a kit that we will pick up at Quilt Fest. I won't tell you more now as I expect to take photos and post about the Fest next weekend.

All in all it was a marvelous day. Yes, I probably spent more than I should have - I certainly didn't need the things I bought. But it was great medicine for me and helped me feel ever so much better. Now if only I'd get some range of motion back in my arm I might be able to sew more than 2" squares again!

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Gratitudes:
1. A road trip planned by a Tangled Thread friend for a house-bound one wing quilter
2. A homemade lunch brought by a Tangled Thread friend
3. Pumpkin flavored coffee creamer is back in the stores
4. I'm all caught up on my blog reading!
5. Good health insurance