Vacation Loot

Maybe taking a big vacation after having given up buying fabric for Lent wasn't a good fiscal decision.  Then again, I did save a couple thousand dollars by not buying a new sewing machine or serger at the AQS show -- and I was oh so close!

I found great things at the Paducah show and I only bought things I don't have or couldn't find at my local quilt shops.  Honest.

 A beautiful Persimmon wood trinket box (er, sewing tools) and cute Grape Basket pin

A couple of marvelous books:

I had the chance to visit with Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry at her studio near the convention center:

Apparently it was my good fortune, as Caryl has since closed the studio and will be moving to Washington state.  Her studio is for sale if anyone is interested....

I also did some shopping in Marietta, Georgia, after visiting my niece Carla and her family in Atlanta.  My first stop was the Red Hen Fabrics, an interesting shop full of great fabric at reasonable prices.  Next I headed over to Little Quilts, where I added to my stash of Japanese fabrics.

While searching for these shops in Marietta I drove by two very interesting Civil War era cemeteries.  The Marietta National Cemetery contains the remains of over 10,000 Union soldiers and the Marietta Confederate Cemetery, which has over 3000 Confederate soldiers.  It was very sobering driving past each cemetery.

My final purchases came from my visit to Berea, Kentucky, where I found these wonderful treasures.  The first basket came from Top Drawer Gallery, a shop that sells locally made hand crafted items.  I love this basket -- it's so unusual.

This basket came from PeaceCraft, which sells fair-trade items from around the world.  My new basket came from Bangladesh and will be used to store some sort of sewing project or tools. 

I also fell in love with this black bag.  I instantly knew it would be a perfect camera bag.  I'd been carrying my camera in my regular purse and it was weighing it down.  This bag was made from a recycled rubber inner tube -- crazy!

I love each and every piece of 'loot' I brought home with me.  I have several new quilts to make, some fabulous new tools and books, and several reminders of a great trip.  Can't wait to go back -- maybe next year???