I visited Birch Fabrics back in October and forgot to post about it. The last time I visited was over 10 years ago. I thought I had been there since then and it is possible. I may not have written a review on those in between visits. It is also possible I have just purchased from their online store. I don’t know.
They have moved to a new space away from downtown and nearer to their warehouse.
Birch Fabrics – first room
The space is MUCH smaller than their previous space, just two small rooms. DH was with me and we also found it a little hard to find. The sign is pretty small.
Still, the space is super clean and well organized. It was very quiet. There was one person working and she was cutting for online orders.
Mostly they had Birch Fabrics, including Charley Harper fabrics, but I saw some Tula fabrics also. There was a small number of notions.
Birch Fabrics – 2d room
One thing I found was a couple of different Sun Hat patterns. One was the Sew Hungry Hippie Bardot Bucket Hat pattern. You know that my first Sun Hat didn’t work out very well. I had been thinking about this pattern and was glad to be able to see it in person. You can buy it at Birch, but also on the SHH website. On the website, they also have a video course and SVG files for separate purchase.
Birch Fabrics, 2024
Anyway, the second room had all of the Charley Harper prints. I have to admit I went a little crazy with those fabrics. I bought quite a few pieces and they are not my normal purchases. I really liked the Charley Harper fabrics, but I tried not to buy them all.
I might make myself an Atlas Zipper Pouch with the turquoise bird fabric. I bought the fish fabrics to make DH a Hackney. I haven’t gotten to it yet.
I’d visit this store again, especially now that I know where it is. Small, but mighty!
As you might have gathered, I really like Portland. I went again last week for a break and to see the YM. He has finally moved back to Portland, so it is much easier to see him. it is also much, much easier to get him home for a weekend, though we haven’t tried that yet.
I saw this double rainbow on the last day I was there. I went out for a walk before the long drive and felt like it was a good sign.
Mom didn’t come this time for a lot of reasons I had to accept. It was also a time where I could use a little break on my own. The drive was long, which is the down side of Mom not joining. Mary M was out of town, so it was a hotel in Crescent City then another long drive from there to Portland over Grant’s Pass. I am really glad there are audiobooks. At some point I am going to have to break the drive into three days, but for now two days was ok.
The weather felt like summer when I left.
Egret in water
Sunset in Crescent City
Boats in Crescent City
Crescent City view
As mentioned, the first stop was in Crescent City. It was a lovely evening. I went for a walk to stretch my legs after I checked into the hotel. The scenery was great. This is a lovely time of year.
The next day I drove over Grant’s Pass which is a nice drive through a forest, but felt fairly sketchy when I stopped. Fortunately, it is only two hours from US 101 to I5.
When I arrived in Portland, I felt like it was definitely Autumn. There was rain during the week and I wasn’t uncomfortable wearing a pullover over my t-shirt and a fleece jacket.
Arthouse cutting/present station
At the Arthouse in Portland, I set up my sewing area. It was a two room sewing area that I shared with food prep and eating. Sewing and measuring were in the dining room while cutting and pressing were in the kitchen
The kitchen has a nice big island, which made it great for cutting. It was also a good height so my back didn’t hurt from cutting out the Holland Pouches. As the week went on, more and more space was taken up with sewing.
The chair in the other room, which you can see on the upper left, is the one I used for sewing. I forgot to take a photo of the dining room where I sewed.
The ruler bag Amanda made me is great for traveling. It holds two rotary cutting mats (different sizes), my sewing machine mat (the Undercover Maker Mat), my June Tailor ironing pad** as well as the wool mat, numerous rulers and my small seat cushion. I forgot to bring my Sew Steady table, but I didn’t really need it since I worked on bags and smaller projects.
Arthouse pressing station
The Arthouse didn’t have an ironing board, so I used the wool mat I received as a gift last year. I have used it, but I haven’t had a chance to really use it a lot. It wasn’t great for pressing yardage, but it worked really well for smaller pieces. I was pleased that it worked so well.
I quickly found that it was better to have the iron and the mat switched. I put the mat where the iron is, in the photo above, and visa versa.
I forgot to bring my needlepoint project, but it was ok. I had some ripping out to do as well as hand finishing and there are always cell phone games.
In general, the sewing went really well. It was nice to have a long stretch of time to work on various projects.
I did go out and about a little bit.
Bagdad Cafe
One day, I went to lunch with Amanda on SE Hawthorne. We didn’t go to any quilt shops for once, but we looked at the different shops in the neighborhood.
We walked by this cafe and reminded me of the buildings in California Adventure, especially the Carthay Circle restaurant. The Bagdad is owned by McMeniman’s. The spelling of the name made me think of bags, like handbags, and dads. That made me laugh.
SE Hawthorne shop prop
I don’t usually visit thrift stores, but they had some interesting and well organized shops. They weren’t junk shops. The stuff looked carefully selected.
I don’t remember the name of the shop where I saw this leaded glass window, but I really liked it. I thought it was interestingly complex without being over the top. The glass choices were excellent, too. It would be a great quilt as well.
We went to lunch at a fried egg restaurant. Shockingly, we ate fried egg sandwiches! Mine had the best gluten free bread I’ve had in a long time. Portland as great GF bakeries and restaurant options. I always eat way too much when I am there.
Well behaved women
On my way back to the car, I saw this sign. I had been thinking about this sentiment before I saw the sign. Is it true? Do you think well behaved women make history?
I am sad that I didn’t get a better picture of it. Eyes are a fabulous lenses and cameras just don’t do the same sort of work . 🙁
Leaves
There was also rain in Portland. Not downpours, but enough to clean my car. It was nice.
I saw this group of leaves with dew one one of my morning walks. I thought the arrangement was beautiful.
I was able to get out and walk almost every day. It was good to keep up my exercise routine. It is fairly easy in Portland, which is another reason I like visiting.
