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.
I know I talked about Sewlarium the other day, but Josephine’s Dry Goods (JDG) was actually the first shop we visited. In comparison to the other places I know in Portland, I am not sure where it was. I let Amanda drive and I just entertained her. 😉
JDG is described as a luxurious fabric boutique. This shop reminded me of the first shop, Satin Moon at 23 Clement Street, I visited in the City when I first started to sew. Both shops are not just quiltmaking stores. They are sewing stores with a tendency to specialize in garments and garment fabrics.
Gardenia by Sally Kelly – border print
JDG had quiltmaking cottons, including some designs I hadn’t seen or colorways I hadn’t seen. One was Gardenia by Sally Kelly from Windham. Unlike many quilt shops, JDG did not have the whole line. I thought the border print was gorgeous. With a black bodice, this print would make a fantastic dress. The colors of the flowers were so vibrant and lovely.
JDG-left of the front door
Much of the fabric was on rolls, which I always find interesting. There were velvets, silks, a lot of Liberty lawn, linen – a lot of linen, suiting fabrics, some chiffons and all manner of other garment sewing fabrics.
A number of the garment sewing fabrics were set with a drape of fabric flowing off of them, the way House of Fabrics used to display fabric, but you don’t see in quilt stores at all. I think it shows the drape of the fabric. Not all the fabrics were displayed that way. I think they displayed the fabrics as required for the type of fabric. I think that shows a thoughtful owner or manager.
Just out of the photo, above, behind the fabric, was a couch where two men (husbands?) were parked.
JDG- right of the front door
This photo captures the front of the shop to the left of the front door. You can see some of the fabrics in the photo above from another angle.
You can also see some of the finer fabrics that were on rolls. The green in the top roll was amazing! It was a velvet, but not a thick one, so, perhaps, velvet-like. I would love a dress made out of it.
In the back of the photo, against the wall, you can see some silks and various Japanese fabrics. I think most were either silk or linen. Right in front of the leftmost wall display are the Liberty fabrics.
JDG – left side of shop
There really was fabric everywhere and there were also a lot of customers on a Thursday when we were in the shop. I was kind of amazed.
The photo, right, shows many more of the rolls of fabric. I thought that would be a good place to find some oilcloth that would go well in my dining room, but no luck on that front. I did see a linen stripe in teal that, in a different color, might be great for reupholstering my wingback chairs. Mom didn’t like the width of the stripe.
JDG – notions
From where I was standing above, I could turn and see towards the front of the shop. This was an aisle of notions. The button case is on the right. It reminds me of the button wall at Britex before they moved. So many buttons! I was tempted to buy some crystal and rhinestone cluster buttons. I don’t have a project, so I passed.
In the back of the photo is a rack of garment patterns by independent designers. The way the patterns are displayed makes it hard to see the front of the pattern, which means it is hard to know what kind of pattern you are looking at.
JDG – cutting counter
The front of the shop has a nice big counter. I would LOVE a cutting table like the one they have.
They rip all of their fabric and that sounds always makes me cringe. I know why they do it.
Above the counter, probably for their website, they have a camera setup that looks pretty sophisticated.
I didn’t buy anything. I might have bought the Gardenia border print, but I didn’t have a project plan, so I restrained myself.
____________________________________
Josephine’s Dry Goods
2609 SE Clinton Street
Portland, OR 97202
P: 503-224-4202
Info@JosephinesDryGoods.com
As is my habit, I went out with Amanda to fabric stores while I was in Portland last week. She found some shops which we had never visited.
Sewlarium is a new shop in Portland. I visited twice, once with Amanda, once with Julie.
It has been open since January and is owned by a young man named Zachariah. That’s right! A YOUNG MAN. He said that he is active in all the local guilds and his business has been slowly growing.
One part of his business is quilting. He has a longarm and is getting more longarm clients as people get to know him. He got his longarm about a year before he opened the shop and is still building his skills. The longarming he does is hand guided edge to edge using pantographs. He practices a lot on charity quilts from local guilds. Zachariah has a relationship with other longarmers if someone needs more sophisticated custom quilting. It seems to be normal to have a longarm in a shop now. It seems reasonable that small businesses need as many income streams as possible
Sewlarium – entrance
When we walked in, we saw patterns and notions. He had a whole rack of Elizabeth Hartman patterns. I don’t want to make her patterns, but I always enjoy looking at them. The ideas are so funny. There were some I have never seen, such as Cats in Pajamas.
Sewlarium notions
Around the patterns were a basket of toweling fabrics in various holiday motifs. There was also a display of Guterman thread. He also had some Aurifil in neutral colors near the cash register. Just out of the picture was a new display of new Ruby Star Society fabrics and some Alison Glass-looking fabrics from Moda right near the front door. Zachariah also had some notions near the front door.
Sewlarium – front of shop
I noticed that he had some of the Dropcloth Sampler kits on the wall with the notions.
There was fabric tucked everywhere, including under the cutting table. The fabric in the shop was very well curated.
