Trip Report: Southern California Quilters' Run (South)--long!

[De-lurk mode on]

Hi everyone, I haven't posted much since I joined last year--been too busy trying to absorb all the knowledge here and work on my mostly small projects. A few months ago, I happened to pick up a flyer at my LQS for the Southern California Quilters' Run, which made no sense to me at first. Eventually, after asking a lot of questions, I decided it made more sense to do both parts to get a shot at winning the best prizes.

So I bribed my mom (who kept telling me how crazy I was) in San Diego to let me spend the night, ran off a lot of information from MapQuest and headed off solo to Palm Springs on Friday a little before 7am. Since our home has been a "hospice" for several QI's the past 5 years, it's been awhile since we've taken any trips, so this also was like a mini-vacation for me. I had forgotten how starkly beautiful the desert was, although the mountains were shrouded in the cloudy remnants of Claudette that have raised the humidity to definitely un-California levels. I have to admit at times (since I wasn't using the a/c in order to save gas), I was starting to agree with my mother! But I had a shopping list--I'm making a memory quilt of for my mom's birthday in November of printed photographs appliquéd onto 16 blocks of themed fabric, and I figured I should be able to make a good dent in it visiting 12 stores--none of which I had ever gone to before.

I pulled into Creative Expressions 5 minutes after 9, a little nervous about what I was getting into. I had seen them at 2 local quilt shows, but was still floored by the selection of fabric, especially already cut FQs and yards of batiks. I kicked myself then--and many other times over those two days since I had just bought all 16 batiks needed for the darks in a log cabin quilt. Luckily, I was able to cross off some of my list after visiting the goodies table (the best on the run). I definitely will go back if I'm anywhere near the area!

Next was Everything Nice in Calimesa, with a surprisingly large selection (with most of the state flower fabrics including the California one I needed!) for a small store and friendly staff.

Woerth Stitching in Temecula was the next stop--although I wasn't able to find anything specific, it wasn't because of lack of fabrics! Since it's right off the I-15, this will be a regular stop on visits down to my mom. I didn't have time to do the store justice since lunch was calling, so I definitely need to go back.

The temperature dropped quite a bit as I headed into Fallbrook and made my way to the coast to Sew Much Better in Oceanside. I was able to cross off another fabric and I actually won a prize--two pattern books! One was a Bernina project book for sewing cushions and the other an Elinor Peace Bailey booklet on wearable doll patterns. This will be another regular stop, right off the I-5.

I headed down to Sowing Sisters in Carlsbad, more sowing than fabric. The staff tried very hard to help me find material, but unfortunately I left empty handed.

Then back inland to Amidon in Poway--another good selection of fabric, but in too isolated an area to me to make it back. The last stop was Patchwork Plus in El Cajon where I briefly met Carl as he was headed out to a Padres game. The store was really organized well with lots of space. By then, I have to admit I was getting tired, so I headed to a Baskin Robbins to pick up some Jamoca ice cream and made it to my mom's around 6pm--11 hours and 320 miles later. After a show and tell of all the freebies I got (I had to hide the fabric for her quilt), I had an early bedtime of 9:30--and slept well that night!

Saturday was a lot easier--I didn't leave until 8:30. The first stop was Leah's in Mission Viejo--another awesome selection of fabrics right off I-5. Not only did I get another on my list, but also picked up a few FQs of sky and grass backgrounds for a paper-pieced house I forgot I had to do by the end of August.

Next was Leah's in Orange where I ended up finding 2 more backgrounds. This was the best organized of any of the stores with actual labels on the shelves and a great assortment of cat fabrics for future reference.

Then I visited the Calico House in Yorba Linda and the Calico Corner in La Habra and realized one problem with the concept of quilt shop hopping--when a deadline is looming, it's really difficult to spend enough time to really get a good idea of what each LQS is all about. Partly because of that, and partly because I was hungry, I can't remember anything about either of the stores:-(

After stopping at Baskin Robbins for "lunch", I felt much better and headed to the last shop, which was the most memorable--Timeless Quilts in Anaheim. The flyer described it as being in a "beautifully restored 1924 craftsman home" so I was interested in at least seeing the premises. But it turned out to be the most fun of all--as I walked through the door, I was immediately adorned with a strand of flapper-like beads. Roaring 20's type music was playing and I was given a ticket to play a game in the classroom. Now THAT was really crazy--the staff were having a lot of fun with the music and the era. Although I didn't find anything on my list, I ended up spending more money there than anywhere else-and it was on material I "wanted" rather than "needed"! There was a surprising amount of fabric stashed in each room of the house. And since it's only about 30 miles away, it may be a regular shopping trip.

