Day three on the 2017 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop was a short day for us. We said goodbye to our daughter and her husband and headed onward with our journey.
I really like sky pictures and couldn’t resist taking a few. Last year I was shopping for sky fabric.
When we arrived at Michele’s Quilting & Sewing Center in Blue Earth, we were cheerfully greeted by Michele, her helpful staff, and several volunteers who were sporting red aprons. They were waiting for a bus to arrive but gave us a tour of her classroom with a new design wall.
Our next stop was Old Alley Quilt Shop in Sherburn, which I had featured last year. They needed a package delivered to Windom so we eagerly accepted the challenge and decided to make a speedy delivery there next. But first we needed to fill the gas tank. We get great gas mileage with the Prius but one can sometimes forget to check the gauge. Having seen the advertising sign outside of Old Alley, my husband eagerly handed the local Kum & Go attendant his quilting passport to receive 5¢ off each gallon of gas. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he likes a good deal. That meant that we saved enough to pay for part of the tax on the fabric I had just bought.
We drove past more corn fields and finally into the small town of Windom. And then I saw:
Today’s Top Shop on the Hop
The history of this shop reads like a love story.
Prairie Quilting is located at 1293 Hale Place, Windom, MN.
Twenty-two years ago, Kay suggested to her husband that she would like to open a quilt shop. So he moved his papers out of his office in his feed store and let her fill it with bolts and bolts of fabric. They’ve since added on a lean-to which holds even more.
So when Kay and her husband go to work each day, they kiss goodbye, wish each other a good day, and then head into their own separate spaces in the same building. They can work side by side, just steps apart, doing what they both enjoy doing.
When I walked into this quilt shop, I saw for myself how well stocked it is. Kay carries a variety of fabrics as she wants to appeal to many interests. She has a whole wall of flannels and many batiks too.
Looking into the added lean-to.
While Kay doesn’t have space to offer classes, she encourages her customers to make an appointment and she’ll work one on one with them offering them her assistance and advice.
Kay had never sewn a quilt top until she opened her shop. One of the reasons she wanted to have her own shop was so that she could learn to piece quilt tops. She sends her finished quilt tops to a professional longarmer for the quilting. Her advice is to “find one (longarmer) you are happy with.”
- You will find approximately 3000 bolts of fabric in Kay’s shop.
Kay advises new quilters to start small so they can finish the project. “Don’t start with a queen size quilt,” she cautions. “Don’t be afraid of color,” added another customer, who evidently has shopped here many times before. Linda (who lives in Janesville, MN but is originally from Windom) continued, “I’m still afraid of color but I’m getting better.” Kay agreed proudly as she’s watched Linda progress in her quilting skills. “Linda is becoming more comfortable with making her quilts look scrappy and now I’m starting to go the other way.”
- Kay, Linda (in front), and me. I wonder who gave Kay those flowers? Could it have been her husband?
Having only one part-time employee, Kay does most of the work of running the shop herself. She enjoys being part of the Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop and says that the hop gives her shop lots of exposure which makes all the work involved worth it. She also enjoys seeing people return to her shop each year on the hop. Check out her website here to find out more about this shop.
The store is small but Kay has a nice variety of fabrics and quilting supplies.
Some of the tasks she needed to do before being overrun with eager shoppers was to design the block and the pattern, print it, cut the 5 inch charm squares, and stuff them into page protectors. She likes to present them this way to her shoppers. She stuffed enough for 800 hoppers and I’m sure if more shop hoppers come, she’d be ready to make more.
This is a great idea. I think I will organize all my patterns from the Hop in their own page protectors in a binder. Thanks, Kay, for this organizing tip.
Kay concluded, “I am happy I can get up in the morning and go to a place I love to work at.” I don’t doubt that for a minute. After all, she’s working right next to her sweetheart. Put Prairie Quilting on your list of shops to visit and when you do, say hi to Kay and wave to her husband. Oh, and tell her Tu-Na sent you.
His and Her’s
Block for the Day
I purchased this Bow-Tie Block Kit from Michele’s Quilting and Sewing Center in Blue Earth. It sewed up quickly. The pattern needed just a bit of tweaking so if you are making it either cut the leaf and dark gray fabrics at 3″ square or trim the center 4 sewn squares to 5.5.” Then add the borders as listed on the pattern to make the 8.5″ unfinished block.
What I Learned Today:
- Three and a half hours of driving between 4 shops only leaves one and a half hours for shopping before closing time.
- My husband has a good memory. He remembered to give Kay at Prairie Quilting the package from Old Alley. Without him, it may still be in the back seat now covered with yards and yards of fabric.
- Taking time to listen to other people’s stories is so rewarding.
- Shop hopping is exhausting but loads of fun. It may not be as much fun next month when the credit card statement arrives.
- It is definitely much quieter in the car today since our daughter is not in the back seat.
- I do miss her and wish that next year she and I could shop the statewide hop together.
- About the only way all these block kits will be sewn on this trip is if I figure out how to plug the machine into the car or sew in my sleep. I guess I should be thankful I got this one done.
- I’ve learned a lot today.
