Wonderful Wednesday - {Weekend in Review}

This past weekend started early with a trip to Carolina Fiber Fest in Sanford, North Carolina:

Yes, this is a repeat of  a photo shown in another post, but wouldn't it make an adorable T-shirt?!?!
Alas, all the T-shirts were plain and boring BEIGE.  :o((

We started the morning with a sample from the LaFarm Truck.  An absolutely FABULOUS bread company out of Cary, North Carolina.  If you see this truck... don't pass up a sample!!!

Also new to the festival this year... The YARN Truck!!!  (And the BEST part??  It's air conditioned!!)

Trombone Festival {At the Quilt Shop}

WAIT, Joyful!!!  What did you buy at the Fiber Fest?!?!?

Oops!!  Sorrrrrry.  I forgot to mention my purchases.  I bought some gifts and ONE skein of yarn.

That's it... Oh!  And ALL the bread that I could cart away from the bread truck!  LOL

Now, back to Trombone Festival {At the Quilt Shop}

 OK... So I dropped DS2 at UNCG and headed HERE:

THIS is the sign that I saw... as I drove by! Ugh!! How could I have missed it?! (The shop is actually only a block or two off I-85 in Greensboro, North Carolina.) If YOU are in the area, it's DEFINITELY worth stopping by!

Ye Olde Forest Quilt Shop may not look like much from the OUTSIDE, but wait til you see the INSIDE:

As I said, I arrived early, after having driven PAST the shop once, turning around, and coming back.  Pretty typical for a first timer, according to owners Joanne and Kelley Jones.  :P

REALLY early!!  An hour early, to be exact.  NOT a problem, as I had brought my knitting and planned to have a good chunk of time to work on The Knitting Game MKAL 2015 from Hilary Latimer, Threebagsfulled on Ravelry.  The project is also known as the Mystery of the Traveling Scarf. It's a really FUN knit with "clues" given in small bits throughout the year.

As I sat and waited, the owners pulled up and went inside to prepare for their day.  I continued knitting, but not long after, I noticed the OPEN sign light up.  I finished up my round and decided that I better go in (to inquire.)

Upon inquiring, Joanne informed me that they had seen me sitting out in the parking lot and decided to open the shop early.  (How SWEET is that?!)  Thank you, Joanne!!!

She talked me through where to find everything in the shop and suggested that I feel free to have a look around.  I thanked her and...

THIS is the view that greeted me as I entered the shop:

LOTS of "eye candy" everywhere I looked!!

And just LOOK at all of the beautiful batiks:





It takes TWO walls to showcase all of them!!!





I asked about some Janome parts that I was interested in and Kelley showed me what was available. (Thanks, Kelley!)  He also pointed out the Layer Cakes and Charm Squares (but I explained that I wasn't in the market for a fabric purchase (thanks to the Austerity Challenge on Ravelry) to which Joanne quipped that we were trying to put quilt shops out of business.  I explained that we had heartily supported our local shops SO WELL that it was time to sew up what we had BEFORE going out to purchase MORE.

When I asked about a Coffee Shop and told Joanne that I was in Greensboro for the day, she readily offered me a space in the back to set up my computer and do the work that I had hoped to accomplish.  (MUCH more comfortable than that starry-eyed coffee goddess place!)


You will NEVER believe what's hiding in the back of the shop!!  Just LOOK at this Book Cart:

It gives a TOTALLY new meaning to the idea of a Book Mobile!!!

Oh!! Shiny!!!


What's that quilt above/behind the book cart??  Probably one of the shop's class offerings:

SWEET!!!

For their hospitality, I offered to pick up coffee for them when I went out to get some for myself. LOOK what I saw when I went to track down Kelley in the back:

They are selling their "work horse" to upgrade to a newer model.  Oh, how I wish I had the budget (and the space) to bring this home to my studio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (They also have a NEW sit-down mid-arm machine for ~ $3500... too bad I really want a stand-up long-arm!!  It's a SWEET "space-saver" deal.))

Here's the view from my "office"... the generous classroom space (with a bit more store, too):

They were so kind and generous, that I didn't even have to leave to go get lunch!!!

I even got to "audit" a class going on and chat with the students:

Not that I could keep up!!  No fabric. No pattern. No machine!! (Although, I probably COULD have remedied ANY of those challenges... considering where I was!!)  :o))

NOTE:  If you can't get to Greensboro, you can SHOP with Joanne and Kelly online!

And, then it was time to head over to the Trombone Festival for the performance:

Hang on, Joyful... you're forgetting about the purchases at the quilt shop!!!

Never fear!!  I bought ZERO fabrics!!!

(Along with some gifts, a couple of feet for my Janome, ONE magazine and a new book.)

Come on, or we're going to be late to the Trombone Festival:

This sign was posted so that you don't miss where to park...

There was a sign so that you would know which exit is closest to your destination...

And a sign so that I was able to find the performance location!

A (blurry) picture of one of the trombone players...

And a shot of the stage while the intermediate (?) band played.

Who KNEW that you could get such varied sounds out of ONE type of instrument?!?!  I really wish that I had been in a position to get a picture of ALL (approximately) SEVENTY performers up on stage during the finale!! It's QUITE a sight... and SOUND!!!

If you ever get the opportunity to attend this kind of event... GO!!!

Until next time...
Stay busy!!!