Schoolhouse Fabrics

Brrrr! My thermometer says 7 degrees F this morning and the weatherman says we are headed for a balmy 24F today. I say that makes for a good day to stay inside. I have plenty to keep me busy. There are mountains of laundry awaiting my attention. DH had these holidays off, so I tried to spend time with him instead of doing all housework after we got home from our trip. Now it is time to concentrate on getting the household chores done.

I told you in one of my previous posts that I went shopping while we were visiting DD in south west Virginia. I drove down to Schoolhouse Fabrics in Floyd VA to do a little shopping. When I lived in this area, I would often make the 35mile drive down to shop. Their prices are generally much cheaper than shops in the city and that has not changed. They are located in an old school building and have fabric in all the rooms. Here's a few pictures I snapped.














Isn't this a lovely old school building! Best part is it is filled with fabric.









I snapped this photo from the parking lot. It's not great, but you can see the mountains off in the distance. They truly look blue....hence "The Blue Ridge Mountains!"

Floyd, VA is about 7 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you are ever on vacation and driving down the parkway....and feel the need to do a little shopping.....this is one place to visit!

I didn't have any specific fabrics in mind when I went shopping, I just look for interesting things to use in my applique and other projects. I found plenty. See the rolls in the center. Those are fat quarters. The two pale green are fabrics I'm collecting for a pink and green quilt. The white one in the center is an interesting birch bark pattern. That fabric is for my applique collection. It is wonderful for white flower petals, sea gulls, animal fur, etc. The green fabric on the right...is prints of cabbage. It is also for my applique stash. It will be wonderful to use for shaded leaves. The purple and pink in the cabbage will also work well for flower buds. The gold fabric in the center back will be added to a maple leaf quilt I'm planning to make. I have been collecting fabrics for a maple leaf quilts for many years. I probably have enough to make 5 or 6 quilts!! The coffee print fabric will be used in a stitchery project. I have some embroidery transfers of coffee items and I plan to use that fabric with them.









I hand quilt and I found this template that I thought I could use on the borders of a top I need to prepare for quilting.









Schoolhouse Fabrics also had one room with craft items and they had one wall with these pre-printed quilt blocks. They had so many of these and in many different patterns.....most I had not seen before! I bought these two and plan to re-trace them on a good quality unbleached muslin. I loved the prints, but not the fabric they are printed on.









I also still sew some garments. I bought these fabrics for DD. The red plaid will be a little A-line skirt, the red dot a button-front shirt, and the burgundy mini check another skirt.









I also bought a book of Hardanger patterns for DD. I didn't get a picture of that.

In 2008, I plan to cut back on fabric purchases for quilting and use fabrics in my stash. I bought these Dec. 27, 2007....so I didn't break my goal!! I'm planning to get back to work on the center medallion for DD's quilt. It's time to work hard on that and get it finished so I can put the top together. I'm also anxious to get back to work on the botanicals I've been making through the applique class I take monthly. These are designed by Dinah Jefferies of Gardencity Gateworks. I haven't posted a picture of these in a while....so here's my hyacinth.