Dogwood by Maude May
The house has a lot of art, thus the name, Arthouse. Each time I go I see different paintings and mixed media pieces, but there are a few that I see over and over. This one by Maude May is a favorite.
YM & Penelope
The YM and I got to spend a bit of time together. I helped the YM do a bit of job searching, house hunting and things that were easier with a car. I provided moral support and a ride for his job searching efforts. I had hoped that my magic wand would work by the time he left, but sadly no luck. He has some opportunities and got a little bureaucracy done with my help.
I also went over to the temporary place he is living and met Penelope. I enjoyed meeting her and got to play with her a bit. She is a feisty girl. When she plays, she puts her claws out right away. The ribbon toy I waved at her immediately got wrapped around her and her claws. Cats I have lived with in the past would let go after a bit, but Penelope hung on and that was the end of playtime.
I briefly visited Sewlarium to pick up some thread and try to get the YM interested in maybe hanging out there. That was the only shop I visited in Portland.
Ocean Waves 2024 purchases
On the way home I stopped at Ocean Waves in Eureka. I haven’t been there in awhile. Friend Julie and I didn’t go when we drove through Eureka on our trip in July. I bought a charm pack to use as the starting point for a quilt for a friend who lost her daughter in a car accident this week. I’ll use some of the other fabrics I bought recently, too.
Of course, I couldn’t resist some Philip Jacobs prints.
I wanted to stop at Springville Quilt Barn again, despite the danger of more fabric. However, they are only open Monday-Thursday and I was driving through on Saturday. That happened on the way up as well. Maybe next time.
Stitch Ferndale purchases 2024
I did stop at Stitch. I bought a gift, which I won’t show now, but I always find something fun there.
I have some of the Tula dots, but they seem to be hidden somewhere. I bought another piece to make the Hackney for me. The others I just liked. I’ll have to think of something to make with them quickly.
North of Eureka
This was a wonderful view from north of Eureka. It has similar topography to the Oregon coast.
There was a better view from the car, but the narrow, windy road prevented me from take a picture through the windshield. This one isn’t bad and you get the idea.
Portland political sign
There were A LOT of political yard signs all over Portland. I saw both parties represented. I really liked this one.
I also saw a lot of political ads on TV. Two of them were about the same candidates from different angles. When I realized that the commercials were about the same candidates I really watched both ads. It was interesting to see the same information (facts??) spun in different ways.
I was glad to go on the trip and hope to get back to see the YM soon.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
The reason I love it is the color. I need to remember these photos and use them when I redo rooms in my house.
The exuberance and color start on the outside before you even enter the shop. Then it continues on in all of the rooms and the goods (gifts, fabric, yarn, paint, etc) they offer. The walls are amazing: turquoise, yellow, violet and then bright white to show everything off. Fabulous.
Kaffe and friends fabrics
I didn’t read my previous review before I visited, but I remembered they had a lot of Kaffe. They don’t have a lot. They have ALL the Kaffe, ALL of the Philip Jacobs prints and all of the Brandon’s designs. ALL. OF. THEM. Roxanne’s also had all the dots. I bought one I had never seen before. They had all of the stripes, Shark’s teeth and all of the colorways.
Of course, I wanted it all, but I restrained myself. I bought quite a bit on my Portland trip and, though I have used a lot of it, I still want to use another 50 yards before the end of the year. What I really want is a place to store all of the fabric I want and a large space to work on all of the projects I want when I want. I guess I should play the lottery.
Roxanne’s Tula prints
Roxanne’s has all the latest and best designer fabric. Yes, Kaffe, but also Tula.
Check out all the Tula True Colors: the large dots, the tiny dots, the tiny stripes plus pre-cuts of ALL of them. How come I don’t see these in other shops? Is it because California is so expensive? If I am going to move somewhere the are near this shop is a contender.
Roxanne’s solids
Not only did the shop have Free Spirit solids, but they also had the Moda Bella solids and Grunge. There were also some Grunge dots. I looked for that certain violet I like from Free Spirit but I didn’t see it.
Do you see the great turquoise wall in the background? Isn’t it fabulous?
Roxanne’s bag pattern area
I looked for hat patterns, too. I am not happy with the pattern I am using for the Sun Hat. I probably did something wrong, but it isn’t working out the way I had hoped.
I didn’t find any hat patterns, but I did find A LOT of bag patterns. The shop also had quite a few samples. I liked the one in the center. I thought it was kind of like a file box, but it turns out to be more of a bag with bamboo or stick-like handles. The sample of the Mondo Bag uses great colors.
The bag area also had a lot of kits. Kits are very popular, it’s kind of surprising. I guess people want to just sew. I can relate, but I love shopping for fabric, so I’ll leave the kits to others.
Roxanne’s Kaffe room
I want to decorate one of my rooms like this, though maybe with the same print in cool colors. I do like the combination of the yellow with the Chrysanthemum print.
I know these colors work, because they are bold, but also because they have the right lighting and they are balanced with a great white on the ceilings and on the trim.
Roxanne’s Kaffe room
You can see more detail in the photo from the other side of the room.
The pre-cuts are fat quarter bundles and some charm packs.
There are also more nice quilts. Look how the quilts go with the decor!
Roxanne’s bolts
This room had a lot of quilts for sale, but also had quite a few pre-cuts. I was also amazed to see bolts for sale.
I have never seen bolts for sale like this. They were wrapped up in Saran Wrap-like plastic wrap ensuring that you buy the whole bolt. There were a lot of Kaffe prints, some Tula, including the goldfish, my man Phil and some Anna Maria prints. I saw the grey dots that I use for some of the Fabric of the Year bindings. I wanted one, but I didn’t buy one. I have no idea how much they cost.
Roxanne’s towards the Kaffe
This is the view towards the Kaffe fabric. There was some Tilda fabric behind this shelf..
