Every vacation must include.....

Quilt shops....LOTS of quilt shops. I create my opinions on shops based on how cute the shop is and how friendly the people in the shop are. Both are really important to me.

So come along on my journey, although these pictures are not necessarily in our vacation order!!!

Jim likes to brake for "Historical Towns". Me too, and even more so when I find a quilt shop.

This bitty shop was a gem. Located in Cottonwood, California ( at the top of the most northern part of the state), it was FULL of inspirational quilts, darling vignettes and the owner couldn't have been more charming. She works directly with Moda....need I say more????

At the top of my page was her "Figtree Room", but the entire shop made me wish it was closer to home.

These sweet ladies were standing in front of the cutest quilt shop...as tasty as the treats they were handing out.

In the delightful town of Ferndale ( home to the most delicious Victorian Homes) I found a shop named the "Itty Bitty Quilt Shop". It was teeny.....

.....but full of bright and contemporary fabrics.

My favorite part of the shop was the darling man who was behind the counter. He told me he was there because his wife and daughter were at a quilting retreat. His words to me were "I can't tell you what goes together, but I do know how to cut and charge you".

I LOVED HIM!!!

I found this shop in one of my older quilt magazines. We were in Oregon, which meant that it was sprinkling outside but warm and cozy inside.

The owners husband is a woodworker and made all of her cottagey looking displays.

Not only was the shop cute and cheery, but they were having a SALE. Gotta love that when you are in vacation mode!!!!

This next shop ranks HIGHEST on

"oh my gosh, this is beyond gorgeous".

BUT....the sign by the door tells you that anything

you touch and break you pay for.

Already I was feeling a bit nervous.

But when they saw me taking photos of the outside,

they quickly sent someone to tell me NO PHOTOS.

I was bummed.

So the only photos I have are the ones I took before being chastised!!!!

Holly Hill Mercantile was a gorgeous shop, but didn't leave me with

that "warm fuzzy" feeling

that is part of the quilt shop experience for me.

My next post will share what happened on the first days of our vacation.....where the Apple Farm was transformed into a fun quilt retreat by two BFF's !!!!!