Books for Quilters!
Number Forty-One * July 1, 2000 Classifieds | Table of Contents Please allow entire page to load before clicking links. THE TRAVELING QUILTER:
By Christina Holland G Street Fabrics
I recently spent a month in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. My work, nominal reason for my stay there, kept me pretty busy every Monday through Friday. But there's always the weekend! My first weekend in town, I got together with some friends. My friends Niki and Karen, who as crafters themselves appreciate and share my love of fabric, had promised me a trip to some super- duper, amazing "Mecca of fabric." I had never, they assured me, seen anything like this. I wasn't all that surprised, really, when it turned out to be G Street Fabrics. I was happy, though, to finally make my own pilgrimage. A review of G Street can be summed up easily. If you haven't been there, go. Immediately. Just put down the needle, and go. Are you still here? Oh, all right...
G-Street's wall of buttons. First of all, it's enormous. Room after room, spread across two spacious floors, there are bolts upon bolts of material everywhere you look. It's not just a quilt shop by any stretch; you can find pretty much any kind of fabric your heart desires. A few highlights: There's the evening wear section. Beware. Some of these fabrics are gorgeous, with lace and tiny beads sewn on by hand. Their prices, however, run in the triple digits per yard. There's an entire room devoted to notions. The best thing there has to be the wall of buttons. Take a number when you walk in if you want to look at any of those up close. Then, of course, there's the quilter's area. Tucked away in a relatively small corner on the bottom floor of the store, it's nonetheless larger than many quilt shops I've visited. Antique prints, batiks, juvenile prints and oriental designs are all well represented. The plainer fabrics are arranged by color behind the cutting tables, but the fun ones are all out where you can get your hands on them. Karen described G Street as a "digger's paradise." The pricing does defy logical expectations. You'll find plenty of great quilting fabric for $8 a yard, but right next to it on the shelf will be bolts selling for $18 a yard. If you're like me, you'll want to check the price before falling in love too completely. But for those willing to dig, there are certainly treasures to be found.
The entrance to G-Street's notions room. There are several places to eat nearby. There's an interesting looking French place next door, a Chili's down the street, and pretty much anything else you'd like. G Street also has two locations in Virginia, which I have to check out next time I'm in the area.
Another weekend came around, and I decided it was time to find some more fabric. My friends were out of town, and I was without a car, but that's just part of the adventure. So what if I was in Maryland, and the shop I wanted to see was in Virginia? So I hopped on a bus and then a Metro train, and got off at the King Street station in Alexandria. That's when fate took over. My intent was to catch another bus, to take me to Fairfax to see the Quilt Patch. But there I was at the station, blocks away from historic King Street, with forty-five minutes before my bus would come. So I started walking in what I figured was the right direction. Ten minutes later, I nearly ran right into Quilt-N- Stuff, an unexpected pleasure. Quilt-N-Stuff's location, when I saw it, was pretty small. They had a very nice selection of fabrics, just not a lot of room to maneuver. The classroom was the back half of the room, separated from the store floor by a shelf. Which, I would guess, is why they're about to move. The new location is as I listed above. The women I spoke with in the shop said that the new location is roomier and altogether nice. They will open there on July 5th, 2000. Many of the nicest fabrics had been pre-cut to yard increments (it was also available on the bolt), to save time and space. I was in a hurry (to catch that bus), so I was glad to find several of the fabrics I had been admiring available in pre-cut yards. Prices were $7 and up per yard. From what I saw of how they were making use of their current space, I can definitely recommend visiting them. Everyone was very friendly, and I wish I could have stayed longer.
I dallied at the Fair City Mall to browse Minnesota Fabrics; the internet let me to believe it existed there. It didn't. There is a Hancock Fabrics, but I decided to forge on to the Quilt Patch. Okay, here's where I have to say - don't do what I did. Rent a car. Really. An hour's walk in the middle of a summer afternoon later, I arrived. The Quilt Patch, however, is delightful. It's set in the middle of historic "Old Town" Fairfax, in a very big, very blue, house at the corner of Main Street and Old Lee Highway. Walk around to the side entrance, off the driveway, not the porch. If you've been to The Quilt Patch before but not recently, be aware that they've moved about a block from their previous location. Their website has the details, and a map. The inside somewhat resembles a maze. One room of the house feeds into another, and another, each one filled with fabric. I could have spent a lot of money there. The only reason I didn't, really, was that I was thinking of the walk back, and the fact that I'd have to carry anything I bought. I settled for a half dozen or so fat quarters. One of the rooms had baskets and baskets full of fat quarters set out to tempt people like me. The ones I bought were $2.25 each. Another room contained the "dog patch", the eventual destination of fabrics no one had yet decided to take home with them. The fabrics there were marked at $4.50 per yard, with a one yard minimum. The shop was bustling when I was there, but everyone was very courteous After you finish in the Quilt Patch, walk next door to the Second Yard, where you'll find home decor fabrics and fun antiques. Classifieds
POPPIES FABRIC Poppies Fabric, located on Orcas Island in Washington, carries fabric, patterns and books, as well as some locally spun yarns. Browse our internet site, www.poppiesfabric.com, where you can find some of the widest selections of Moda Marbles, Benartex Fossil Ferns, Hoffman Batiks, and great deals on fat quarter packages of coordinating fabrics, kits and notions. Our Photo board displays quilts made by some of the finest quilters in the Pacific Northwest, some of which are for sale. Come get ideas at our site, and while you're there, visit our free pattern section!