Out of the picture is a large selection of Anna Maria fabrics. Across from the fabrics shown were the most amazing selection of pre-cuts. I mentioned it before, but these pre-cuts really made me want to buy one, especially when I saw that they had a free bag pattern if you bought a Jelly Roll.
Roxanne’s free bag pattern
I liked the bag. I think what I liked most was the selection of Kaffe strips. I looked at the piece long and hard and decided that I could cut strips off that fabrics I have and make a similar bag. Perhaps it could even be a guild project?
I thought I could use SIL2’s demonstration of Quilt as you Go for the outside. I’d prefer the interfacing was Soft & Stable** so the bag would stand up. I am sure I could make the outside this way and then insert the lining separately. It’s worth thinking about.
Roxanne’s notions
The shop also had a good selection of notions. i always lok for Chenille needles, but I didn’t find the 24s and 26s that I like. it doesn’t matter since they had a lot of other cool notions, like several different types of tweezers.
On the back wall were rulers, including one that helped square up corners and make round corners. I think I have something similar at home, so I didn’t buy it.
Roxanne’s Featherweights
Roxanne’s Featherweight accessories
The shop also refurbishes and sells Featherweights. I saw one that was turquoise. I didn’t look at the prices of it or of any of them. I might have liked the look of the turquoise Featherweight, but I don’t need one.
Roxanne’s yarn room
The shop does not just have fabric. They also have yarn and this was a beautiful yarn room. I took a quick look and then walked away as I don’t want to buy more yarn.
I couldn’t help enjoy the beauty of the room, however. Doesn’t it make you want to buy everything?
Roxanne’s purchases 2024
I bought one Charley Harper print. They were $16.99/yard!! Fortunately, the shop was having a sale. $16.99 is a lot even for me.
The dots are Kaffe dots in a colorway I have never seen. I may never use it (joke), but I liked it.
The red-violet is for a project and I will use it right away, or nearly right away. I was annoyed at some tweezers I bought recently, so I got a different pair and will try those.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I went out of town with DH and it wasn’t a great weekend. I was just in a bad mood all weekend, it was hot and the events were not interesting. Or I just couldn’t appreciate them. 🙁
I found a couple of quilt shops, but when I had time, I decided I wasn’t up for the half hour drive each way on my own. A friend with whom I usually spend time wasn’t available.
In an effort not to be a sourpuss and to try and see the good in the trip, I wanted to share a couple of photos with you.
One of the good things during the trip was Fosselman’s. Fosselman’s is a full-service, old-fashioned soda fountain that offers both sit-down and to-go items. They make all our ice cream on the premises in small batch freezers.
I went there while DH was at a members only event and ate WAY too much ice cream. I sat and wrote postcards and wrote in my journal while I ate a hot fudge sundae, etc. It was a good way to spend a couple of hours.
1824 West Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-6533
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Mission San Gabriel church
The activities were centered in San Gabriel, California right near the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel. The organization dedicated a girls’ high school, Mission San Gabriel High School*. I was impressed with the principal’s dedication and the students that I met. We had dinner in the courtyard of the mission after a tour of the recently restored church.
The tour guide was a parishioner and she was very good.
Mission San Gabriel Altar detail
The church had an arson fire in 2020, which required $8 million in restoration. The entire back of the church was significantly damaged, though the walls did not fall. The altar was not touched, though had smoke and water damage. They still need another few million.
I have seen a lot of amazing altars all over the world. I was really impressed with this one. I have never seen one with statues like this. It was really different and interesting.
The painting on the altar is tempera on wood. The statues on the altar are:
Virgin Mary (bottom middle)
St. Joachim (bottom left)
St. Francis of Asissi ( top left)
Archangel Gabriel (center top)
St. Anthony of Padua (top right)
St. Dominic (bottom right)
Mission San Gabriel bells
We had dinner in the courtyard. The location was beautiful and I am sure the food was delicious. I wouldn’t know since they had nothing gluten free and weren’t prepared for me.????
We went to take a look at the garden and saw a beautiful view of the bells.
The garden has a wonderful fountain where Native Americans hold ceremonies now.
I thought Mission San Gabriel was worth a visit, though I would have rather been at home in the cool sewing.
Doctors, nurses and Charitable Foundation Board
The big check presentation was worth the less than stellar weekend. The hospital does such great work with the kids AND their families. The treatment lasts from birth through 18-20, because of the changes happening as kids grow. The treatment is holistic as well. The program includes surgeries, speech therapy, orthodontics and dentistry, psychological counseling for the whole family and many other aspects that help develop a happy, healthy, mentally stable person. I am so proud of the Native Sons for this effort. The spaghetti dinners, BBQs and raffle baskets contribute to the donation every year. There is no corporate angel giving the money and the Board of the Charitable Foundation does not get paid or reimbursed for their work. All the money that comes from $5, $10 and $20 fundraising gifts goes straight to funding treatment. You can donate at the NSGW website.
Roxanne’s in Carpenteria
I did make it to Roxanne’s in Carpenteria. That shop makes me super happy. You can see a review of my previous visit or wait for my new review.
*If you live in SoCal and your daughter needs an amazing high school, this on has an amazing curriculum and the tuition is unbelievably reasonable.
OMG! I have been to so many quilt shops in the last few weeks! It is really awesome. I don’t have a fabric hangover yet, but I’ll need to sew up a storm.
Springville Quilt Barn
The Springville Quilt Barn is in the space once occupied by Kim’s Fortuna Fabric and Crafts. I visited the previous shop in 2010, but it only got a brief mention in one of my previous posts. I don’t remember anything about it other than a shop was there.
Springville Quilt Barn – front
The Springville shop was crowded with fabric, books, kits, notions and was somewhat disorganized. It was not dirty and was filled with GREAT fabric. I enjoyed the discovery process. Everywhere I turned were colors and patterns I love. Jan Leonardo is the owner and she was very friendly and engaged with us.
