Changing Gears was the name of the 2010 Austin Area Quilt Guild‘s quilt show. They moved from the old Crocket Center location up north to a bigger fresher space just south of downtown called Palmer Events Center. I think this move into a central location was a good one except it meant you paid a little more to get in and also paid for parking or hoofed it. I have to say it was set up kind of like a maze in there and I had to actually look for the map in the program they handed me to make sure I wouldn’t miss anything. There were hundreds of quilts on display back to back against wide zig-zagged diagonal rows of curtains. Then there was also a large L shaped grouping of vendors against the outer walls.
One of my favorite quilts that I saw there was this small quilt embroidered with scenes of the quilt making process. A Quilt Story by Karol Bussard.
Scene 1: Attending a quilting class.
Scene 2: Buying the material.
Scene 3: Cutting and sewing the quilt.
Scene 4: The quilt is hung at the Quilt Show!
View of whole quilt.
fat quarters
Here are some goodies I picked up from the vendors. I think I spent just as much time shopping as I did admiring the quilts. There were some really good deals and some lovely fabric. I could have done some major damage if I had the cash. I only had $40 and a couple hours so I walked away with some vintage looking fat quarters and some long awaited hand dyed charm squares by Malka of a Stitch in Dye. I also scored the scissors there for 50 cents! I was so excited to see a vendor selling only kawaii japanese fabric! I had to look her whole booth over 100 times before I could decide what I wanted to buy. She was apparently not too annoyed by this and threw in that little pack of japanese scraps!
I then found a vendor selling only vintage quilt tops and feedsacks! ahhhgh!!!! I am kicking myself for not taking pictures of her booth because everything was laid out so beautifully and her fabric was amazing. I think I was in shock. She had little bags full of charm squares cut from feedsacks for what seems to me now like an amazing price. She urged me to buy anything I had to have because apparently her booth is completely bought out during the Houston Quilt Festival. I “had to have” everything. Unfortunately I was already broke, but I gushed to her for a while and took her card and have been dreaming of stopping by her place to admire her fabrics some more.
If you had one day to spend in San Antonio, TX what would you do?
Well if you were me you would visit a fabric store! I had the opportunity to tag along with my friend who has family in San Antonio and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Las Colchas quilt store!
Located in this adorable house. I love fabric stores that are inside houses! I always want to move right in. Established in 1981, that makes this store older than me. “Las Colchas” is Spanish for the blanket or quilts. I would love to sit on a lovely porch like this and stitch away. I would also love to repaint their faded sign!
They definitely cater to traditional quilters, but they have this back room full of ‘modern’ fabric designers. They also have samples galore. It is so nice to see bags and quilts made out of the fabric they have available. If you look closely on the left of the table you can see the fabric that I left with- Tula Pink!
Here is a shot into their kitchen. I loved the molding around the door. I also love how many chickens were hiding in there. I really should have bought that pattern that you see on the top left that was for the wall hanging next to it. Log Cabins and chicken embroidery. Two things right up my alley.
As is standard in all quilt shops there must be some old sewing machines. Las Colchas has an old treadle which seems to come in handy for a table as well.
This is generally my favorite section in any fabric store- the remnant bin! In this case, a lovely stuffed remnant basket. Remnants are the leftovers after most of the fabric is cut from the bolt and these small pieces are usually sold at a cheaper price, hence why I love them so much.
Here you can see some adorable mini quilts and some vines that were slowly creeping their way into the house. Las Colchas says that this house was a “Sears kit house” that means the lumber and parts for the house were mail ordered from Sears and shipped to San Antonio along with instructions. It was then up to the owner to follow the instructions and build the house. Can you imagine this happening today? No way! It was known as a very thrifty way to purchase a house with a whole kit somewhere between $1,200-$5,000! These kits were sold around 1908-1940. Las Colchas claims this house is from 1910.
This is the corner of the cutting room. I always want all of these 1930s/reproduction fabrics. They typically lend themselves to baby blankets and such. I love them just for the traditional colors and the small scale prints that usually feature animals. I already want to go back because I left behind this adorable quilt kit that she said was ‘the last one!’ and I am kicking myself for it! Las Colchas do have a website and also the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild meets here. Perhaps I will make it back to attend one of those meetings although I have yet to make it to Austin’s very own Modern Quilt Guild. This was actually the first time I had been to San Antonio in several years, which is silly because it is really not all that far. Now I have a great excuse to visit again.
