Back on the West Coast!

11/12/14 2:21 PM

So we made it back to the West Coast before I got to another shop, and that shop was in Washington (where I visit all the time, but I've never been to this one!). We had to go through that "arctic storm" in North Dakota and Montana, which was awesome 'cause I love snow. Of course, it was REALLY dangerous and often scary, but I like to look at the positive things in life :)


And actually, the shop I went to has another shop in North Dakota, which I think is kind of funny. I really wanted to go to the one in North Dakota, but the cards weren't in our favor, so we moved on. Then we got to Washington, dropped off our load and got stuck again, and just happened to be right down the road from the Washington location! Crazy!!

Although, I just looked it up, and they have the same exact names with the same exact services, but they're not actually the same store/franchise. Definitely a big coincidence, but I still think it's pretty cool.







That shop was Ben Franklin Crafts, which is actually just a really big Joann's. I don't want to make anyone angry, but it was actually much nicer than Joann's. The fabric quality at Ben's was also a lot better, and it was actually in its own little quilt shop within the store itself, rather than spread out everywhere. The workers were also super friendly, which can't always be said for Joann's. Just saying. =P

I got 4 different fabrics here, 2 of which scream Washington to me:

They're absolute opposites, I know, but I haven't entirely decided what sort of direction I'm going to take when I make this quilt. I'll likely use the graphic-y one, but I know I'll be able to use the elegant fabric one way or another. I loved them way too much to choose, which is also why I waited for my hubby to get tired and leave the store before I got em cut :) He wanted me to pick, which is blasphemy!

 And yes, I know I got this one before, but that one was canvas and it was blue. This one is green! I think it'll work with my quilt a lot better, and I can always use the canvas for something else:

 

Last, like every other shop so far, there was one that I just had to get, no logic involved:

Along the way, we also stopped by the 50,000 Silver $ store in Montana, which is a really awesome gift store with a great story. The tradition was started by Gerry and Marie Lincoln in 1952, where they would take people's silver dollars and engrave their name under it on the wooden frame. After 62 years, they're still collecting. They're currently at 67,000 and counting! The bar alone has $2500 worth of silver dollars, with the rest covering the walls around the bar. It's a pretty spectacular place, and Chris and I got our names added to the legacy as well. There's also a restaurant, motel, gas station, convenience store, and casino all in the same building.

 That's all I've got for now, but next week I'm heading to Hawaii! That means I'll have all 48 continental states, and one non-continental! Don't get me wrong, I have every intention of going to Alaska in the foreseeable future, but I'll get to Hawaii first :) Stay tuned for more! (yes, I just said that)

States I’ve purchased fabric from:

Oregon

Missouri

New York

Washington