Half Way Mark

We took off today with a goal of only two shops.  This seems to keep us from taking on too much.  For those of you not already playing along, my 10 year old son and I have been making our way through the entire Northern Illinois Shop Hop – 32 shops.

Today we hit the half-way mark.  And I really can’t complain about how long it’s taken, or whether or not it’s been enjoyable.  Some days, I feel like my son…just get me out of here.  Some days, we enjoy spending the time together.  Today, mainly because we have limited ourselves to just two stores, we had an enjoyable trip.

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Gentler Times in Naperville

They are located at a very busy intersection. Your GPS will get you close, but I had to call to find out exactly where they were.  They are a Bernina dealer, who also carries fabric and yarn…something I have not seen anywhere along the way on the shop hop.  Plenty of fabrics to choose, but we were in and out pretty quick.  They did not have a basket made up yet for the shop hop raffle.

What I bought:  Fatquarters.  I’m becoming predictable.

Reluctant Assistant comment:  “Average quilt shop.”

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Our next stop was Wild Birds Unlimited in Lisle.

This is one of our favorite little suburban treasures.  We have backyard feeders and love our birds and critters.  This is the place to stock up on basics, but we have purchased all our feeders from them as well as all our bird food.  They have a great selection of feeders and I highly recommend the Woodpecker blend of food.  On to the next shop!

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The Quilt Basket in Downers Grove

A cute little shop in the very heart of downtown Downers Grove.  Parking is a little crowded on a Friday at noon, but we found a spot around the corner.  Very friendly staff,  they suggested that my son could start quilting and might be interested in a book by Joe Cunningham, “Men and the Art of Quiltmaking”.  Their basket is a cheery pink sand bucket and matching sand shovel.  See below.

What I bought:  Fabric (more for the food quilt)

Reluctant Assistant comment:  “The ladies were VERY enthusiastic about boys being able to quilt.”

The Quilt Basket in Downers Grove

The Quilt Basket in Downers Grove

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Before heading home we found another Egg Harbor Cafe in Downers Grove,  right next to where we parked, so of course, that’s where we ate lunch.  All in all, a good morning!

 

 

A Touch of Sanity

Third time was the charm.  We swung by A Touch of Amish in Barrington once before on a weekday shortly after 4 pm. They close at 4:00.  Then we headed in that direction on a Monday. They are closed on Monday.

Finally, my Reluctant Assistant and I agreed we would try again, and call before we go.  We also decided that today we would only attempt ONE shop.  We would take our time and enjoy their goods. And then go home–instead of trying to cram in more shops along the way.

Barrington, of course, is a lovely town.  We did eat lunch at their Egg Harbor Cafe, which is always a yummy place to go.  And then, brilliantly, came home.

18 more shops to go.

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A Touch of Amish in Barrington

Their web site boasts that they are the oldest quilt shop in Chicagoland.  They also claim to have the most fabric, but I think that some of the newer quilt shops in the area may be giving them a run for their money with that title.

They seem to specialize in traditional fabric, with that being the overwhelming majority.  That said, I did find brights and batiks and even some food novelty, which my son has been chasing down. They did not have a giveaway basket made up yet. (Each shop on the Northern Illinois shop hop is supposed to have a basket worth $100 that is a giveaway to a lucky winner who visits their store.)

What I bought:  Kaffe Fassett fatquarters, and some raspberry and orange fabric. Not very Amish, I’m afraid. But then, of course, neither are we.

Reluctant Assistant comment: “It’s bigger on the inside then it looks on the outside.”