Sewlarium – Eversew
Speaking of that, I saw a lot of the ‘Start to Sew’ and ‘Start to Quilt’ box kits around the shop. I think those kits might be related to EverSew machines which he also had in the shop. Full service!
I also saw quite a few panels. The second time I went in Zachariah was working on a panel kit making a monkey backpack. It was very cute.
I only saw one quilt kit (Tula Pink, of course).
Sewlarium – Tula True Colors
Zachariah had good fabric. He had the new Ruby Star line, as mentioned, and most, if not all, of the Tula True Colors. He was also knowledgeable out fabric, which made me think he he has been quiltmaking for awhile, though I forgot to ask.
All over the shops we visited were Bigfoot. As you can see there is a panel hanging over the True Colors. This is just one of the various Bigfoot fabrics we saw.
Sewlarium – from front to back of the shop
Sewlarium – behind the longarm area
Sewlarium – behind the longarm area
Sewlarium – sale and interfacing room
Sewlarium – back notions area
Sewlarium – pre-made binding
Julie showed me some pre-made binding that actually looked cool. Aside from it not being washed, I think the pre-made binding would be a good option for some quilts. It would certainly save time.
I really liked this shop. It was open, clean and fresh looking. Zachariah was really friendly and chatted with us, but not too much.
Sewlarium zippers
The best thing about the shop was the wall of zippers! He had about 30 coils of #5 zippers on the wall. You could choose the one you wanted as well as the amount. It was fantastic. No online shopping required, though he does have an online shop if you are not in Portland.
He had a few zipper pulls, but I think he needs to stock up on a greater variety. I am sure that is in the cards.
The thing about these zippers is he said he was a bag guy, as in he enjoyed making bags. He lamented the fact that he has only a few bag patterns and no samples. I told him I knew he will get to adding more bags and more samples. I suggested having a Friday night bag club like the guild has after meetings. Poor guy has a lot on his plate so we’ll see.
Sewlarium fabrics and supplies
I bought a few fabrics to make bags I have in mind plus some of his fabulous zippers!
Sewlarium
3236 N Lombard St.
Portland, OR 97217
Daily: 11am - 7pm
CLOSED TUESDAY
(971)400-0446
As you might have noticed, I visited Portland last week. I am off of my January and October schedule, because of work. However, I finished my contract last week and have a little time off.
Again, I took my mom so she could have a rest from her caregiving duties.
Heaven on Earth Bakery
We drove up, spent the night in Medford, then continued on to Portland. We try and stop at a wide spot in the road for a cinnamon roll for my sister. The bakery has amazing pastries, most of which I cannot eat, but my sister LOVES. It is a cheap thrill for my sister (the one setting up Recovery Ranch Sanctuary), so I try and stop. There is nothing else there except a gas station. It has been a scary place to stop in the past. They have completely rehabbed the gas station since the last time we visited and now the area doesn’t feel as scary.
Cottage Grove mural
We stopped in Cottage Grove for a break. My mom is a terrible navigator. Google Maps and she do not get along, so we got lost. We saw this cool painting, however as we meandered through the old part of Cottage Grove.
We are not staying at our usual AirBnB, but are staying closer to my sister. We have settled in pretty well. The house is cute and clean. The kitchen supplies leave a lot to be desired. We like to cook together, which I suppose other vacationers don’t do, so we are making do.
We also came up to help the YM settle in to his new apartment. Unfortunately, he hasn’t moved yet, so we couldn’t help him. As a result, we didn’t do very much beyond seeing friends and family and visiting quilt shops. I visited Josephine’s Dry Goods, Sewlarium, Bolt, Feather Your Nest, Knitted Wit, My Quilting Loft, Just for Fun (Vancouver, WA).
We did go out to Scappoose where my great-grandmother lived. We tried to find the house my mom remembered. When we found ourselves on a gravel road heading into a tree tunnel I put a halt to the expedition. The town looks REALLY different that my Mom remembered. I only remember riding a pony in my great-grandmother’s front yard, so I was no help. I was disappointed I couldn’t help take Mom down memory lane, but it is possible the house was so extensively remodeled that it would be unrecognizable. It was bad enough that the town was so different.
Elephants snacking & cooling off in their house
One elephant going to different play and snack stations
Giraffe
Bald Eagle
Super happy Polar Bear
We also went to the Oregon Zoo (formerly the Portland Zoo). I am always anxious about visiting zoos, because I feel bad for the animals if the enclosures are terrible. This zoo is amazing. There was a path that visitors could follow through the Pacific Northwest ecosystem. The animal enclosures were placed strategically so you could see where they fit in. While still enclosures, they are pretty amazing – large and full of interesting elements and toys, places to hide and play. The elephant enclosure is enormous. It winds around a large area of the park so they can wander, if they want. They have a house where they can go to cool off. There also a couple of pools and lots of space to walk. It isn’t the wild, but they also don’t have poachers shooting at them. The black bear enclosure was similar. The bears could run around, go up and down hills, in and out of various structures and hang out in pools. One bear took a drink then sat in the pool so his feet and rear end got wet. It was funny. I also enjoyed all the walking, though I had to hold Mom up when it was time to go. She hadn’t walked so much in a long time.
