Boston Bandit

Boston in January - yuk!!! Sorry Boston - but this just isn't pretty! I was in Boston this past weekend taking my daughter back to college and this was what greeted us - and winter has just begun.
The welcome wagon didn't stop with the disgustingly dirty snow and unplowed roads - - - oh, no - - - while she and her roommates were home for the holidays their apartment was burglarized - they kicked down doors, took the TV and rummaged through all of their belongings. Welcome to Boston! Both of my girls are back at college now - the house is so quiet - I really miss the chaos!

My trip was not a complete loss. I'd been planning for sometime to visit some quilt shops that are located on my route from Philly to Boston, and I finally had the time this trip to fit in a few stops. One shop in particular was really great - The Quilter's Alley in Ridgefield, Connecticut, outside of Danbury, just minutes off of Route 84. It's not a big shop, but it has lots of personality, and a fantastic collection of contemporary fabric and imported fabric. I purchased this interesting Japanese fabric - a rich dark cocoa punctuated by circle motifs and the occasional leaf. I'm showing the clothespin so you get an idea of the scale of the print.


Here's a close up - the texture is beautiful - very reminiscent of bark cloth. I wish I knew who made it!
I also bought yardage of this beautiful fabric by Marie Kelzer for Westminster Fibers.
They also carried the full (or near full) line of RJR solids - I cannot find that in any of my local quilt shops - they have the nicest hand of all of the solids. I really need the swatch card for the RJR solids so I can order them on-line - - - I e-mailed RJR to see how I can get my hands on one - - - will let you know! I bought yardage of gray to finish a baby quilt.

And, I'm trying a new thread - WonderFil Konfetti - their 50 weight - in a neutral gray. The shop owner gave it her highest endorsement. This was my first stop at this shop, but not my last - they had such a beautiful collection of fabric that, despite the quantity of quilt shops in my area, I just can't find this eclectic collection close to home. Unfortunately they do not have on-line sales.
What am I going to do with this fabric - not sure - as soon as I decide you'll be the first to know!

Gotta go - need to make my dough for the Onion Focaccia for dinner tonight - you can cook along - just visit my Sunday post for the recipes all week long.