Page 39 - IA Shop Hop 2021

NORTH CENTRAL REGION ALL IOWA SHOP HOP 39
SHOP
We asked our All Iowa Shop Hoppers (some veterans and some newbies) for their BEST Shop Hopping advice. We hope you can use some of it to make YOUR 2021 Shop Hop the best it can be!
Practical Advice:
• Throughout the year I save the money from can returns to make a fund for gas, fabric, etc...
(and since no one in the family wants to return cans, they can’t pick on you for excessive fabric shopping).
• Pace yourself.
• Have a plan.
• Make sure you know where the antique shop or hard-
ware store are in each town so your spouse can shop
while you hop.
• Ask quilt shops for local places to eat.
• Print labels with your name, address and email to
make signing up for door prizes faster and easier.
• Have your day and route planned out and be at the
first shop when it is ready to open!
• Call one of the retreat centers across the state to
stay overnight in.
• Have fabric samples along to purchase binding or
backing for your projects.
• Pay close attention to shop hours. Some shops are
closed on different days of the week (Monday for instance). Plan your route for the best timing and just have fun!
• Plan a two or three day overnight trip with friends and share gas and hotel expenses; you’ll have more money to spend on fabric!
• When making purchases, make notes or identify the shop you purchased from. This will help if you get started on projects and have questions or need more fabric.
• Shopping advice: If you like it when you see it — buy it. