Friday, June 18, 2010

Civil War Roadtrip

Mr. Main Street has been wanting to visit Gettysburg for some time.  It is just a little too far for a daytrip so he began planning an overnight visit.  Before I knew it, the trip had grown to a three-night, four-day Civil War Immersion, with visits to Gettysbury, Antietam, and Harper's Ferry.  We got home last night.


Actually, it was a lot of fun, absolutely fascinating, and I know quite a bit more about the Civil War as a result of this trip   I highly recommend a visit to Gettysbury (I would call myself only moderately interested in Civil War battles yet spent 7 1/2 hours there without getting the least bit bored.)  And Harper's Ferry is interesting as well as being very scenic.  I took the photo above standing on the Appalachian Trail looking down on Harper's Ferry on the Shenandoah River side.  Photo below is Miss Main Street and was taken on the same trail.  (Yes, she climbed up there wearing flip-flops.  She toured the Gettysburg battlefield in gladiator sandals.  I did not supervise her packing.)


Well, very nice, but what has this got to do with quilts, you ask.  Now for the best part!  The route between our house and Gettysburg goes through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Lancaster County has more quilt fabric stores than it has McDonalds and Starbucks combined!  And Mr. and Miss Main Street were good sports about stopping. 

Our first stop was Hayloft Fabrics, just off the PA Turnpike in Morgantown.  The store is on the second floor, a sort of mezzanine level above a grocery store.  Not your usual quilt shop.  But not your usual prices, either.  I bought some Moda Aster Manor yardage to go with the layer cake I already have.  It was $6.90 per yard (locally, quilt fabric runs about $9.50 per yard).


And Miss Main Street picked out this novelty print with cassette tapes on it.  I am supposed to make her a pair of boxer pajamas with it.


Back on the PA Turnpike, we drove east one more exit for Sauder's. 


I've been to this store many times before.  It was a little disappointing this time because I was looking for specific fabric lines, to round out my layer cakes and jelly rolls with yardage to use for borders and binding.  Sauder's didn't have what I was looking for but they had a wide selection of Kona Cotton solids so I did not come away empty-handed.  Sauder's is on the internet via Z and S Fabrics, and their prices are also very competitive.

Come back tomorrow and I'll show you the purchases I made on the return journey.

2 comments:

  1. How lucky! I've always been a bit of a Civil War enthusiast, and the places you visited are very interesting. But...to stop in Lancaster County...that's the best! Sounds like it was a great trip.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Hubs and I took a Civil War road trip several years ago heading south to Savannah and then heading back north via Route 17. Amazing what you find when you get off the beaten path. He is a good sport about stopping at quilt shops as well. I like the cassette fabric Miss Main Street selected! Would make a cute little zippered sack for all the audio equipment chargers and adapters!

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from you - thanks for taking the time to leave a message.