Hello, friends!! Last week, my hubby and I spent many wonderful hours in the great Smoky Mountains between TN and NC. It was so good to get away and to relax.
The views were breathtaking...Photographs simply can't do them justice. We rented a Harley trike for a couple of days and took the Blue Ridge Parkway into Asheville, NC up and over Mount Pisgah. Now, I am a wee bit afraid of heights, but normally I am fine when my feet are on the ground. However, this road trip was an exception. The higher and higher into the mountains we went, the more nervous I became. At one point, we stopped at an over look and Russ pointed at the road up the mountain and said, "Wow! Look how much farther we have to go!" That was IT! I started to cry. My nerves got the best of me. We did finish the ride, but it was a challenge and Russ found a different way to come back to Pigeon Forge, TN. Bless his heart!!
My hubby gets recharged when he is out in nature.
One of the highlights was getting to see a bear in the wild. It was a first for both Russ and I! I had hoped we would get to see one, so it was a real thrill. =)
I would have to say, seeing Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC and getting to spend the day with my blogging friend, Karen and her hubby was THE highlight of our vacation. Spending the day with beautiful people and seeing such a beautiful place was perfection...The Biltmore Estate had the Downton Abby clothing on display. No pictures are allowed to be taken inside the house, so to get a sneak peek, you need to go to the Biltmore Estates web page. We paid for the regular tour, but now that we know what an amazing place this is, we would love to go back and happily pay to go on their extended tours to learn more about the people who lived on the estate and more of the history. Oh, and be sure to try their wine!! It was truly a perfect day!!
Of course, we found a few quilt shops to visit on our trip. =) The shops I most enjoyed most were Among Friends Quilt Shop in Louisville, KY, Asheville Cotton Co in Asheville, NC, Quilters Quarters in Waynesville, NC and Hancock's Of Paducah in Paducah, KY. We went to more, but those were the shops that enticed me enough to part with my dollars. =) Also, I want to make a special note that one of the gals at Asheville Cotton Co was especially kind. After taking the trip over the mountain, I must have still looked a bit pale. She asked if I was all right and I teared all up again and told her I was frightened by going over the pass and needed some pretty fabric to help me feel better. She confessed that when she was in a storm while visiting Iowa, she got so scared she cried. I wanted to hug her!
Okay, on to the fabric!
I always have my eye out for Bonnie and Camille fabric, especially their older lines. I found a few and also added some Daysail to my stash.
I have had my eye on the Cotton + Steel fabrics for a long, long time. Now that I have seen them in person, I won't hesitate to add a few more of their prints to my stash. =)
These fabrics are going to get added to the fabric pull I have for the Vintage Farm Girl quilts I will be making. That is truly a fantastic book!! I wish more shops carried Lori Holt fabrics. I found the top three on the right, but that was it. The shop where I work, Cotton Creek Mill, is going to carry at least 9 bolts of Lori Holt's new fabric line, Modern Minis, so if you are looking for Lori Holt fabric, too, and have trouble finding it in shops, keep us in mind. The release date is sometime in June. Personally, I can't wait!
Text prints are always at the top o my list when visiting shops. The bottom text fabric is a wide backing. I am planning ahead, not that I know what that plan is exactly. ;-)
Does anyone else need a day to recover from a vacation? I took a three hour nap this afternoon. I hope I sleep tonight!
I know I don't say it often enough, but thank you for taking the time to come visit me on my little blog and taking the time to comment. I do appreciate all of you....
Have a happy rest of the weekend!!!
