Despite St. Christopher being booted from the sainthood, he's still a good guy! Thank you all for fondling your St. Christopher medals in our honor. It must have worked. We are both home safe and sound. I drove, Robin navigated, and although I gave you some foreboding in the "What to do with Bandanna Fabric" post/
video - we did not get arrested. Let me explain..... We have no toll roads in Michigan. My only experience with toll roads are the Ohio turnpike and the Pennsylvania turnpike. Very user friendly, those turnpikes. You get on, you get a ticket stub. You get off, you pay. Easy. Well, not so much in Chicago.
I still don't quite get it. I THINK you are supposed to pay every time you see a toll sign. Anyhoo.... after driving past three or four of them, Robin and I thought we might be making a mistake. So then, every time we saw one, we drove over and threw in our change. Either we broke the law the first few signs or they are still laughing at the tourists who kept pulling over on the expressway to throw money in buckets. Can you Chicagoans elaborate? All of the other times in the Windy City - we have flown or taken the train. OY! We had a grand time. On our way back this morning we stopped at a fabulous quilt shop -
The Quilt Merchant in Winfield Illinois. This is what we saw when we walked in the front door.
Fabulous! Polly would have died and gone to heaven here. Isn't that a great Blackbird's Design quilt with the blue vase and flowers? Docia - the owner - told me that almost everything on display is a kit. The whole shop is antique reproductions. Awesome. Here is a photo of Docia and Stella who greeted me this morning.
The quilt behind them is the subject of this morning's class - "Applique Affair." Isn't it wonderful! Here is teacher Leanne and her students (or experts!)
I took home a couple of treasures from The Quilt Merchant. Here is a bundle of double pinks and background prints in this wonderful stenciled paper tray.
How could I not bring this home? Thank you ladies for putting up with me today. I can't wait to get back to your shop.
Laurie
Fabulous! Polly would have died and gone to heaven here. Isn't that a great Blackbird's Design quilt with the blue vase and flowers? Docia - the owner - told me that almost everything on display is a kit. The whole shop is antique reproductions. Awesome. Here is a photo of Docia and Stella who greeted me this morning.
The quilt behind them is the subject of this morning's class - "Applique Affair." Isn't it wonderful! Here is teacher Leanne and her students (or experts!)
I took home a couple of treasures from The Quilt Merchant. Here is a bundle of double pinks and background prints in this wonderful stenciled paper tray. 
How could I not bring this home? Thank you ladies for putting up with me today. I can't wait to get back to your shop.
10 comments:
Oh my, Laurie, what a beautiful store and that quilt from the Blackbird ladies, is stunning. Glad you had a good trip, Nancy
Hi Laurie! Yes, you are supposed to pay at those toll booths along the way. In the past few years IL Tollways have begun using the little readers you can put in your car. They can detect your license plate and come back and charge you later. . . I had a rental car one time. Although I carry one of those readers (An EZ Pass from out East), the at speed detectors didn't pick it up. The charge made it to me a few months later. . . . Glad you had a wonderful time in the Chicago area. I really need to get to the Quilt Merchant some day. I've heard nothing but good things abouth them! amy, in South Lyon, MI
what a gorgeous shoppe and the quilts are amazing..I would be in my glory there.. and the quilt that everyone is working on is just stunning..thanks for sharing
What a wonderful posting! Loved the shop photos. I would love to come up there and visit quilt shops in this area of the country. I have heard they are wonderful.
We don't have toll roads and in South. Good thing because I would probably end up in jail.
Pat
Love the blue and white quilt by Blackbird Designs! I would love to visit that shop. Looks like you got some beautiful fabric there.
Speaking of Blackbird Designs - did Polly ever make her pillowcase inspired by their booth?
Karen
You and Polly are making it very tough not to start a 2 color quilt collection. If so the tough part would then be to decide blue & white or red & white! Decisions, decisions.....
What a great store with all those great quilts. Love the applique quilts for sure. You sure do have willpower.
All beautiful quilts and sounds like you had a wonderful trip, even with the funky tolls;) In the north, you pay at the booths as you drive through or the sirens go off, lol.
Two color quilts are looking more appealing to me too.
Debbie
I'm from Illinois and I don't like our toll roads. We have a thing called I-PASS. You go to grocery store to buy the little garage door opener and put it in your car. If you use the I-PASS it's half the cost of the tolls. If you travel alot on the toll road it saves alot of money. However is you don't have an I-PASS than you have to sot at each toll booth. If you went threw a few the first one will be a freebie. The other may cost you $25.00. However since we have a crooked state. Oh wait, I me that it takes months for our state to do anything. I have a brother-in-law that has only gotten one fine. I sure wouldn't worry about it. That's just my take on the tolls.
Our local quilt show was lucky to have The Quilt Merchant as a vendor this year. Docia and her husband are the nicest people. I had a chance to go to the show a few week back and loved it. I think if I lived closer this would be a hazzard to my checkbook. Thanks for all the great pictures.
I live five minutes away from the Quilt Merchant. Thankfully for me, I'm not a quilter (I'd spend too much money there!), but my mom and sister are so every time they come to town we head over to the Quilt Merchant. Docia, Beth, and the women who work there are the most wonderful people. They invite you to sit down and chat--even though they are super-busy and have a LOT going on.
Last year they convinced me to take a beginning class (Leanne was my wonderful teacher) and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. They gave me the confidence to know that I could do it again . . . if I wanted to. :)
So if you're ever in my neighborhood, definitely stop by and say hi to Docia and the gals. It is SOOO worth the trip!
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