SEAGULL QUILT PATTERNS 72 ELMWOOD AVENUE, EAST AURORA, NY 14052 http://users.aol.com/seagullq/seagullq.htm
HEARTLAND QUILTWORKS Heartland Quiltworks asks: http://planetpatchwork.com/tvqmain/<http://www.heartlandquiltworks.com%20<
MOTHER HEN'S QUILT
EMBROIDERIES
NEW ENGLAND FABRIC LOFT WE NOW CARRY AURIFIL
COTTON THREAD!
BREAKING TRADITIONS Cathedral Windows Quick Method Quilt
Greenhaven Enterprises Greenhaven, a bed and breakfast retreat especially for
Quilters, on the Olympic Peninsula.
MY FAVORITE THIMBLE Don't put it off any longer! Make your quilting much
easier with My Favorite Thimble. Our famous rubber
coating grips the needle for the best stitch control you
have ever experienced. http://www.myfavoritethimble.com/
THE CRAFT CONNECTION The Craft Connection ( http://www.craftconn.com/ ) is the most exciting place on the Internet if you want to make or sell handcrafts. We sell quality cotton fabric, Mettler and Sulky thread, and quilting notions, all at a discount. Fabrics are linked to coordinating fabrics, so you know your choices will look great together. We try to find fabrics you won't see anywhere else. And we'll package them into packets of fat eighths, fat quarters, or 5" squares, so you can get a good variety without a big cash outlay. Among our fabric categories are florals, pictorials, and guy stuff, and you should see the new Lost Fabrics of Atlantis collection. Every month some items are for sale at 20 percent off our already discounted prices. You can use your credit card online on our secure server to safely purchase our fabrics and also our crafters' products. If you're a crafter, you can sell here and take credit cards without having your own credit card vendor account. Check out our Free Stuff. Each month we offer a new pattern and a new lesson. We also have a Calendar of upcoming Quilt Shows. Come by our website at http://www.craftconn.com/.
THE QUILT BLOCK We are a cottage industry located just outside of
Yosemite National Park. We specialize in clothing and
patterns for quilters and for people who love quilts. Or e-mail for more information to The Quilt Block
SILVER DOLLAR SHEEP STATION What is small, soft, and furry and kind to your sewing machine and serger?
SECONDS:
Because we manufacture the Mini Dust-it to a very high
standard, we currently have a good supply of imperfects.
They may be thinner and not as pretty or have some other
defect, but they still work great!
PINETREE QUILTWORKS, Ltd. PineTree Quiltworks is settling comfortably into its
new site and now frequently updates the "What's
New" link (so you can check on *new stuff* there.
The menu in the fabrics department also lists update
dates for your convenience!. Shopping Cart enables you to
add items to your basket with a click!
SCHOOLHOUSE ENTERPRISES Amazing but true!
PERFECT SQUARE PERFECT SQUARE and PERFECT TRIANGLE are tools that
help quilters make quiltpieces more easily and
accurately. Patterns have been written especially for
PERFECT SQUARE and the necessary sheets to make the quilt
are included in the pattern.
PCQuilt for WindowsPCQuilt for Windows is easy to learn and easy to use
quilting software. The block and the quilt are on the
same screen so you can see your quilt emerge as you
design and color your blocks. Combine blocks in a variety
of ways to see endless new designs. The program includes
all the features that have always made PCQuilt easy and
fun to use. Now with the new Windows version, PCQuilt
will help you estimate your yardage, print templates,
quilts and blocks, and has a friendly Windows interface
with easy to use toolbars. PCQuilt comes with a extensive
library of blocks, border, quilts, palettes and fabric
patterns. PCQuilt is also available for the Macintosh.
Look for PCQuilt at your local Husqvarna VIKING Dealer or
visit our website at http://www.pcquilt.com/
.
DREAMHORSE WORKSHOP 18" pillows for sale: free-form patchwork bordered by canvas duck on front and backed with burlap ($50), or patches of traditional knit or crochet patterns in off-white cotton yarn bordered and backed with upholstery fabric in natural shades ($75). All covers removable and should be drycleaned. Include $7 for shipping and handling. lindag@inreach.com for questions. (530) 675-2899. Linda Gyulassy at P.O. Box 42, Brownsville, CA 95919.
ADVERTISING WITH TVQ.Our advertisers, both here in the newsletter and at the Planet Patchwork website, have found TVQ to be an effective and economical way to reach thousands of online quilters. Ads in the newsletter are only $5 each (up to 100 words, inquire about longer ads) or 3 for $10, and there are also attractive packages available which combine newsletter and website ads. For more information e-mail rholland@planetpatchwork.com or visit http://www.planetpatchwork.com/adcard.htm. We specialize in helping small quilting-related businesses gain exposure on the internet.
And here's what's inside!
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, NEWS, IDEAS, BRICKBATS?Like any news publication, TVQ is always
hungry for information about new developments in the area
we are trying to cover. If you have an idea for a story,
or want to tell the world about something you are doing
which relates to computers and quilting, we'd like to
hear about it. Editor and Publisher: Robert Holland, Decatur, GA © 1999 by Robert Holland. All rights reserved. This file may not be reproduced in any form except to be printed out for the personal use of its owner without the expressed, written consent of the copyright holder. |
The Fairfax bus left
me at the Fair City Mall, right where Little River
Turnpike becomes Main Street. I stopped to eat there, at
Jerry's Subs and Pizza. There are several eating
establishments around. Further on Main Street, you'll
find Carlos O'Kelly's, which advertises Mexican food, and
Main Street Bagel, across the street from the Fairfax
Museum and Visitor's Center. 