Friday, March 25, 2011

How Bad Was I Exactly? Exactly?

Do I really need to fess up to how bad I was? OK I suppose you have me dead to rights! If Blogger will cooperate I will finish the trip so get a BIG cuppa and settle in for the rest of the trip.

We actually stayed in Hershey so it is only fitting that we visit Chocolate World while we are there right? Thursday morning we decided was the day. Here is what we saw as we walked up to it.
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We entered and got on a little ride (like Disney World) and learned all about the manufacturing process. The one thing I was impressed with was this.
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They were making Hershey Kisses!!! How cool! We of course had to stop in the chocolate shop after too. There weren't a ton of good deals but they have this amazing red licorice (Young and Smylie) that is AMAZING!!! So I got some of that for home and some for work (they love it when you bring food back from vaca for them). Another interesting thing we saw was the unusual street lights on Chocolate Avenue. Wrapped and unwrapped kisses!!
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After our tour of the factory and our chocolate fill up we headed off for a companion part of the quilt show. Apparently the first year the show was held in Lancaster it was at the Expo center (or that's what we were told) and so there was an exhibition of vintage style quilts as well as vendors. Across the street were more vendors, so how could we miss that? We couldn't and so off we went.
I saw this amazing quilt using a lot of needle felting and the animals in this were so awesome.
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Seriously, I would not have the patience to make something this detailed, so much embroidery in addition to the applique and needle felting, but gorgeous!
I bought a pattern here of 2 peacocks that reminded me of ours, Blue and Osirius.  You rarely see a male and female peacock in patterns!
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Then we went to a couple of antique shops where I found these beauties.
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"What are you going to do with those?" I hear you ask.  Glad you asked, why make some amazing pin cushions out of them!! I saw some pin cushions done with vintage planters and thought, "how cleaver, I can do that!" So I am going to and then either give as gifts or list on my ETSY. I got fabulous deals on them and tell me they are not seriously adorable? No really just try to tell me that! I digress.

We closed down the antique shop (everything closes at 5pm!). Funny story about shopping in the last place. My family uses these weird painted enamelware bowls for popcorn and my DH wanted all three kids to have their own so I am always on the look out for some since we don't yet have one for each and one for us. I was telling Louise that I was looking for them and I turned around and there were TWO of them right in front of me!! I was lamenting spending so much money and some older man turned around and told me that if I liked it I should buy it. I told him he sounded like my husband and he said as long as I knew how to take care of him (my DH) he would not mind what I bought. I laughed so hard and so did Louise and I promptly informed him I knew exactly how to play that game, no problem. At this point he told Louise to stick with me and she would always have fun!! HAHAHAHA, what a day!

After that bit of fun we decided we needed to head back to the resort, but first we stopped for a bite to eat (our second meal eaten out while on vaca) then back to the resort. Once we got back we both did some sewing. I worked on my Dreamy Stars and Louise's LC QAL blocks and Louise worked on my binding. Here are all my blocks for DS finished waiting to be put together into a top.
Dreamy Stars in progress
OK, now for what you have all bee waiting for, my fabric purchases. I know the reason you are still reading is so you can see how bad I was, right?   You really could have seen them all on Flickr but I will post them here...if I must! Be warned there are a lot of similar things, I was on a roll for a particular project.
Without further delay...
To go in Sherbet Pips quilt, some Castle Peeps, and more for My Tweets
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For My Tweets (and I couldn't resist the "Round Robin" fabric!
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The solids are Free Spirit and are AMAZING!  They feel like Egyptian cotton, so silky!!!  I can't wait to try using them!  I should have bought some white.  I guess I will have to ask Louise to get me some white when she goes back in May!
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Including the solid grays, which I got yardage of.
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Most of what I bought was 1/3-1/2 yard cuts. I got yardage of only a few things.
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More for My Tweets.
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I did buy yardage of this gray "seed" print, as well as the Tamis Keefe and look at that OOP Sweet!!
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I am happy to say I paid cash for most of my stuff. I had been saving and saving for this trip! I have lots of new stuff to share with you all but since I am at work I probably should go and do some, don'tcha think?? Love to know what you think of my new treasures!! Have a great day!!  ~XOP~

15 comments:

Lucky Duck Dreams said...

LOVE Hershey! My cousin works there and employees ALWAYS have a bowl of candy on their desks and get so many bags a week. He gave me some mini unwrapped peanut butter cups for Christmas Yum! Fabric is yum too!

Mommarock said...

Oooh laa laa!! Okay, I like them all, but I'm totally goo goo over that fabric that is a turquoise background with the bird on it! I don't have a clue why.. but I love it!!

Amy said...

Hershey is very nice, I went there last yr. I love the smell of CHOCOLATE!! needless to say we bought way to much candy in the candy shop!love the fabrics.

Impera Magna said...

Wow... what beautiful fabrics! Love the little owls and the bunnies too!

Miki Willa said...

The fabrics are beautiful. You are going to have so much fun! What a wonderful trip. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Deb said...

Never been to Hershey but would love to go some time. BEAUTIFUL fabric, I'm jealous!

StitchinByTheLake said...

Wow - that's better than Christmas! blessings, marlene

Brita said...

Fun, fun! I went on a Thelma and Louise trip (from Dallas to upstate Vermont) years ago, and stopped at the Hershey place too. Fond memories! Unfortunately, (or maybe not) I wasn't a quilter then. You really scored, big time!

Allie said...

I want those streetlights, lol! I'm drooling over all your goodies - beautiful!

Crazyquiltgirl said...

It looks like you had lots of fun! And all of your fabric looks so pretty.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Wow - what fun!! If you don't have room for some of that I could store it for you!

Little Miss Shabby said...

I recently got some of the Free Spirit solids also--aren't they fabulous! I could just eat them all up. =)

Crispy said...

Oh yeah, you definately helped the economy ROFL!! I love all the fabrics you purchased and I can hardly wait to see the pin cushions you make :0)

Crispy

Vickie said...

What a trip! I'm tired and I just got up!!!
Anyway, I love the Chocolate Factory tour and street lights! Your antique shop goodies are great! What wonderful fabric! The colors are amazing! Sherbet Pip is one of my favorites and I really like the Tamis Keefe fabric! I loved the article they had on Micheal Miller! Great history! Wow what an awesome needle felted quilt! Thank you for sharing your fabulous vacation!

Brenda said...

Just catching up on my reading. Went on another quilt hop this weekend. A couple stores in GR, a couple in K-zoo one of those was Quilts plus and we really liked it, a couple in South Haven, one in Schoolcraft and we liked the Custom Quilts Unlimited in Fennville a lot also, some really fun women there. But I put all my fabrics away this time and forgot to take pictures. My best friend and I would love to go on a trip like you just made. It sounds as though you had a fantastic time and your fabrics are wonderful.

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