Bob and I were on a ten day camping trip to Montana with the main purpose of seeing six musicals in those ten days; we also visited some historic sites, the Montana Folk Fest, and spent some time on the Missouri River and Flathead Lake. However, Bob just knows that the trip won't be complete without a couple of quilt stores. My three favorite in the Flathead Lake area are Bigfork Cotton Company, and Quilt Gallery and Glacier Quilts both in Kalispell. Bigfork Cotton Company has changed from being a quilt shop to strictly selling patterns - I know some of you are familiar with them. Most of their business is via internet but apparently shoppers are welcome to visit them ... if they can be found. I never found their new location.
No problem finding the other two though and both of them are divine! Someday I'd love to take a class as there are idols of mine such as Judy Niemeyer and Ruth B. McDowell in the area although I've learned that Ruth has retired from teaching. I hope her retirement is similar to those bands who do one last concert tour ten more times!
I loved that the shops didn't mind me taking photos and, in both cases, thanked me for asking before I took the photos. My favorite, favorite, favorite in the Quilt Gallery was this huge bear.
This shop sells most of Judy Niemeyer's patterns as well as kits with her patterns.
The longarm machine in the store had this wonderful little piece draped over it.
Vera, the Quilt Gallery still has its shelves and shelves of western fabrics.
Glacier Quilts is my favorite of the stores as it is stuffed to the rafters with merchandise.
This little cowboy-booted girl and her mom were selecting farm prints for her 4H project.
I mentioned the store is stuffed to the rafters, didn't I? Yes, quilts are hung on the ceiling.
I had to go back three days in a row and I should have gone back a fourth! Now if any of you are feeling sympathy for Bob, stop right now. He wasn't sitting outside the store on a "Husband's Bench" in the 90 degree heat while I did my browsing. I sent him off to the golf course each day in the 90 degree heat.
I fell in love with this piece.
I told the ladies at Glacier Quilts that others from our guild head down that way from time to time, and so they asked if I would advertise their quilt show. I would! I am! Read the poster!
Not far down the road (about an hour and a quarter) is Eureka, MT and they have the quilt show you really should see. It's a one day, outdoor show which is August 3rd this year. We've only been to it once, but even Bob was impressed.
The rest of this entry has nothing to do with quilts or quilting or quilt shops, so feel free to stop reading now. I just wanted to show you our camping spot at Whitefish. We loved the shade when it was 90 degrees and we loved the night temperature of 68 degrees ... perfect for sleeping.
Many years the Flathead cherries aren't in season when we go (traditionally this same week every year), but this year they were ready. This is a staged photo as I didn't have to pick them; we bought them from the roadside stand ... 12 pounds for $13.50. Yum!
Not so "yum" is one of the items on this diner menu. Guess which one I would never, ever order, especially after working at Wynyard's evicerating plant every summer during my university days.
Finally, I've got to show you what we found at the front of Walmart in Kalispell.
Here's a close-up. Even if we live in tornado country, I'm not buying. There were some major forest fires burning while we were in MT and many millionaires and billionaires build in the heart of the forest, so maybe they are the ones who buy these emergency food kits.
Should we have a dyeing day in September? I learned this easy, peasy technique with Sharpie markers and rubbing alcohol. As well, I'd be willing to put a pot of wax on the barbeque so that we can do batiks. Let me know what you think.