I ended up home, after 6 hours and 150 miles (for a 2 day total of 17 hours and 470 miles). I managed to get all on my list except for one fabric. I dragged my DH to look at all the free gifts--8 coordinated charm squares, hand needles and threader, 3 FQs, 2 fat eighths, 2 gift certificates/coupons, a wooden ruler, a yard stick, a band-aid dispenser, measuring tape, a pen, beads and the 2 pattern books. Plus I'm entered into 11 in-store drawings!

I've already mapped out this Friday's route to the northern shops, a lot closer to home. I still need one background, plus I'm going to look for the 4 light fabrics I need for the log cabin quilt. Hopefully by next year, I will have joined a guild because it seemed a little silly to be meeting people 150 miles away that were driving from the same town as me?

debbe in torrance [Lurk mode back on]

Reply to
Debbe Nye
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Oh Debbe, turn off that lurking mode. Welcome to the Road Warrior Travelogue Team! I really enjoyed hearing about your Southern California adventure. I've been to a few of the shops you listed when I visited last in 1999. Makes me want to come back down for another trip...hm...I've got some time off at the end of the summer..might have to look into it. Welcome to the group if I haven't done so before.

-- Sandi in New Westminster B.C.

Reply to
shhdesigns

Did not do the run-- 1) no money, 2) someone has to keep an eye on kidlet #2. Too bad I did not make one of my zillion runs to Leah's in Mission Viejo this weekend. Could have met up with you for a few minutes.

Debbi in SO CA

Reply to
Debbi

Great post! Sounds like you had a successful hop so far. Hope you tell us about the rest of it.

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Tracy Peek

I just got back from San Diego. My daughter is planning to go to SDSU this fall and we hac orientation Mon. I got to go to one quilt shop on Tues. - Rosie's Calico Cupboard. It was great! 16,000 bolts is their claim. I ended up only buying a yard of "San Diego fabric" so I can put some in a block on daughter's quilt. Then I saw a flyer that the SD Quilt Show is Aug. 29 -31, which is when I have to take her back to stay. I was surprised they only claim

300 quilts. I think Boise has at least that many and Sisters OR has over 800. I'll probably check it out anyway. One can never go to too many quilt show in my opinion. Debra in Idaho
Reply to
DebsPrintOnIt

After such a great travelogue you have to stay out of lurk mode, Debbe! We visited friends in Escondido last year and so many of the places you mentioned were familiar. Lovely area. Now I should go back just to hit the area LQSs!

Dee in LeRoy, NY

[De-lurk mode on]

Hi everyone, I haven't posted much since I joined last year--been too busy trying to absorb all the knowledge here and work on my mostly small projects. A few months ago, I happened to pick up a flyer at my LQS for the Southern California Quilters' Run, which made no sense to me at first. Eventually, after asking a lot of questions, I decided it made more sense to do both parts to get a shot at winning the best prizes.

So I bribed my mom (who kept telling me how crazy I was) in San Diego to let me spend the night, ran off a lot of information from MapQuest and headed off solo to Palm Springs on Friday a little before 7am. Since our home has been a "hospice" for several QI's the past 5 years, it's been awhile since we've taken any trips, so this also was like a mini-vacation for me. I had forgotten how starkly beautiful the desert was, although the mountains were shrouded in the cloudy remnants of Claudette that have raised the humidity to definitely un-California levels. I have to admit at times (since I wasn't using the a/c in order to save gas), I was starting to agree with my mother! But I had a shopping list--I'm making a memory quilt of for my mom's birthday in November of printed photographs appliquéd onto 16 blocks of themed fabric, and I figured I should be able to make a good dent in it visiting 12 stores--none of which I had ever gone to before.

I pulled into Creative Expressions 5 minutes after 9, a little nervous about what I was getting into. I had seen them at 2 local quilt shows, but was still floored by the selection of fabric, especially already cut FQs and yards of batiks. I kicked myself then--and many other times over those two days since I had just bought all 16 batiks needed for the darks in a log cabin quilt. Luckily, I was able to cross off some of my list after visiting the goodies table (the best on the run). I definitely will go back if I'm anywhere near the area!

Next was Everything Nice in Calimesa, with a surprisingly large selection (with most of the state flower fabrics including the California one I needed!) for a small store and friendly staff.

