New England Visit--Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyndi Black's quilt shop, The Busy Thimble, is like a cottage in the woods in Litchfield, Maine. Wendy Reed drove me over the winding, hilly roads of New England to the quaint shop. I had been here once before with my daughter, six years ago. I was so happy to be back again, and be greeted by this wonderful sight--that is Cyndi on the porch to meet us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once inside, I let my monthly minis from last month go to their new owners.

 

We had a chance to look over a wonderful work in progress that Cyndi brought out to share.

And we did some serious fabric shopping, while talking and laughing, and solving the world's problems. Quilters are so good at that!

But I want to give you a trunk show of Cyndi's wonderful little quilts from all over the shop. I was in small quilt heaven! Hang on, and enjoy! Click to enlarge the photos to get a better look.

In this one Wendy is being a good sport and standing in the photo, too, because I told asked her to. 

 

 

 

 

For some reason, this photo will not enlarge like the others.

Wasn't this a fun show of little quilts? I have more photos, but you get the idea. It was a dream come true to visit Cyndi and her shop again. She is a gracious woman, and a talented quilter.

After the shopping, we went outside to get a selfie together, sans the masks. You may have already seen this on Wendy's blog, but here we are again. A memorable couple of hours, that went by far too quickly!

I was in the presence of greatness with these two women, and loving every minute of it. Thank you, ladies, for the friendship and the laughter--and the fabric!! Don't forget the fabric!

This is what I brought home. Most of it is in 1/2 yard to 1 yard cuts. There are a couple of charm packs and a few bundles of smaller cuts. My focus was toiles, conversation prints, older Judie Rothermel prints, and anything else that caught my eye. And how did I get all of this home? Well, I hadn't brought a carry-on bag, so I stuffed the fabric in this lobster shopping bag I had picked up in Maine, and that was my carry-on for the trip home. In the photo it is resting on my checked bag. It was heavier than it looks, and when I had to lug it through the Chicago airport on our layover, I wished it had wheels!

It was a magical morning with Cyndi and Wendy, and I hated to have it end. 

My  next post, Part 3, will cover my visit to The New England Quilt Museum. It did not disappoint!

Until next time, be kind, especially when you think someone doesn't deserve it.

Janet O.

My New Favorite Quilt Shop...

...is only 2400+ miles away from home (if you drive it, or just over 2000 miles the way the airplane flies)!!

While visiting DD#1 in New Hampshire this past week, we ventured into Maine to visit a couple of her favorite places (Two Lights State Park, and Portland Head Lighthouse), and to find a new favorite place--Cyndi's Busy Thimble quilt shop.

 Not your typical quilt shop, The Busy Thimble is off the beaten path in Litchfield, Maine, next to Cyndi's home. From the outside it appears to be a quaint little cottage, complete with the cottage garden.

Prepare yourself before entering, if you are a lover of 1800s repro fabric and mini quilts. This is my idea of quilting heaven. I think the term "system overload" describes the experience my daughter and I had here.

Look at those wonderful little quilts hanging behind us!

Cyndi is a delightful hostess, and if you can't be there during her usual Wed-Sat hours, she will try to accommodate you, if you contact her for an appointment. She opened up for us on a Monday morning.

 I have never seen so much repro fabric in one place before! As my friend, Grace, says she tells Cyndi whenever she visits--I'll take a yard of each!

 Every inch of space is filled with temptation. My daughter and I wandered through the aisles over and over again trying to focus and narrow down our choices. I am glad I had made a mental note of color holes in my stash so that I was able to finally settle down and make selections.

Look at the clever way Cyndi is displaying her Stars In A Time Warp blocks.

I didn't even get photos of the fabric on one whole side of the store, but I did get photos of the quilts on display--wall hangings and minis. I was in my element! Click on any photo to enlarge it.

This was not a small quilt, but look at those little blocks! I had my daughter stand by it to give perspective to their size.

The trip to Cyndi's was definitely worth it, and if repros are your thing, you may want to find a reason to find yourself in Maine!

















Maybe these reasons would help. Beautifully rugged coastline greeted us at every turn. It was breathtaking. Coming from a landlocked place, I am awed by the vastness of the ocean.

 Other than this Grand Day Out (for you Wallace and Grommit fans) in Maine, we spent most of the 8 days I was in NH chilling at home, playing with that terribly cute grandbaby (whose photos I cannot post), and trying our hand at some gluten free baking (the zucchini muffins were my personal favorite).

Oh, we did stop here for a few minutes after a run to the local library and bookstore. We just shopped the sale room and the 25 cent scrap bin.

I had to choose my fabric purchases carefully, because I only brought 2 carry on sized bags and they were already pretty full. With the two shops visited, this is what came home to enhance my stash.

The top "fan of fabric" was my haul from Cyndi's. I could have done so much more damage, but I focused on the purples, blacks, cheddars and greens--those reds and blues somehow slipped in on their own.
I bought 2 one yard cuts at Keepsake and found lots of batiks in their scrap bin, along with a couple of Kim Diehl neutrals, a great vintage patriotic print, and some checks and dots for the novelty pile.

Another thing I love in New England, besides the fabric stores, is all the covered bridges. On the way home from church Sunday we stopped at a couple for photo ops.

Had never seen a covered bridge until my first visit to New England 7 or 8 years ago, and then I just saw them from a distance. I had never been on a covered bridge until our first visit to DD#1 after their move here a few years ago.

When did this post become the travelogue that never ends?
I will close with a quilty tip. Before leaving for NH I was doing some "catch up" on my Attic Heirloom Ornament of the Month blocks, and was frustrated that when I tried to retrieve a ball of floss from the bowl by my stitching chair, I would often end up knocking another ball or two onto the floor as I dug for the right one.

At the local Ross store I saw these narrow wooden bowls or trays  for under $3. They hold about 8 balls of floss beautifully. No digging to find the needed color. I am all about finding pretty things for functional purposes. My sewing room is full of wood, wicker and wire containers. I try to keep the plastic hidden under tables and in closets. So this little tray is a much better option to me than the plastic drawer dividers that are currently in the closet. I like my containers to be aesthetically pleasing, if at all possible. Just another of my quirks that I have learned to live with. (Sorry, Mom, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition.)

Wow, did you really stay with me all the way to the end? If so, tell me how far you would have to go to get to the favorite quilt shop you have ever visited. My favorite used to be 2 hours away, but that one now comes in a distant second. : )

Until next time,
Janet O.