Friday was day one for the Valley of the Sun Shop Hop, the hop run for 9 days. There are 13 quilt shops to visit -- each shop has a demo (and discount) on a quilt tool/product, plus a page with directions for a Debbie Caffrey mystery quilt. This is a great time to find a new shop and see what each shop has to offer.
I started hopping yesterday and visited four of the shop hop stores plus one that is not part of the hop. Five shops were enough for me in one day, more than that and I would never remember who has what!! I started in the west valley....these are the shops and my impressions of each:
Bearly Stitchin in Goodyear -- Plus: beautiful shop - light and bright, great selection of batiks and brights, very friendly staff. Minus: very small (2000 bolts or less is my guess). Overall: if I lived closer it would be a nice shop for classes and fabrics, I suspect that they have a rapid turnover of fabrics.
Quilted Cactus in Surprise -- Plus: fairly large selection of beautiful fabrics including flannels, well organized by color and style, plenty of fat quarters available. Minus: clearance section needs to be donated. Overall: Definitely worth a visit and would be a great local store.
Sun Valley Quilts in Sun City -- Plus: large selection of fabrics including flannels, juvenile and wide quilt backs, great selection of buttons and misc quilt notions and tools. Minus: seems cluttered. Overall: Worth the drive -- great shop with a great selection.
Quilter's Bee in Peoria -- Plus: great selection of fabrics and kits, bright and cheerful, nice classroom with great lighting, staff seems very knowlegeable. Minus: small -- probably not more than 2000 bolts, parking lot leaves a lot to be desired. Overall: a nice local shop.
35th Ave Sew and Vac (not in the hop)-- Plus: fabulous selection of fabric including complete lines plus kits, nice book selection always on sale at 20% off, great variety of threads. Minus: rather intimidating on the first visit, parking can be a problem. Overall: Worth a visit regardless of where you live in the valley... be sure to sign up for the email newsletter when you pay.
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