Only one more day till you get hopping!

Have you secured your 2026 All MidAtlantic Shop Hop magazine yet? I cannot believe that July 1 is only a day away. Eight weeks to visit a myriad of fabulous quilt shops that feature the best fabrics, tools and more. 78 shops in total. Each shop having its own flavors, patterns, styles and specials. 

I live in the central region of this shop hop so I plan to start there. But, I plan to visit some shops that have never been on my list before. Of the shops that I am familiar with, I can really recommend them all. Each has something to share with all levels of quilters. If you are near any of my favorite shops, I will try to give you a highlight that spoke to me.

I am a staff member at The Old Country Store in Intercourse, Pa so I can personally speak to their fabulous fabric picks and tools and patterns, oh my! We have a whole wall of MODA fabrics in
addition to so many others such as Kaffe Fassett, Windham, Riley Blake, Tilda, Marcia Derse, batiks, etc. We have some new fabrics called Fableism which are Indian prints. Christmas and fall fabrics are arriving now! We have a variety of tools, notions, patterns and books as well as great local crafts. Do you have a featherweight? We have a fine selection of accessories for your machine.  

I have visited every one of the shops in the central region at one time or another and they all have wonderful employees to help you make selections, should you need some guidance or advice. While you are in this region, if you need a bite to eat, there are some of my favorite eateries to visit. Intercourse has Village Cafe and Latte Luv: a delicious local eatery for breakfast or lunch. Try the blueberry muffins which are a favorite of mine. Amos' Place, which is inside of the Stolzfus Market, is another favorite local eatery. Great comfort food! Try the soft pretzels at Immergut just up the street! Inside Kitchen Kettle there is a kiosk for Lapp Valley Ice Cream! Peanut butter twirl is my fav!

In the Southeast region there is another lovely shop called Church Street Fabrics in Selbyville, Delaware. Nancy has an amazing collection of beach and ocean themed fabrics as well as so many other types of fabrics. They offer kits and precuts in many styles. The staff is very helpful and will serve you with a smile. I helped out there when I was living nearby so I am a bit biased. After you visit the shop, go up the street a bit towards Route 113. There is a little Hispanic market, La Sierra,  with a very authentic restaurant in the back. The food is muy rica! Try the burritos and the carnitas tacos! The hibiscus tea is outstanding. Tell Nancy that I sent you!

I have been in several of the Delaware shops and a few of the more distant PA shops. They are all so different which is what makes this hop so interesting. During the first hop, I met someone from my mom's hometown of Altoona, PA and we had a relation in common! You never know who you will meet! 

Other shops that really stand out are Seamless Sewing in Phoenixville, PA and Primrose in Christiana, PA. If you love modern fabrics and patterns, they have great selections. As I continue to visit other shops, I will update my hop experience. Do you have a favorite shop? I would love to hear from you. Send me a message here so that I can add it to my list this summer. 

What am I up to right now? Well, I am appliqueing some Christmas accessories to my holiday doggy. He kinda looks like Max from The Grinch!

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I am also working on my newest village. It's a village that lives beneath a tree out in a field. The village is inhabited by a small group of gnome like creatures. I shrunk the templates to be able to shrink the houses in the village. Detail photos are below. 

This village is little bit bigger than my other villages since I want to accentuate the idea that this little village is almost not visible unless you get close. I am still adding a few details as I shop some different shops looking for fussy cuts. 

The right hand photo is one more village that I am so excited about. I previously made two other dog villages, but I gifted them to several others. I decided to make another dog village, but I think that this will be a gift as well. Our Floppy goes to a doggy daycare that is fabulous. She is incredibly well cared for and has great human pals there as well as canine ones. I will probably wait until the holidays to gift it. Oscar's is a tremendous pet resort if you have a canine friend and are in the Lancaster area. 

Back to shop hopping! I hope that your hopping is the experience that you are looking for this summer. Enjoy being with friends and fellow quilters as you travel safely through the regions. Maybe I will see you at the Old Country Store at the cutting table or at one of the many shops on the list! I hope so. 

Piecefully, 

Trisha

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