The Haul

So it's about time I showed you all my USA shopping! I did pretty well, but maybe not as well as I would have liked given the strict weight limit for flights; I was already over their weight allowance!

While I was in Las Vegas I hired myself a car (a bright blue PT Cruiser) and headed over to Quiltique. Absolutely loved this shop! It was huge, well set out, and had a massive assortment of fabric. And the staff, recognising that I looked a bit overwhelmed, were lovely. There I bought some Rouenerries red for Red Velvet, some more red for the backing, and some Glace for the backing of the FQS Mystery BOM.

From there I drove over to The Christmas Goose. I found this store a bit smaller and not as bright, though they still had a very good range (but not a huge as Quiltique). There I picked up some white muslin, the Last Minute Patchwork book that I've been coveting for quite a while, a few Miss Rosie patterns and some Gypsy Rose charm packs.

Recognising that my suitcase was a little full, I sent the two lots of backing fabric home. Then when I got to New York, I went to The City Quilter. This was a good find in NYC, a city that you don't usually associate with quilting. The shop is tucked in down the lower end of the city, but despite being a small shop had a pretty good assortment of fabrics, patterns and notions. I managed to get the final fabric for Red Velvet; the border fabric that the other two shops had sold out of. I also got some Sweet fabric to be the border of Mini Jelly Filled, a Mill House Inn jelly roll, and some cute fat quarters (some of which went to my friend, the mum of little Noah).

I was also lucky enough before I left for the US to make the most of the free shipping offered by Hancocks of Paducah, and ordered an Aster Manor fat 1/4 bundle which arrived while I was away. Lucky I didn't have to carry that around!

Keep in mind this is just my fabric haul; no one told me everything in the US is so cheap! I got jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, purses, a new bag, three pairs of sunnies and lots of other goodies for less than half what it'd cost here in Australia. I went over with one not-quite-full suitcase, and came home with two that were full to the brim!