The front of the shop gave us a taste of what was to come. As soon as we walked in we saw tons of fabric, books, kits, and notions. They were nicely arranged, in my opinion.
Springville Quilt Barn – notions area
I think Jan had a lot going on. She was creating kits, serving customers, posting to her website and all the other things that go into owning a quilt shop business.
There were quite a few notions and I don’t really think I was able to take in all the fabric that was available. It was, mostly, organized by line and somewhat by designer as well. For example, most of the Tilda fabrics were near each other. I saw Tula, Tilda, some Kaffe (and my man, Phil), but lots of other designers as well.
Springville Quilt Barn – Tula Homemade corner
One thing I noticed is that the shop has older prints from the various designers. For example I saw bolts of Tula Homemade there. Not all are listed on the shop website, so call if you need more of a specific print.
Of course, there were other bolts in that corner as well. I also saw quite a few panels in the same corner and in other parts of the shop. I am seeing more panels lately. Are they more popular or have always been popular and I just haven’t noticed them?
FQ packs were everywhere as well.
Springville Quilt Barn fabric
Springville Quilt Barn fabric – detail
I loved the long rows of shelving filled with fabric bolts.
I bought some fabric for gifts, but I also bought a half yard pack of Tilda Bloomsville fabric that I have been admiring. The colors are super cheerful, though there are a few that are a little icky. I hope the colors I like will mitigate any ickiness.
Springville Quilt Barn purchases
The pack includes the flower prints only not the focus fabrics from that line. I think Jan put the pack together herself as opposed to it being a group assembled by Free Spirit or whichever company distributes Tilda. It was kind of an impulse buy, but I also bought a magazine with a pattern I am going to use for it. Perhaps I’ll start as soon as I get home now that the Green Strips donation quilt is in a good place.
Kruusn is in Coos Bay and it was one of the only quilt shops we passed that was open on a Sunday. We actually went out of our way to find the shop, but it wasn’t terribly far out of the way and it was totally worth it.
The store looked like a beach house and when we pulled up I was afraid I was walking into someone’s living room. There were family members there living their lives, but it was definitely a quilt shop.
Kruusn entrance
Kruusn was packed with fabric, bag supplies, patterns, tools and panels. I didn’t see many kits, but I also wasn’t looking. You see it all the minute you walk in. I found plenty to buy there.
The people were super friendly once we all warmed up. They didn’t try and hard sell me on anything, though one of the clerk’s extolled the virtues of rope bowls and showed us both the one she made and embellished with the moon and stars fabric we both bought.
There was so much to look at I had to go through the shop twice.
Kruusn notions
Kruusn bag supplies
Kruusn bag supplies and interfacing
The front room had tons of notions and bag supplies. I had to stop myself from buying notions. They had so many different scissors and rotary cutters and lots of things I had never seen before. I took advantage of the selection to buy some gifts.
I was really interested in how many ByAnnie patterns and supplies the shop had. They had the most complete set of zippers (all the colors??) I have seen. There were other brands as well. I bought some interesting zipper pulls and some bag gifts for SueG.
Kruusn had a nice selection of V&Co ombre fabrics. You can see them on the back wall of the photo, left.
Friend Julie spent a lot of time in there. I had to go find her at one point as I hadn’t seen her. It turns out she was checking the requirements for a quilt she wants to make and needed a specific ombre.
You can also see how every surface held something interesting. There were lots of charm packs and fat quarter/half yard packs all around the shop.
Kruusn – Ombre Room with Kimberbell
The other side of the ombre room held batiks and marbly looking fabrics, including some of the Tonga Treats. There were also A LOT of Kimberbell products.
There were a lot of blanks I have never seen, such as zipper pouch blanks. I also aprons, a variety – a wide variety – of interfacing.
There were things I rarely see in quilt shops such as Art Bin totes and pillow forms. It makes me wonder if they are one of the few shops in the area. If so, they are full service.
Kruusn – back room
They had a respectable amount of everything, but not tons. The shop was full of a lot of different things. It is clear that they are supplying materials for pre-cut projects as well as the pre-cuts themselves.
First they have pre-cuts, as we have mentioned, but then they supplied books for using pre-cuts and a variety of projects that use pre-cuts.
I saw a couple of projects using Bosal as well as patterns for a wide variety of small projects – bags, baskets and other gifts.
Kruusn – gnome & pets
If you need a ‘Gnome for the Holidays’ quilt kit, this is your store!
This room also had a lot of pet fabrics. On the wall, left, is a fun dog quilt.
Next to the pets is a ‘soft book library’ with kits to make the books underneath. Also, they had a supply of Cutterpillar products, which I have discussed in a recent V&S post.
Modern Necchi
One of the most interesting things was a modern Necchi. I have never seen one of these before. I have also never heard of one. It turns out Kruusn is a Necchi dealer. That is novel! Seeing the machine immediately catapulted me back to the Necchi I own. As you know it was my great grandmother’s machine. I got it repaired a long time ago, but don’t use it for sewing.
The shop was worth visiting. They had a lot of fabric, charm packs, mini charm packs as well as an excellent section of tools and supplies. They have a rewards program where customers can earn a $10 gift card for each $200 purchased.
Kruusn purchases
Kruusn Quilt Designs, Quilt Shop & Retreat Center
92772 Cape Arago Hwy
Coos Bay, OR 97420
T: 541-808-9972
E: lindamason@kruusn.com
We stopped in Newport, Oregon to see a BAM friend who moved there a few years ago. I have been wanting to drive down the coast and seeing her was a good excuse.
We spent the whole day on Saturday out and about including visiting Quilter’s Cove quilt shop.
Quilter’s Cove: fabric
This shop has a coastal theme, as do many of the shops along the coast of Oregon. I probably said that when I talked about the quilt shops I visiting back in 2015 such as Quilter’s Corner (still in business, but was closed when we went by Port Orford). The shop had a lot of batiks in blues and greens.