Woerth Stitching in Temecula was the next stop--although I wasn't able to find anything specific, it wasn't because of lack of fabrics! Since it's right off the I-15, this will be a regular stop on visits down to my mom. I didn't have time to do the store justice since lunch was calling, so I definitely need to go back.

The temperature dropped quite a bit as I headed into Fallbrook and made my way to the coast to Sew Much Better in Oceanside. I was able to cross off another fabric and I actually won a prize--two pattern books! One was a Bernina project book for sewing cushions and the other an Elinor Peace Bailey booklet on wearable doll patterns. This will be another regular stop, right off the I-5.

I headed down to Sowing Sisters in Carlsbad, more sowing than fabric. The staff tried very hard to help me find material, but unfortunately I left empty handed.

Then back inland to Amidon in Poway--another good selection of fabric, but in too isolated an area to me to make it back. The last stop was Patchwork Plus in El Cajon where I briefly met Carl as he was headed out to a Padres game. The store was really organized well with lots of space. By then, I have to admit I was getting tired, so I headed to a Baskin Robbins to pick up some Jamoca ice cream and made it to my mom's around 6pm--11 hours and 320 miles later. After a show and tell of all the freebies I got (I had to hide the fabric for her quilt), I had an early bedtime of 9:30--and slept well that night!

Saturday was a lot easier--I didn't leave until 8:30. The first stop was Leah's in Mission Viejo--another awesome selection of fabrics right off I-5. Not only did I get another on my list, but also picked up a few FQs of sky and grass backgrounds for a paper-pieced house I forgot I had to do by the end of August.

Next was Leah's in Orange where I ended up finding 2 more backgrounds. This was the best organized of any of the stores with actual labels on the shelves and a great assortment of cat fabrics for future reference.

Then I visited the Calico House in Yorba Linda and the Calico Corner in La Habra and realized one problem with the concept of quilt shop hopping--when a deadline is looming, it's really difficult to spend enough time to really get a good idea of what each LQS is all about. Partly because of that, and partly because I was hungry, I can't remember anything about either of the stores:-(

After stopping at Baskin Robbins for "lunch", I felt much better and headed to the last shop, which was the most memorable--Timeless Quilts in Anaheim. The flyer described it as being in a "beautifully restored 1924 craftsman home" so I was interested in at least seeing the premises. But it turned out to be the most fun of all--as I walked through the door, I was immediately adorned with a strand of flapper-like beads. Roaring 20's type music was playing and I was given a ticket to play a game in the classroom. Now THAT was really crazy--the staff were having a lot of fun with the music and the era. Although I didn't find anything on my list, I ended up spending more money there than anywhere else-and it was on material I "wanted" rather than "needed"! There was a surprising amount of fabric stashed in each room of the house. And since it's only about 30 miles away, it may be a regular shopping trip.

I ended up home, after 6 hours and 150 miles (for a 2 day total of 17 hours and 470 miles). I managed to get all on my list except for one fabric. I dragged my DH to look at all the free gifts--8 coordinated charm squares, hand needles and threader, 3 FQs, 2 fat eighths, 2 gift certificates/coupons, a wooden ruler, a yard stick, a band-aid dispenser, measuring tape, a pen, beads and the 2 pattern books. Plus I'm entered into 11 in-store drawings!

I've already mapped out this Friday's route to the northern shops, a lot closer to home. I still need one background, plus I'm going to look for the 4 light fabrics I need for the log cabin quilt. Hopefully by next year, I will have joined a guild because it seemed a little silly to be meeting people 150 miles away that were driving from the same town as me.

debbe in torrance [Lurk mode back on]

Reply to
DDM

Hi Debra, Isn't Rosie's the best! My mom lives only a few miles from it (right by SDSU), but unfortunately, I didn't get to make it there during the Quilters Run because it closes early on Fridays :-(

My mom and I bought several yards of the SD fabric--much of it I made into Attic Windows placemats for relatives back east, with the rest was turned into a tablecloth for my mom (with one of Carol Doak's gorgeous paper pieced stars at the center). I also saw 2 people at the Del Mar fair wearing shirts made of the material, and there was a story on CNN about many SD area military families making the fabric into quilts for their loved ones stationed overseas!

I picked up a flyer for the quilt show too--not sure if I'll make it or not! debbe

Reply to
Debbe Nye

YEAH SDSU!!!! My alma mater! Where will your daughter be staying? I too plan to go to the SD Quilt show if the kids don't have plans for me. I live about 60 miles north

Debbi in SO CA

Reply to
Debbi

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