Happy Day

I wanted to finish telling you about our excursion last Saturday. As we were leaving the quilt show, we stopped to ask several quilters for restaurant recommendations for lunch, and when we said we'd like to sit down and dine, we were directed toward establishments like Perkos, Burger King, and Taco Bell. Not exactly what we had in mind. When someone finally recommended the best Chinese restaurant in town, we were on our way!

Let's just say that maybe Yuba City isn't the gourmet dining capital of California. Lunch was okay, but not excellent. I guess I should have done my homework ahead of time, but when we went to the Manteca quilt show, we ended up having lunch at an excellent Mexican restaurant that wasn't even on my list, so I was expecting to repeat the experience. Oh, well, we weren't out for a day of fine dining--just a day of fine shopping! And we definitely got it.

On a positive note, the restaurant was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the quilt shop, Sew So in Yuba City. The shop recently changed hands and moved from old downtown Marysville to downtown Yuba City on Plumas Street.

I know I'm a city girl and more rural ways seem odd to me in a way that they probably DON'T to most of us in the United States, but it struck me as kind of funny that the quilt shop was right next to the Gun and Ammo shop and across the street from the Discount Florist and Casket shop.

Everyone at this shop was super friendly and helpful and they had a good selection of fabric. With the quilt show going on, it wasn't only the gun and ammo shop that was booming. (Yeah, I know it's a bad pun, but what do you expect really?)

They had a lot of quilts hanging around the store as well as kits to make many of them. See that one on the far wall that's folded in half? The one made with the Ruby line of fabric?

A kit might have followed me home.

We left Yuba City with every intention of heading home, but as we were passing through Lincoln, Imelda asked if we wanted to check out a fairly new shop. Duh! Of COURSE we did!

A couple left turns off the main road found us at Sew Katie Jean.

Just looking at the sign made me think I was going to like the shop.

One of my friends said, "Kim, they have your happy fabrics!" And, of course, she was right. The shop is small and the stock of fabric isn't extensive, but Katie is carrying a lot of the fabrics, like Riley Blake, that aren't in every other quilt shop in our area. It's great to know that next time I need my happy fix, I only have to drive to Lincoln--about a 30 minute drive at most.

See that wallhanging? It's made using two different panels and some coordinating fabric--I think all three of us left with those panels in our bags.

Just before we left Sew Katie Jean, I overheard Imelda and Katie talking about the purple house. What's the purple house? Turns out there was another quilt shop in the area I didn't know about. The real name of the shop is Angel Quilters, although it's known as the purple house because the shop occupies a large studio next to the owner's home on some acreage out in the country, and every building on the property is painted some shade of purple or another.

I think I was pretty well shopped out by the time we arrived at the purple house. Not only did I not purchase anything, but I failed to take any photos. A large purple house and quilt shop and I didn't take any photos! I guess that tells you how tired I must have been!

Angel Quilters had a really nice selection of contemporary fabrics, though, and I'm sure I'll return someday. If you're ever in or around Lincoln/Rocklin/Roseville, check out their website and stop by. I'm sure I'll be back sometime--when I'm not quite so tired, or so broke!