Two quilty day trips this week cut into my sewing time, but they were so much fun I didn’t mind at all. First, on Tuesday, I went south of Greenville, SC to Fountain Inn for a presentation to the Busy Bees Quilt Guild. I did my Scrap Dancing program complete with trunk show. The ladies were so helpful in setting up, accommodating and gracious.
Quilters began arriving, filling up the room. Many came up to greet me and look at the trunk show before the meeting. I love talking to them, and several were blog followers. So fun to meet you ladies!
The room filled in more and more, until almost every seat was taken. I was delighted to see several men in the room. The program went off without a hitch. It is so fun to speak to such a warm and welcoming group, engaged and participating in the program. Busy Bees rock!
On the way home in the mid-afternoon, the road was practically deserted. My heart was full with the warmth of the guild, and the mountains of home in front of me.
Then, yesterday, a friend went with me to Foust Textiles for their semi-annual sale. We are in charge of the National / Worldwide Quilting Day challenge for our guild for 2025. The announcement of the theme will be in September with the exhibit at a local mall on March 15, 2025. We went with a half a dozen ideas in mind for the theme to see what prints we could find. We had our favorite idea and hoped to find the perfect print to make that one a reality. Arriving early, amazingly we got a good parking spot. Inside, we began to browse the aisles.
This place is huge, lots of fun fabrics to look at, most sold by the bolt.
Aisle after aisle of quality fabrics from manufacturers like Henry Glass, Robert Kaufman, Timeless Treasures, Wilmington Prints and more.
There are panels with every theme you can imagine.
In the back were bundles of fabrics in groups by theme or color.
A reasonably new offering, there were tables of 3-5 yard cuts for us short-bolt lovers. But, keeping in mind my Stashbusters totals this year so far, I decided not to get the cute rooster print on the lower right.
It took us over two hours to see all we could, and then select a fabric for the challenge. Then, we went to the notions and precuts to decide on what would go in the prize bags for the winners in the competition. We did really well on this!! I think the ladies who win a prize will be over the moon! I know the first place prize package will retail at over $100.
Of course, after all that shopping, we needed to have lunch. We went to a fabulous place for lunch called Webb Custom Kitchen in Gastonia. It is in a building that housed the Webb movie theater from the 1920s. Over the open kitchen is a screen that was showing the Turner Classic Movies channel.
Oh, my, the food was so good!! I had a turkey and brie sandwich on whole wheat bread with cranberry mayonnaise, and a side of zucchini fries with sriracha aoli. Yum!!
My friend had Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos, also with zucchini fries.
It was a long day, but a good one! Now, I cannot wait to do the Quilting Day announcement, but it won’t be made until September 21 at our guild meeting. I am excited about the challenge, and keeping it a secret for a month will not be easy!!
From My Carolina Home 
Is Foust Fabs open to the public? It looks like a fun place to shop. We enjoyed your presentation at Busy Bees. Thanks for coming!
No, Foust is wholesale only. But if you have a business, you can create an account and shop their sales twice a year.
Once upon a time, my small club referred to themselves as The Bees. What a treat getting to present a trunk show in person again. The fabric warehouse looks devine. It must have felt like going to a bakery when you’re on a diet being surround by aisles of fabric while staying loyal to your Stashbusters pledge. Lunch was the payoff, delicious food with TCM in the background. I look forward to hearing more about the next Worldwide Quilting Day theme.
LOL, well, full disclosure is I did buy fabric, just not the chickens. My confession will be on the next Statshbuster report.
A cookie would probably follow me home from a bakery. Life is short, eat the cookie – buy the fabric.
What a fun warehouse of fabrics! I look forward to seeing what you have planned for the guild. I appreciate my guild leaders who plan programs to inspire us and show us others journey into quilting. We all travel a different road into the textile world. Its nice that you are willing to pack it all up and hit the road.
My Mother would have loved Foust! Thank you for sharing your fun times that involves quilting!
Looks like you had more fun than anyone! And stuck to your stashbuster guns in the fabric store!
Those do sound like fun day trips! I would love to be able to see your quilts in person. Fun shopping, too. And zucchini fries – yum!
I’m gobsmacked! Near downtown Chicago we have 2 stores Fishmans and Vogue that I’ve always thought to be the nth degree – but put together they don’t add up to just the panel area. I did get to go to a warehouse in China and that nearly flattened me with the extremes. And now I’m hungry – that sandwich looks wonderful!!!!! Thanks
How lovely to stroll around a lovely shop full of fabric!! Shop of dreams! How restrained of you although when presented with so much beautiful stuff it’s hard to gather your ideas together. Overwhelming! I’m sure you will enjoy your temptations and the Guild will be thrilled with your decisions too.
Don’t you love poking around in the ‘notions’ department?
A lovely lunch to cap the day off.
Mary :))
A great day out, quilting shopping followed by a nice lunch. I’ve never come across zucchini fries, I imagine they are quite tasty.
What fun quilters outings, Carole!!! I’ll be looking forward to learning your secret, when you’re ready to tell that is!
sounds like a really fun and active guild!
That is definitely a quilt fabric sale. The first time I’ve seen one that large. Also a first is zucchini fries. I have so many in my garden and was wondering how they are cooked. Hope your cooking skills can help me out.
thanks,
Alexandria
It is a big wholesale company that sells to small quilt shops. I have an account with them, and they put all their stuff on sale twice a year.
Those zucchini fries are made like frying chicken – breaded then fried in oil and drained well. An air fryer might work, but I do not have one of those so cannot be sure. The zucchini will not get crisp on its own, though, it needs breading.
Thank you Carole. I will try the zucchini.
Alexandria