Quilter’s Cove: patterns and fabric
I was also super impressed with the number of Laura Heine patterns Quilter’s Cove had in the shop. If you want to see a Laura Heine pattern made up, this is the shop for you. I don’t know how many patterns are available but there were a lot of them.
I thought about making the Fish pattern as a gift, but I decided to hold off. I’d like to know how the process works. Also, I am not that interested in recreating something someone else designed.
Quilter’s Cove: notions
I was impressed with the notions the shop had. They has a wide variety of tools. They had a wide variety of machine and hand needles. I also saw several versions of the Magic Pins**, and a whole line of rotary cutters. I didn’t see a lot of rulers, though they had quite a few Add-a-Quarter rulers**.
Quilter’s Cove: notions
The most interesting thing was that they had Martelli’s rotary blade replacements. I never thought of where I would get Martelli blades if I decided to buy one of their rotary cutters. I have only seen them sold at quilt shows. I have no idea whether or not an Olfa replacement blade, for example, would work in a Martelli rotary cutter.
Quilter’s Cove: fabrics
Quilter’s Cove: fabrics
They displayed the fabrics in a way that was a cross between House of Fabrics and a quilt shop. It was an easy way to see what the fabrics looked like.
Quilter’s Cove purchases 2024
Quilter’s Cove
27 N Coast Hwy
Newport, OR 97365-3122
T:(541) 265-2591
W: https://www.facebook.com/QuiltersCove/
E: quilterscove@gmail.com
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I had a bug in my ear to drive down the Oregon Coast. I have had it for awhile, but this trip provided me with the opportunity. After Portland, we headed over to the coast. It was a good thing, because the temperature in Portland was soaring. We didn’t get much relief until we got over to the coast.
On the way, we stopped at Boersma’s, as mentioned, which is a GREAT shop. Friend Julie has posted about it as well. The drive was long because it was a holiday weekend and everyone seemed to be getting out of town. I am a somewhat impatient driver. I like to keep moving so the stop and go traffic, similar to Hwy 17 to Santa Cruz in the summer, was maddening. Friend Julie did a good job keeping me sane and we finally made it to Newport.
Newport, Oregon mural
We stopped in Newport to visit a BAM friend who moved up there for her job. The area is beautiful as is the town. It is a working fishing port and we saw evidence of boats going out and catching fish and other sea creatures while we were there. We met Cheryl and her family for dinner on the first night. We went to a Thai place in downtown Newport. The food was excellent. I had more Pad See Eww and I don’t feel like I overindulged in that dish, though I ate it at least 4 times.
Traci Hankins of Friends of Bree dolls
On Saturday, we first went to the Farmer’s Market. There were a lot of artisan items for purchase. Julie bought some jams and I looked at some Friends of Bree dolls that I thought were unique and interesting.
Traci Hankins of Friends of Bree dolls – detail
I like these dolls because they are different than other dolls. They look a bit edgy, but not really scary.
The Secret Keeper model has a zipper for a mouth, which I think is a brilliant detail. Traci also makes some of the dolls without the zipper mouth. She has bats and cats on her Etsy shop, too.
Each doll was $53 (prices are different on Etsy), which I thought was a deal. It seems like a lot, but you have to consider the work that goes into the doll after the idea was formed. Also, if you have ever stuffed a toy, you will appreciate the excellent work done on these dolls.
The Lincoln County Fair was on in Newport, so we went there next. Normally, the Fair is an all day activity. This Fair was REALLY different from the San Mateo County Fair. First of all, there was no paid parking and admission was FREE!! It was also tiny, but much more intimate as well.
The first building we visited was the commercial building and I liked it a lot better than the San Mateo County Fair commercial building. Like everything else, people were friendly and willing to talk without the high pressure of a sales pitch. There were government entities including several dealing with food – bees, growing food, alternatives to pesticides, etc.
Lincoln County Fair quilt guild booth
We also found the local quilt guild in this building. They had, what seemed like, a double wide booth. The quilts were interesting and the ladies hosting the booth were super friendly. They had a lot of cool t-shirts, jackets and other things with their logos for sale, too. Their meetings aren’t super convenient for working people, but they do have some evening meetings and our friend Cheryl might join.
Lincoln County Fair ‘Home Arts’
The ‘Home Arts’ section was in one corner of a barn (shed?) that included food entries, flowers and woodworking as well as sewing, crochet, quilts and knitting. I also saw table settings, a favorite of mine at the San Mateo County Fair.
Mrs. Claus Kitchen by Sue Bennett
There was a small selection of entries from various kinds of crafts, including a very popular miniatures category that I found fascinating. There were a few entries that used books. I don’t know if that was a specific category or just a convenient media. I loved miniatures as a kid and would have loved a special dollhouse (still would, maybe).
Lincoln County Fair: camel
We also visited the animals. Outside the animal barn was a pen with camels. A person could pay $15 and get a ride. I was kicked by a camel once, so I am not a fan. Still, it was interesting enough to take a photo. None of our party wanted a ride this time.
The animal barn was also a completely different experience than the San Mateo County Fair. The owners/breeders were in the stalls with the animals and were happy to talk to us. The barn was hot so many people were spraying their animals with spray bottles or hoses to keep them cool. We saw one poor chicken that looked too hot. The baby goats were adorable.
On our way out, we bought some Aqua Frescas. I had Pineapple flavor and I LOVED it. The drink was very refreshing and not too sweet. It was not like drinking a Jarritos.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Next stop was the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. The day was gorgeous and I was able to take some beautiful pictures of the lighthouse. We were also able to take in some gorgeous views. Do you sense a theme?
We took a look at the visitor center first, which is slightly out of date according to Cheryl, who is a biologist, but not terrible.
