Have you attended/would you a quilting shop hop?

Denver, Colorado
August 18, 2012 8:19pm CST
I've been going the last few years on the Denver, Colorado area quilting shop hop each August. Each year a group of area quilt shops pick one quilt to make and divide it into blocks. Each shop has one or two of the blocks. All the shops in our area do not participate. The fabric is the same for all the stores and you can purchase each block of a different design usually for $5 to $10 per block. This year there was also a fabric for RJR Fabrics manufactured just for this shop hop and was limited in availability. Unfortunately, I found they ran out of enough kits for each shop and that created a new set of problems for those who had purchased the all but one or two of the blocks. Of course, they could get a printed pattern of the missing block and perhaps found the missing fabric at another of the shops, since they were not allowed to swap fabric for the show. The basic idea of the shop hop is to introduce you to all of the shops in the area and allow you to see how different they are, one to the next. I only visited two stores, and one of those I had never been to before. It was just way to hot this year for me to do the whole event. When I got to the second shop and found they had already run out of the kit for their blocks, I saw no need to rush to visit all the stores. At least they give you 3 days to visit them all, because they are all over town and my area covers a lot of miles. I do think I'll go back to the new store and to the one that ran out of kits. The one that ran out of kits had made a beautiful purse from the fabrics and I really liked the design. I love going to these shows because I get ideas for quilts of my own original design or I can purchase fabrics I love. One of the stores is moving to a new location the first of September and all their fabric is going on sale for half price before they move. They are smart people and don't want to move anymore merchandise than they have to. Have you ever attended a shop hop in your area? What did you think about it? If you haven't would you consider doing it now?
2 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
19 Aug 12
Wow.. I have never heard of that before! That would be so much fun! Just knowing what each has so that when you need something, you know which one has it and which one doesn't so you aren't running all over town looking for it! But think of the ideas you could accumulate! I'd do the blocks just for the lesson to learn the pattern! Let me know how it all works out and the fun you had. I wish I could be there There aren't any in my area...closet we have is a vaccum cleaner/sewing machine store that has a couple dozen bolts of fabric and some minor supplies but other than that ...Joann's is the only place to go if you need quilting things. I was even in a larger metropolis area Inland Empire of So. CA...tons of stuff, but no quilting store but what the sewing machine stores had to offer, which wasn't much!
• United States
9 Sep 12
I have never been to a quilt shop hop, however I do have a quilting store near by called Quiltique. They have a website as well as classes. I am taking a quilting class which will start on September 27th. I am looking forward to the class and learning on how to measure fabric and making a wonderful project.