Whistlestop Shops
There were 2 Quilt Shop Hops (Whistlestop and East Tennessee) running simultaneously and of course Karen and I tried to do them all! What were we thinking, 22 quilt stores in 5 days? I never want to see a yard a fabric again, unless it’s that “oh wait I still need it!” fabric. You can see the complete list of shops on my earlier post http://www.sewingwithrascal.com/2015/05/2015-quilting-shop-hops-in-tennessee.html (P.S. I have a problem, I just bought 2 yards of fabric online from Mountain Creek while writing this)
The Whistlestop shop theme was black with solids. Each shop had a block kit available for $5 (the pattern alone was free). Atomic Fibers put together 4 of the blocks from left to right Atomic Fibers, Chattanooga Quilts, Ready Set Sew and last but definitely not least Mountain Creek.
East Tennessee Shops
East Tennessee Shops had a barn block with a common blue fabric. Kits were available for $5 and included a fabric printed photo of an East Tennessee quilt barn. Several of the shops made up their own version of a quilt including all the barns. I enjoy the different takes on putting together the blocks.
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Little Blessing had 2 versions of barn quilts. The one above and the one to the right. This version had an appliqué portrait of the owner Julia holding a rotary cutter, her husband and their dog. They even had a pillow to match. |  |
 | Sue Jones also had a barn quilt made with her Fill in the Blanks 3 pattern that was available at most of the shops. |
My favorite shops on the hop
I tried to rate the shops based on selection, price, samples, friendliness/helpfulness. I’ll have to say that everyone was very friendly in all 22 stores, probably just good ole southern hospitality. Most of the stores carried the higher quality cottons only found in quilt stores. The lowest price per yard was Mountain Creek in Greenback at average $8.99 regular price, 6.99/$7.99 yd on sale. The highest average price was Gina’s in Knoxville at about $14 a yard or $11.20 with a paid membership “discount”.
 | Mountain Creek in Greenback Mountain Creek is still my favorite quilt shop in East Tennessee after visiting all the "new to me" shops. There is just something about that little shop with the carefully chosen bolts of fabric, wool and notions, inspirational projects, and a knowledgeable, friendly owner. I just never tire of it because Terry keeps her fabrics current by rotating out the older stock with reasonable prices and great selections. If you want to find the latest fabrics, this is the place for you. I’ll have to say there were several of the shops on the hop that had out of date fabrics – but NOT Mountain Creek. The only complaint I have is that it isn’t closer to Knoxville :-) Read more about them here: http://www.sewingwithrascal.com/2015/01/mountain-creek-quilt-shop.html |
My remaining favorites in no particular order:
Chattanooga Quilts in Ooltewah Chattanooga quilts had lots of Moda (my favorite) with an average price of $10.99 yd. They had a large variety of styles and lots of premade samples. They had lots of precuts and current selections. They are near Chattanooga area and I will definitely make the trip back. The store is in an old brick building with lots of character, I believe it was the old town pharmacy. Friendly and helpful staff! Worth the drive.
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| Tennessee Quilts in Jonesborough This is one big store! with lots and lots of fabric. It was slightly overwhelming but try them if you are having trouble finding just the right fabric. They have modern, they have traditional, they have prints, they have solids and about anything else you would need. They also have a huge Kaffe selection and several Judy Niemeyer quilt kits and lots of gorgeous premade quilts. I’m going back when I have a full day to spend and not an hour allotted to a shop hop frenzy. |  |
| Cherry Pit in Sevierville The Cherry Pit is a traditional little shop that has lots of appliqué patterns and samples to get inspiration from. They also have a nice selection of fabric however it is mostly a more traditional selection, not much modern or solids. Side note: there is a really cute little store across the street from the Cherry Pit named the Bees Knees worth stopping  |  |
  | Pappy’s Quilting Place in Maryville Pappy’s is a dependable, well stocked store with a friendly staff and large classroom. The lighting is bright so you can really see the true color of the fabrics. They have a large civil war fabric selection and lots of Cindy Blackberg patterns. If you are lucky enough to be there a day Michelle is working then you will have no trouble with picking just the right fabrics for your project.  Pappy’s is my favorite place to take classes. They have a large variety of projects and the most reasonable class prices around. Sue Jones my favorite sewing instructor teaches several classes here. |
It’s hard to wrap up the list because there were sew many nice shops and we had a great time but that’s all for now.
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