Lighthouse keeper art
One of the fascinating exhibits was the one about the lighthouse keepers and their families. The exhibit talked about their duties and what they did for fun as well as things they did to keep busy. This frame is one of the examples of crafts in which someone engaged. It looks like a form of macrame and is really amazing work.
Mother Earth
We also visited a New Age type shop somewhere around Newport. The salesperson was super friendly and vivacious, but none of us really liked the vibe of the shop.We did see a Mother Earth statue that was large and intricate. Julie and I visited Humbolt Herbals when we were in Eureka and liked that place a lot better.
The day was packed! We ended it with a charcuterie dinner at a restaurant called Myril. You have to visit! I love charcuterie dinners. I never feel super full, but I feel like I have eaten enough. This restaurant had amazing cheeses and super delicious meats. They also had good cocktails. We went with Cheryl and her husband and had a great time.
The next day we headed out to start driving home. I wanted to look at the Oregon Coast views and we did that. I always forget how long it takes to drive down the Oregon Coast. We were starting to get antsy about getting home, so we spent a lot of time in the car.
Sea Lion Caves in Florence, Oregon
We stopped at the Sea Lion Caves. Julie had been there before and she thought it was worth the stop. I thought it was, even though it was a bit stinky.
The Sea Lion Caves is a 12 or 13 story caves that sea lions use as a resting spot (or nursery?) during certain times of the year. You go in to a well stocked gift shop (yes, I bought postcards) and buy tickets. They tell you how many sea lions are in residence and you go down to the elevator.
View from Sea Lion Caves
The elevator is outside, though in a little hut. You have to go outside to get to it, but that was great, because I got to look at the amazing water.
The lighthouse in the photo is the one they built using a lens from England. It is called Heceta Head Lighthouse. See the fog? I was starting to feel at home and the temperature was a lot cooler.
In the Sea Lion Cave
In the Sea Lion Cave
In the Sea Lion Cave
You can find the Sea Lion Caves at 91560 Hwy. 101 N. Florence, OR 97439. MILEPOST 179.
Sunset in Gold Beach
The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful. We stopped at various quilt shops and stayed at a hotel with a fantastic hot tub we forgot to use. In Gold Beach we ended up in a tavern type bar/restaurant that was slightly scary. The food was excellent, however. We drove back to the hotel and watched the sunset from our balcony, which was gorgeous.
As an aside, Friend Julie wrote a great post about our visit to the Rose Garden. Take a look since I barely mentioned it in my previous post.
Portland was getting too hot and I was starting to feel the itch to get home. Not seriously, because I love driving down the Oregon coast and looking at the ocean. It is such a beautiful color and the scenery is amazing.
Boersma’s Sewing Center Inc
We stopped in McMinnville after I saw the sign and told Friend Julie about Boersma’s. I remember it from when Amanda and I visited back in the beforetimes. Back then I thought the shop was awesome. It was even better this time.
AND they have a super cool sign. That windmill was moving when I took the photo.
Boersma’s fabric
The shop is housed in an old department store space. The store was three stories. The third story was an apartment. There were also classrooms, offices and staff areas on the second story. We didn’t go up there. The basement floor was all sale fabric. They had quite a lot and I found a good canvas for a bag there.
The street level floor was full of fabric, sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. The aisles were narrow and full, but the place was scrupulously clean and did not seem disorganized. I could have bought a lot more than I did, but I made quite a dent in their stock. They had a wide selection of fabric styles – from Tilde and Tula to Pacific Northwest forest and tree fabrics. I didn’t see many, if any, Civil War, etc repros. I wasn’t looking for those, so they may have been somewhere and I didn’t see them.
They have upgraded their technology and have a cool kiosk you can sign up to be on their mailing list and get rewards. Rewards are accumulated through online and in person sales.
The online shop is good. I love their ‘What’s New’ section. It is called ‘What’s New Woo Hoo’! Isn’t that fun and hilarious? I am glad they have a sense of humor.
Boersma’s notions area
Boersma’s notions area
You know I love notions. I think I escaped this trip with no new rulers, but I did do a good survey of various notions selections in the shops. This shop had a nice selection including a lot of zippers.
Boersma’s interfacing
This time I found the interfacings nook. I didn’t buy any interfacing, but they had a good selection.
This trip I seemed to be looking at ‘good ideas in quilt shops’. I am not sure why. Perhaps I will win the lottery and open the ideal quilt shop?
Pattern with fabric
Boersma’s had patterns hanging in the aisles with fabrics. These seemed to be the free patterns that were released with the fabrics by the fabric company. I thought that was a great idea.
They had new sales and repair sections for both sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. I did not look at the vacuum cleaners, though I did see a long line of them in the basement. Perhaps they were repairs?
Boersma’s sewing machines
In the sewing machine department, I just took a quick look. Julie said they sold Janomes. Julie liked the chairs they had, which were also available for sale.
This shop is definitely worth a visit. It isn’t that far out of Portland, though it is a trek and you would need a car. If you are only able to visit one quilt shop, this should be it.
There is a McMeniman’s nearby where you can eat lunch, which would be a good break.
I visited Pioneer Quilts AGAIN! At that visit, I introduced Julie to the goodness that is Pioneer Quilts.
Pioneer Quilts in summer
Pioneer Quilts in summer
I did not take the full complement of pictures this time as you have seen the place a million times. I was going to use the creepy view of the building from 2018. However, Friend Julie was kind enough to share her photos with me. She took different photos than I did and has already posted about the trip to her blog. I also visited in January of 2018, March of 2022 and January 2023. I should have taken a photo, because the garden was beautiful this time. All the gardens in Portland are gorgeous. I keep taking photos of flowers!
This time I went into the holiday section first. I know I have looked at that section before, but not in as much detail. They have a Halloween room and a Christmas room.
