Today was exactly how I imagined retirement would be! My quilty peeps and I were together again for a few hours of stitching and fellowship. It’s been almost four months since we last met for a sit & sew. It was wonderful! Hubby even remarked how happy I looked when I returned home. The group meets every Friday at an area library. This was my first opportunity to join them. It’s a come as you can and bring your own project to work on. A few of the ladies are also part of another biweekly group that meets on Wednesdays. It’s much more structured with everyone working on the same project. I do like the accountability piece. I’ll join them one Wednesday to see what that group is like.

After my trip to the vintage sewing machine museum in Tulsa, I was inspired to pull out a Featherweight and take it to the sew in with me today. Jane went along for the ride. Yes, she’s missing decals, has a compromised clear coat and several pin scratches on her bed. It’s all good. It’s amazing how smoothly she sews after a few minutes of operation. She’s also the machine I’m planning to take to the Sew Purty workshop in August. I’ll tear her down, clean her up and reassemble her under the watchful eye of someone well versed in vintage machine restoration. (I’ve learned how to service and adjust my own machine. I simply want to take it to the next level.) Jane has character. I like that I don’t have to treat her with kid gloves when we travel, or be afraid to let the kids try her out. Can’t say that about the others in my collection!

Have a happy, safe July 4th weekend!

When it comes time to shop, I have 3 basic rules:

1) Shop local first.
2) Buy quality.
3) Consider both new and used options.

I’ve always tried to support independent and local businesses whenever I can. I prefer that my money stay in my local community. There are times when I need to shop from an online retailer or via Amazon, but I do try to source things locally first.

Buy quality. Even if it costs you a bit more in the beginning, higher quality items wind up costing you less over the long term.

Visit a local thrift store, Craigslist or even Facebook Marketplace before buying a new item. You may be able to pick up something used for a fraction of the “new” cost that will meet your need. This is how I outfitted my sewing room – all used furniture, except for the cherry sewing cabinet that was made by my father-in-law. Every sewing machine I own except for one (Baby Lock Jubilant) was also purchased used.

If you are in the market for a sewing machine, consider buying a vintage metal mechanical sewing machine rather than the shiny, new plastic $100 model from the big box store. The vintage Singer Featherweight I picked up at an estate sale still sews perfectly nearly 87 years later. I seriously doubt my computerized Janome 8900 (purchased used in 2016) will match that!

Yes, you read correctly – quilty homes as in the plural, meaning more than one!

The Cotton Farm in Roswell is my local quilty home. This is where Sadie and I go 1-2 Sundays per month to visit with Kristi. I also go during the week sometimes to sit & sew. Yes, I do buy fabric and notions here, too! Will probably be stopping in more frequently once I start attending ECQG meetings in late July since the meeting location is close to the shop.

Couture Sewing in Warner Robins is my regional quilty home to the south. Sadie and I discovered this shop during the Middle Georgia Shop Hop. Carries lots of lines of fabric that I like and Sadie is welcome anytime.

And ding, ding, ding! Let’s add Cabin Fever Quilt Studio in Ellijay as my regional quilty home to the north. Don’t know if they’ll allow Sadie in the shop, but wonders of wonders, I finally found a shop in the area that carries an extensive collection of Lori Holt fabrics and stuff. They also carry Tilda, Kaffe, Edyta Sitar and a lot of other designers I like. I could easily get into serious trouble in this shop. 🙂

Today, I visited Cabin Fever Quilt Studio for the first time. The shop is in the same space that used to house Vector Quilts (closed in 2021). What instantly drew me to the shop (besides all the pretty fabric) was the shop’s vibe. It is very similar to Stitch N Quilt, my former quilty home that closed back in March. They have several classes and clubs that interest me, but dang it, it’s 70 miles each way. It’s actually an easy drive (all highway against traffic), but the drive time and current gas prices make my participation in weekly clubs and classes unlikely at this point. I’ll definitely sign up for a one-time class if something appears on the schedule that I want to try. At least I know where to go buy Lori Holt fabric locally for QALs sponsored by Bee in my Bonnet (Lori Holt) and the Fat Quarter Shop!

There is another shop in the area (Cottontail Quilts) that has offered monthly Lori Holt and Featherweight sewing machine clubs in the past. This shop is MUCH closer to home. Last year, the new owner emphasized all of the upcoming Lori Holt collections the shop would carry…but not much LH product has been on the shelves whenever I stop in. I was informed that the clubs would resume in September. We’ll see if the meeting times work with my upcoming trips.

Don’t know about you, but I’ve sorely missed connecting in person with my quilty peeps since COVID began. Quilters need connections. That’s why we need a quilty home or two or three.

Keep on quilting!