Climate Change sculpture
The Zoo had an exhibit near the Condors with this wonderful sculpture.
This piece is made from plastic garbage that washed up on a beach somewhere. There is an organization, Washed Ashore, that is trying to bring awareness to the problem of plastic garbage. They work with artists to make various artworks. The artworks travel or are installed somewhere to help bring awareness of the longterm problems of plastic and garbage to people in an accessible way.
‘Antique’ store finds
While out with Amanda in Gresham, we stopped at an antique store. I was sort of looking for postcards to send, but the ones I found of Oregon sights were too expensive for my purposes. I found a small selection of other places that were only $0.25 each and I bought a few. I also found a red Tupperware storage box that I have been looking at on Etsy. It was a good price, in good shape and I didn’t have to pay shipping.
Funky quilt
In the window of that shop was the oddest looking quilt. I couldn’t see all of it, but it was a definite mishmash.
I see a large 9 Patch piece, then some appliqued hearts above the 9 patch section. There are also a few hearts on top of the 9 patches. There is a vine piece in the corner that may have been for another quilt. In the left hand corner is an elephant. I couldn’t tell if it was a panel or appliqued as there was too much glare. The very sad part was that this quilt was being sold for $59.99. 🙁 As strange as it is, it definitely has a story to tell.
Lesley Evers dress
We both needed outfits for my niece’s wedding, which is coming up this weekend. We saw a Lesley Evers shop and were both able to get lovely looking and unique (not weird) outfits for the wedding. I have shoes. SIL#3 wants us to wear hats, so I have to figure that out, but it was such a relief to get that chore (mostly) off of my list.
I brought 4 projects to work on. I was able to work on all of them and make significant progress.
Colorblocks 3 – quilted
First, on Friday, I buckled down and quilted the Colorblocks quilt. You will see some in progress posts after already knowing that I finished the quilt, but that is the breaks with my blog. 😉
Colleen did a better job of quilting Colorblocks 2, but I am not unhappy with my work.
As you can see, I have to take out the pins, trim, add binding and a sleeve. I also need to enter it into the Fair. I am really pleased I got to quilt it at the Retreat as it was a lot more pleasant to do an unpleasant job in the company of others.
After that chore was done, I was able to have fun with my three other projects. They are all Diagonal 9 Patch quilts like the one I made for my great nephew.
First, I started out by cutting some strips with the Accuquilt, then subcutting the strips into the sizes I needed. I did this and just sewed. I used 2.5 inch squares I had been cutting and saving from scraps.
Baby Jacobs quilt start
After awhile I had a good start on all three. After I saw what I had for this version of the pattern, I did some match and began sewing the ‘A’ blocks with determination. After awhile I ended up with a lot of ‘A’ blocks, so I finished the ‘B’ blocks I needed and laid the quilt out.
Baby Jacobs Diagonal 9 Patch laid out
I still had to fill in some of the blocks, but eventually I was able to make a square quilt (8 blocks x 8 blocks). I started putting it together on Sunday night and was able to finish in time to get some tickets before the final raffle drawing.
Baby Barney-Liang Diagonal 9 Patch
My second project, with the same pattern is for my nephew’s new baby. After I made a few blocks, I decided I needed to select darker squares, at least for the patches that are next to the background.
The background is a lot more painterly/ watercolor-y than it would be if I had used white or a light color background. I started off with about a yard and will keep making blocks until I run out.
Baby Barney-Liang Diagonal 9 Patch – show diagonal
I think it looks like a watercolor quilt from the 1990s (?).
The blue lines indicate the background. You can use the photo above for reference. I think the fabrics will blend a little, but I think the effect will be good.
Green & Grey Diagonal 9 Patch
Finally, the last quilt I started using this pattern is a much more controlled palette. This is for another great nephew. I made a quilt for his sister and thought I had better make one for him before I sent hers off. They are both teenagers and might not be as understanding as my older nieces and nephews.
I kind of felt like I should work on a bag, but I wanted to do a lot of piecing. These quilts fit the bill.
Making these blocks is somewhat addictive. I want to make more and more until I have enough to make them into quilts. I don’t want to stop!! It was great to have so much time to sew. Of course, it is never enough, but I was pleased I was able to take advantage of the opportunity for so much uninterrupted sewing time.
Thread catcher by Claire
One thing I forgot to mention the other day was the fabulous thread catcher that Claire made each one of the retreat participants. She wanted to work through some of her stash so she made 20 of these!!! They are large and amazing.
We each got to pick the one we wanted. I know this one isn’t turquoise, but the turquoise one that was left was not to my taste.
Now I have two thread catchers. I’ll have to figure out how to use them both.