Pioneer Quilts Halloween room
I really loved the Halloween fabrics, but didn’t buy any. I tried to get Friend Julie to buy some. She did a good job of resisting.
That center table has a fun Halloween witch’s hat pattern from Crabapple Hill Studios. I love their designs. They are so whimsical and fun. I think of buying them and making one of the series into a quilt, but then I realize how many other projects I have. I may do it, but it is pretty far down the list.
Pioneer Quilts: Christmas patterns
I did buy an interesting stripe from the Christmas room. It is broken up a little and the motif is that the ribbons are overlapping. It is cool.
The other cool thing I saw is that they had a display of patterns that relate to the fabric in that room.
I found that working on my EPP Ball #4 was a pain. The scissors I had in my Enigma pouch were not sharp enough to clip threads, so I bought another pair of Karen Kay Buckley scissors** and they are fantastic, of course.
Pioneer Quilts through the French Doors
I saw a really nice few through the connecting hallway from the holiday rooms to the main part of the shop.
You can see all the way down the hall to turn to the main shop. It is filled with quilts and fabric.
Pioneer Quilts purchases 2024
Pioneer Quilt Shop
3101 SE Courtney
Portland, OR 97222
503.654.1555
info@pioneerquiltshop.com
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
When we didn’t find a quilt shop in Scappoose, we headed up to Vancouver and visited Just for Fun again. The last time was in March of 2022. This seems to be the shop I visit when I don’t have something else to do or plans have gone awry. 😉
The shop looked much the same as before, though there was a class going on in the back. I am not sure what they were learning, but the class sounded like they were having fun.
Just for Fun Quilt Shop – front
Of course, the fabrics were different as well.
I realize now that it is interesting to visit quilt shops at different times of the year. This time of the year Halloween and Christmas were big. Obviously, you have to start projects for those holidays early, so it makes sense.
Just for Fun Quilt Shop – Kimberbell area from front
Just for Fun Quilt Shop – Kimberbell area from back
They still had the Kimberbell area in the front of the shop, but I didn’t notice as much Kimberbell embroidery as I remember from last time. I saw a lot more fabric related to Kimberbell projects, which I found interesting.
There is obviously interfacing and different types of products on which to embroider, so that ‘system’ of products was definitely there. I just don’t remember a lot of actual embroidery. Perhaps I missed it?
Just for Fun Quilt Shop – patterns/kits- front
I noticed a lot more patterns and kits than I did last time.
Last time I noticed the samples. This time I noticed patterns and kits. I think kits are much more popular now than they used to be.
This image shows a lot of brown fabrics. This section was for nature type quilts.
Just for Fun Quilt Shop – fabric aisle
They had the same angled shelves as last time. I still feel like I could see the fabrics pretty well. I think those angled shelves take up a lot of space. I wonder what you think about angled vs. straight shelves?
The shop also had a lot of bundles. I think they might wrap up fabrics that are ‘end of bolt’ into bundles. They had a couple of Guicy Guice bundles I considered. I really wanted yardage and they were out. I like the Guicy Guice fabric. The colors are magnificent, but I am not going through my fabric fast enough to collect that as well.
Just for Fun Quilt Shop – notions
Just for Fun had a well stocked notions area and I picked up a few things for gifts.
I was interested to see the different sizes of Hot Rulers. I couldn’t think of a use for other sizes, so I didn’t buy any.
I am also always tempted by pre-wound bobbins. I have plenty of thread, so I resisted the urge.
I think I was tired after my gravel road adventure because I didn’t buy much. I did buy another fabric for the new Pillowcase Project and also some interfacing for another Midi Bag. I realized when I got home that I already had one I hadn’t used yet. Well, I’ll just have to make two of them.
Just for Fun purchases
Just for Fun Address: 1503 NE 78th St, Unit 12, Vancouver, WA 98665, United States T: +1 360 882 9101
My Quilting Loft is in Troutdale. I don’t know where Troutdale is, though we visited on the day that we also went to Knitted Wit and Feather Your Nest, so I know it is outside Portland. The inside reminded me of another shop I can’t quite bring to mind.
It is on the main Troutdale street and very easy to find. The main street also has a good coffee shop with interesting coffees and other drinks.
My Quilting Loft: inside shop
The shop is a bright open space with a carefully curated selection of fabric.
I really liked the front windows a lot. I would love a quiltmaking space with such windows even though I would have to protect my fabric.
My Quilting Loft: 3 yard project packs
They had a lot of fabric packs with 3 yards and 3 or 4 fabrics.
There were also a lot of patterns.
They were filling orders and when I asked about it, they talked to me about a live sale they have regularly.
One of the things My Quilting Loft has is their Pouch Club. This is a great idea to get people interested in making pouches and, ultimately, bags. Each month you get a pattern, a set of mini-charms or fat eighths and a zipper. The cost is $19.99. This seems like a good price knowing how much patterns cost. You can find all the information using the pouch option under the Subscriptions & Clubs page. The information doesn’t say whether they have a work session to help make the pouch or to answer questions. I also can’t tell if you can subscribe if you don’t live in the area. It is likely that they want you to come into the shop to pick up your kit.
My Quilting Loft purchases
I continued my hunt for pillowcase fabric for the nephew and found a couple of yards. I’ll use the tree fabric for the cuffs. The black fabric will be used for additional blocks I plan to make using my Orange Peel circle idea.
My Quilting Loft
253 E Historic Columbia River Hwy
Troutdale, OR 97060
E: Kristi@MyQuiltingLoft.com
T:971-292-2991 (during business hours is best time to call)
This great shop was in a weird location. The ‘mall’ where it is found includes a transmission repair service and some kind of delivery service that uses bike jitneys. To say it is an industrial location would be accurate.
Knitted Wit: yarn wall
We were told that they started out with knitting. They have a dye studio somewhere where they dye their own yarns. They also take requests for certain colors.