Question: Do you buy kits containing all the fabric you need or do you prefer to pick out the colors yourself and buy from the bolt? I am buying many of the block kits for this hop but usually I prefer to pick my own colors and buy the yardage.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
See my other posts about the 2017 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop:
Tu-Na Travels: Day One, 352 Miles, 11 Shops, Only 55 Shops Remaining
Tu-Na Travels: Day Two, 334 miles, 7 Shops, Only 48 Shops Remaining
All the links to my posts for last year’s Quilt MN Shop Hop can be found at the top of this blog under the Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats title. Click on the Shop Hop tab; in the drop down menu, click on 2016 Quilt MN Shop Hop Posts.
I have no affiliation with any of the shops or products that I mention here on Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats.
Giveaway Winners Notice:
The winners of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway of Tula Pink Fabrics from Free Spirit fabrics are now listed here and below. Congratulations!
The winners of a Holiday Homies jelly roll are:
Julie in GA
Linking to:
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
Definitely enjoying this road trip with you and your hubby.
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I’m enjoying going along on your Shop hops. Enjoy your next stops. Loved hearing about Kay and her shop today.
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Awww such a cute love story! I miss you too!
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That’s one gutsy woman, to open a quilt shop when you’ve never made a quilt! Great success story. We’ve stopped there many time on our way between SW MN and the TCs.
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I never used to buy kits but in recent years I have bought several, I made one of the and will quilt it later this year – another I plan to make – the 3rd I don’t know – I love the fabric and might use it for a different pattern then the one that came with it – it was the fabric I was attracted to. It sounds like you are having a lot of fun.
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You might need to get a battery-powered sewing machine like Laura from Slice of Pi Quilting. Then you can stitch away in the car while you trek between shops!
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I saw that but it was too late for me to order. Maybe next year.
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I determine whether I will buy. the kits or use my stash fabric depending on the patterns. sometimes, as with one recently in/around houston, Texas, there were a lot of die cuts, so it was easier to buy the kits than to try to cut out the intricate patterns. well worth the extra money for the kits.
I now live in Indiana and am looking forward to someday being able to take the quilt shop hop in Minnesota.
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I’m a yardage gal. I tend to change the quilt up, and, you can’t do that with kits. I also like to prewash my fabrics, and, you can’t do that with kits, either. I used to do the shop hops around here, twice a year, but, they have stopped, and I’ve never done the state wide hops. I need to finish some of my (dozens of) UFO’s first. Lately, I’ve been fabric shopping in my stash (very extensive).
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What a fun trip! Can’t believe you’ve made it a goal to sew up all the blocks too. What energy! Shop hopping is so much fun though. I did Row by Row last year with a friend, and we got to every shop in Indiana. What memories! Thanks for linking up to Wednesday Wait Loss.
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I have great news for you! There IS a way to see in the car! You can get an adaptor for the cigarette lighter. ( much better use for that anyway!) it has the end for the lighter on one end and a power strip with regular prong outlets on the other end! Available at those big all- inclusive department stores in the automotive section. Available in 150 and 175 watt so you just need to figure out which one. Look on your machine by the model number 😉
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Prairie Quilting and Kay and Amy are favorites of ours!!! Those flowers were probably for Kay’s birthday!! Thanks for your blog!
Old Alley Quilt Shop
115 N Main St. Box 143
Sherburn, MN 56171
507-764-4088
oldalleyquiltshop.com
oldalleyquiltshop@frontiernet.net
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That is some serious shop hopping! I got overwhelmed one weekend when I lived in Washington state and we attempted in 3 days to fit in 16 shops during the Western WA shop hop. I have to say after awhile (when we were in the 12th quilt shop in a weekend) I got like “yeah, yeah, the fabric is nice, whatever” 🙂
I like your block of the day!
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You are having way to much fun that will last you all year until the next Shop Hop. Just maybe
you will find another Hop in another state and wouldn’t that be a lot of fun to see all the new shops and more ideas? Enjoy, when you get back home, the work awaits you. You know, weeds, garden produce especially the Zuchhini.
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And a few more can get ticked off the list. How do you manage to get the sewing done? Is the block already cut out into the pieces? And what a great place to have a fabric shop, they say associated sales work well, so while the farmer comes to get his supplies, his lady can pop right next door for some goodies of her own.
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Oh what fun you’re having. I have only bought a couple kits, one for a crib quilt that I donated and last year I purchased a lot that I have yet to start. I’m looking forward to seeing all the goodies you’ve been buying. I know I have to wait until you are back home and recovered from your travels.
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Another great day. I love the story of Prarie Quilting. So much fun to see your excitement at each shop. I sometimes buy the kit with fabric and sometimes not. For RowbyRow I bought a lot of the kits, but I do have a few with just the pattern. Mostly, I love choosing and using fabric I have collected.
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I remember how much fun it was to follow your hop last year! This shop looks fabulous! What a sweet husband – most wouldn’t have done what he did.
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Karen, getting a little worried that you haven’t posted your adventures the past couple of days. I hope it is because you don’t have internet.-
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Love the interesting stories you are sharing as you continue your shop hop. It sounds like loads of fun, and even more so with Mr. Tu-Na Helper. Don’t do EPP. Chicken eggs should never be washed until it’s time to cook and only if they have “stuff” on them!!
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