Today, I wokred on the quilt that was part of the 2026 Liberty Box from Fat Quarter Shop. I had one more row left to join to complete the quilt center. Did I have enough bobbin thread? I have to say that my bobbin thread estimation skills were spot on tonight.
Unless I can work in a quick trip to The Quilted Cow – Gulf Shores (AL) in mid-September, I think I’m going to call my participation in this shop hop done. The two completed regions encompass metro Atlanta, north Georgia, and middle Georgia as far south as Warner Robins and west to the Alabama state line (24 shops total).
The lady who posted in the Southeast Shop Hop FB Group about putting 1,950 miles on her car to complete the regions she did wasn’t kidding. I easily put 1,000 miles on my SUV over the past two weeks just from driving to all the shops. It took me 2 full days, 3 half days and bits and pieces of two other days to get them all in. Will I do this again? Maybe – only if I decide to do different regions and if the event is moved to September/October or April/May. This one was simply to close to the Stitching Atlanta Shop Hop held in July.
The welcome news I heard today is that the Middle Georgia Shop Hop will return in February 2027! Expect 6-8 shops to participate. Sew Senoia is heading up the event. There are two new fabric/quilt shops opening soon between far south Atlanta and Macon/Pine Mountain. That would be fun!
Completing the two regions that include the greater metro Atlanta area is enough for me. I still need to make the trek down I-75 to Macon & Byron (with a stop @ Buc-cee’s) to complete the Central Region shops. The North Central Region shops were completed with my 7 hour road trip on Saturday.
One of the benefits of shop hopping is to get a feel for different quilt shops in a region. Each shop has a unique vibe. You’ll quickly learn which ones best meet your needs. And realize that your short list of shops will likely need adjusting every year. Life changes can mean an owner choosing to close, sell or bring in a new manager to run the business. Trends and the need to increase sales may have your fave quilt shop now carrying bag making supplies, cross-stitch/embroidery supplies and even yarn. As you stop to collect your passport sticker and fabric square, take 5-10 minutes to really look around the shop. Take a shopping list with you and try to buy a little something at each shop – a FQ or two, pack of hand sewing needles, travel size ironing spray in your favorite scent, pack of EPP papers or even a replacement cover for your favorite pair of turquoise handled scissors. Bonus: some shops offered additional swag for those who made purchases. I really appreciated the 2-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ Creative Grids ruler and chocolate from Mountain Quilts in Hiawassee.
Things I’ll definitely keep in mind:
Needle Down quilt shop in Ringgold carries a lot of Lori Holt merchandise. There’s also a really cool antique mall in the same shopping center. I’ll make time to stop in the next time I visit Chattanooga. (Important to me because the two shops that carried a wide selection of Lori Holt fabric either closed or have new owners and now carry different fabric lines.)
Sew Senoia recently purchased a circa 1905 home in Turin, GA. The shop will be moving about 25 minutes south of its current location. It’s dog friendly and the new location is in a really pretty part of west-central Georgia. They also host weekend retreats a few times a year. With the current westside perimeter road projects, it would be totally worth spending money on 2 nights of hotel to attend a retreat once the new location opens.
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