I kind of wanted to buy some yarn at Knitted Wit. The colors and feel of the yarn was super tempting. It was all so beautiful. It reminded me of the Madeline Tosh yarns I have used. I have a knitting project in process AND I have another project in the queue, so I restrained myself. I’ll be up here again, so I can always go back. I plan to work on a scarf next time I have need of an ongoing hand project. The day I visited was not that day, so I may visit this shop again. ;0
Knitted Wit: fabric wall
Knitted Wit: charm packs and pre-cuts
They didn’t have a lot of fabric, but it sounds like they are starting to add to their offerings. Their main line was Ruby Star. They had a lot of charm packs and pre-cuts. We went there on a warm day, thus the fans.
Knitted Wit: tea towel fabric
A lot of the shops in the area had patterned tea towel fabric. I saw many of the same designs, especially a kind of scary pumpkin pattern for Halloween.
I saw the chicken print multiple times. I wish now that I had looked at the manufacturer just for context. The Christmas tree design at the top is fun. I like the 1950s (vintage?) feel.
One of the things I found very interesting was the free table. They had a lot of different items available. Amanda tried on and picked up a sweater!
Knitted Wit purchases
They had a good selection of notions. Most of what I bought were notions and gifts. I thought those mini Hera markers were so cute!
Amanda drove me down to Gresham to visit some other quilt stores. I added Portland to the post name for easier retrieval later, but Feather Your Nest is in a cute downtown in Gresham, Oregon.
The shop also has craft supplies, but looked like mostly quiltmaking and projects you can do with quilting fabric. I was amazed to see how many shops had umbrella project parts available!
Feather Your Nest: front
Feather Your Nest had a LOT of notions. Every section was dedicated to a project or a type of technique. In that area were patterns, notions, supplies and fabric. It was a little confusing, but also a great way to capitalize on impulse buys.
Feather Your Nest: back
One thing I heard was that she puts Odicoat on the umbrella fabric AFTER she puts the whole project together. This makes me feel better about my idea to try it on bags AFTER I make them. I have thought about it for awhile, but was concerned because Sara always says to put the Odicoat on the fabric before. The FYN owner/salesperson said that if you coat the fabric with Odicoat before the fabric won’t stretch. That makes sense and I am not sure why didn’t think of that before.
Feather Your Next purchases
I bought some fabrics that I will use to make pillowcases. I have a nephew who just graduated from high school. He is not going to college yet, but I though he should get some pillowcases anyway. I will a use travel theme as he says he wants to travel.
As you can see, I also bought some steampunk sealife fabric. I thought it was funny, especially the octopus in the top hat. The Dia de las Muertos fabric will be used for gifts for a friend. I also bought a new pair of scissors for my Sew Day/Retreat bag. I looked on Amazon, but I wanted to actually see the scissors since they are ‘upgraded’ since I bought my last pair.
Feather Your Nest
130 N Main Ave, Gresham, OR, United States, Oregon
Tel: (971) 220-0936
E: feathered.nest97030@gmail.com
Bolt is a shop I have visited before. It is not in the same location. Since the last time I visited, a few years ago, they have moved twice. The last shop, on the same street, was tiny. This shop is much larger and has a lot more fabric. It is not specifically for quiltmaking, but they have quite a bit of quiltmaking fabric. I think they have more garment and bagmaking fabric and supplies.
I was pleased to see that the shop seems to be doing well.
Bolt – entryway
The entrance to the shop was open and welcoming, but also sucked me right into the love that is fabric. This image gives you an idea of the size of the shop.
I immediately saw some canvas that I loved. I really tried hard not to buy it. I have a lot of bagmaking fabric already. See below whether I succeeded or not.
Bolt Notions & Stitching
I was amazed at the amount and variety of notions they had. I only took a photo of one side of the display. There were also a number of other types of stitching notions to my right. The number of Sashiko thread colors they had was amazing.
In the shelf on the bottom (right) is a lot of interfacing.
Bolt Books
Bolt Books
Bolt Books
Feel Something Make Something
I thought their book choices were interesting as well. I didn’t see the standard C&T books. Most of them were new to me. I really liked the idea of the Feel Something Make Something** book. I deal with stress and my emotions by sewing, so this is very apropos. I’ll see if they have it at the library and take a look before I buy it.
Toweling cottons
The section behind the books was home to most of the quiltmaking cottons. Closest to the books was a rack of toweling cottons. I was surprised and pleased to see so many different options at many of the shops we visited. I wish we had the variety in the Bay Area.
In the area behind the toweling fabrics were the other quilting cottons. I saw a number of fabrics that I had also seen at Sewlarium including the new Ruby Star.
Bolt – Quilting Cottons
I was pleased to see a very few Martha Negley vegetable fabrics. Unfortunately they had taupe and beige backgrounds. As much as I love Martha Negley, I don’t want those colors in my palette. Some of her fabrics had beautiful purple and aqua backgrounds and I long for colors to return.
The photo shows some wools, some bags and some solids.
Bolt – Notions
There was thread, buttons and zippers on the other side of the shop.
Bolt also carried a lot of fabric on rolls. Some of these were various garment fabrics and some were other heavier fabrics. I know there was some canvas on rolls, too.
The button selection wasn’t as good as Josephine’s Dry Goods, but they had most uses covered.
Bolt fabric and supplies – 2024
I bought some fabrics to make some bags. Yes, I succumbed to the canvas! I am thinking I will use the Superbloom tote bag pattern. That could change as the fabrics would be great for a Poolside tote.
As you can, maybe, see these are canvas fabrics. The fabric on the left will be a bag for my aunt and the fabric on the right will be a bag for me. Perhaps I will solve my going-to-class tool tote problem. I have to think about what my aunt would like and would use. As for me, I still have the idea that I want to make a Sheffield tote for myself.
Bolt
2904 NE Alberta St.
Portland, OR 97211 503.287.2658
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
