Sketching #158

CPP Response #158: Bird
CPP Response #158: Bird

This is another prompt where I wanted to do something more elaborate, but I just didn’t know what. In the end I just did a kind of flock of birds.

I have been looking at birds lately and wanting to draw them. Amy from the Creative Mom Podcast did a project with drawing birds and that inspired me. I did the one giant budgie, but I need more practice.

There is always the opportunity to do another response.

Broadway Quilts Sonoma

Broadway Quilts, Sonoma
Broadway Quilts, Sonoma

As I have mentioned before, DH is on the board of a non-profit, which starting now will require more travel on the weekends for us. this past weekend we headed up to Sonoma for a historic building dedication, a commemoration ceremony and the reenactment of the Bear Flag Revolt. After all of that and the drive up there we got lunch. I didn’t get lunch, I brought my own, because of my food issues.

DH knows that one way to get me to go with him on these jaunts when I can is to not complain about visiting local quilt shops. Broadway Quilts in Sonoma was our first excursion. Broadway Quilts is easy to find. It is right off of 116 just as you drive off the freeway. From south it is on the left. On Sundays it is open from 11-3, which I made sure DH knew. We flew past in the morning to get to the dedication, but we saw it, so we knew where it was on our way back out of town.

The boys came in with me even though I, specifically, uninvited them. It was too hot to stay in the car, so I couldn’t really begrudge them wanting to take advantage of the air conditioning.

Broadway Quilts Interior
Broadway Quilts Interior

The store is light and airy and large! I walked in a heard a disembodied voice coming from all around me and welcoming me to the store. I thought I was being visited by God who happened to be a quilt shop owner/worker. 😉

The lady who was working was very nice, genuinely cheerful and nice. She helped me paw through their stash of Aurifil to try and find #2600 for me (no luck) without complaining.

The store has a lot of the latest and greatest fabric. I saw Vintage Modern, Echo, a great selection of tone-on-tones, which I thought no longer existed, and a whole room full of 1930s fabric. I am not an expert on 1930s fabrics, but I do look out for them, because FQs make good gifts for TFQ.

Broadway Quilts Notions
Broadway Quilts Notions

As I mentioned, the store is large and their notions selection was really good. They still have the regular full selection of Dritz, but they also have  a lot of Creative Grids rulers, including those with teeth to make half square triangles. I am not sure I have ever seen those in a shop before. They carry a modest selection of Aurifil, project cases, Omnigrid rulers, bag accessories – you name it. A very good selection.

There was a enough space to move around, which was nice. They also share space with a longarm business. The longarm is set up int he back of the store, but it is a separate business. I think that is a good symbiotic relationship.

It looked like they had a small classroom and I saw classes mentioned on their web page, but I didn’t see a class list.

Broadway Quilts Flowering Snowball
Broadway Quilts Flowering Snowball

One of the samples I saw hanging up was a Flowering Snowball! I felt like such a maverick when I started that quilt a dog’s age ago, but now everyone seems to be making them. This one is nice. I think it was made with Vintage Modern or, perhaps, Ruby.

I liked the store and would go there again. Yes, I bought fabric, but just a little.