You can’t tell from this picture, but this quilt shop is in a very large former church.

This spring’s Shop Hop with Harley Chick and Aunt Pat meant spending the morning at the Charlton Sewing Center, the most unusual quilt store I’ve ever visited (and that includes one in Sheridan, Wyoming in a former 19th century bank complete with a vault).

Aunt Pat and Harley Chick are ready to shop.

The first floor held sewing machines–either for sale, on display or to be repaired.

Then it was time to go upstairs to the fabric, notions and…organ.

The shop’s owner played a few tunes for us.  That was a first!!!

Scenes from the shop:

I will be honest with you.  I longed to start cleaning, organizing, and redistributing STUFF.  The fabric was gorgeous but overwhelmed by everything else.  I bought a few 1/4 yard pieces for an arty landscape quilt I am thinking about doing next year and some thread to finish quilting a gift.

I’d googled restaurants in this little Massachusetts town and the only one with decent reviews was this diner:

It was a “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives” moment for the three of us in this cool little place.  We scarfed down yummy avocado BLT’s and iced tea before stopping into another quilt store on the way home.  We pet the fabric but didn’t buy anything.

Which is always a good thing for three women who have Too Much Fabric.

I’ve been trying to use it up, I really have.  

I’ll be packing my bags and boxes for the lake soon.  I always bring some sewing projects in case the smoke from forest fires keeps me off the dock and inside the house.  Or if I find myself alone.

Sewing on the screened porch on a breezy summer afternoon is one of life’s little pleasures.  I can watch the boats on the lake, listen to the eagles and ospreys taunt each other and sip iced tea while creating something on my little portable sewing machine.

I would like to thank the person who invented extension cords.