Minnesota Shop Hop Part Two

I had intended to post this last week but I’ve been busy solving computer issues. I now have a new laptop and am in the (very) long process of getting things loaded, updated, backed up, etc.

But, back to the shop hop!

We left off in the afternoon of Day One of the MinnesotaState Shop Hop. We were all tired but very willing to see what the last two shops of the day had to offer. I had not been to either one of them before so was anxious to see them.

First was Quilt Cove in Eagan. This was a nice shop with lots of bolts in novelties, 30s prints, Civil War type prints, children’s prints and so on. Basically, lots to choose from! They had a large wall of all sorts of interesting notions, and we all need notions, as well as a large wall of kits. Many of these were smaller kits for things like hot pads, wall hangings and the like. The ladies in the shop were very helpful and pleasant. I will definitely make this a stop when I’m in that area of the Twin Cities. 

The last stop of the day was Glad Creations. You may be familiar with this name as they publish wonderful traditional style quilt patterns. They are known for their Mystery Quilts. The shop is in a house in a neighborhood in Minneapolis so the parking can be a little interesting which, frankly, is part of the reason why I never made my way there. Now that I’ve seen the shop I will absolutely make the trip again! The entire house has been crafted into a delightful quilting treasure trove.

Upstairs they had a couple of classrooms and a small area with lots of clearance books, patterns and notions. The classroom spaces had several demos set up for various piecing techniques. Downstairs was an area for their pattern line, lots of fabric, especially the more traditional prints, as well as a lot of fun prints and batiks. They had a number of kits and models for projects. I succumbed and purchased a kit for a darling child’s owl apron. Okay, I admit it. I purchased more here than I did at any of the other shops! I love this place!

Soon it was time to get back on the bus and head back to Elk River. We were up again bright and early on Saturday morning for Day Two.

Our first stop of the day was Country Caboose in Wahkon. (The website isn't working at the time of this posting.) This shop is owned by our bus mom’s mom. It’s a very cute shop but very small. She had lots of bolts of fabric and had them arranged in stacks that were three high, so she made really good use of her space. They have plans to extend their shop. It was a little difficult to see everything as the aisles were small and we had 32 people in such a tiny area, but I did manage to buy several things here. The owner and her son were both very helpful and made sure everyone felt welcome. It is definitely worth another visit but I would not go with a bus group again just because of the space issue.

Next was Millie P’s in Anoka. This shop is just minutes from my home so I’ve been here many times, but not since they expanded the shop. It is very bright and airy. They have a lot of non-quilting projects on display, things like aprons, children’s items, bags and so on. They carry a selection of Minkie, oilcloth and a variety of other specialty items including embroidery designs and Cosmo thread. 

Anoka is a nice place to spend the day and if you are traveling here you will want to check out the occasional sale shops. These shops offer a unique set of items and are usually only open on weekends and sometimes only one weekend a month. Check out the shops here. While in town you will want to visit the yarn shop that is just around the corner and Truffles andTortes just across the street and right next to the Garden of Beads. Truffles has absolutely sinful desserts as well as a nice little menu of quiches, sandwiches and soups. 

Here are a couple of photos of additions to my stash. You can see the cute owl apron kit, some fun patterns and a product called Vintage Linen Soak. I'll tell you more about that product in a future post.