Monday, August 3, 2015

Trip to Montana part 1

John and I got to go to Montana for a couple days mid July, an we are so thankful for it.  The idea was to have some rest and relaxation time.  John got it... I got to explore new quilt shops with my aunt!   This is the first time I've gotten to visit shops while the Row by Row Experience was happening, it's fun stuff!
 
Day 1-driving to Montana
 
Lind, WA-Crazy Quilter
A new quilt shop & retreat center that is fantastic!  John and I were very impressed with the details that PJ and her husband Jake put into their place.  I'm going to recommend to the ladies in my guild that we look into a weekend retreat at this place, I think it would be lots of fun!  You should visit their site, I didn't take any photos inside and it's worth seeing.
 

 
Isn't the lacework amazing?!
Spokane, WA-Sew E-Z Too
These guys are not kidding when they say "a quilter's paradise" on their main webpage.  We were shocked at the size of this store!  And they have a whole second part of the store dedicated to yarn supplies!  Great customer service, awesome selection.  Will definitely be going back now that my sister lives in Spokane and we have a really good reason to drive 3.5 hours away...
 
 
 
The Spokane area rows assembled.
Spokane, WA-The Cozy Quilt
This one is very spacious and has a lot of fabric choices, but was the first time I didn't feel fully welcome in a shop.  No one greeted us for almost 10 minutes after we arrived, but maybe that's a downfall of having such a huge space (although we walked right by the cutting counter with 2 ladies behind it as we came in...)  I will say, they have the BEST sale room I've seen and I was super happy to find a 4-pack of Aurifil at 40% off, yay!

The only place I saw Bobbin the Robin :)
 
This is the neatest display I've ever seen, she is using Poster swing displays to show off the panels she has to offer!

 

This one was my favorite, and apparently everyone else's too because she was sold out.
Bonners Ferry, ID-Alley Fabric Nook
Absolutely the best one of the day, which was also our last stop.  Another store that just keeps on giving as you wander around.  The owner is a wonderful lady with a great sense of humor and I wish I could remember her name.  She has 6 different license plates!  I wish she wasn't 6 hours away... it will become a must-visit on our trips to Montana though!
 



We stopped at Kootenai Falls because mom wouldn't stop insisting that we go.  It was scary!!  The wind was blowing like crazy, but John convinced me to get across and after that it wasn't so bad.  It's a gorgeous hike.

 
 
Typical beautiful Montana evening.
 
Stay tuned for day two, I shall post it soon.  Don't want to get too crazy with the gigantic posts.
 
~Brandy
 



2 comments:

Mary said...

Scary Bridge crossing. Great Shops. Sorry you found one that wasn't outwardly friendly. The Plates are fun to collect. I'll have to give her a call for the ones I want.

allthingzsewn said...

Just beautiful, and what fun at all the shops.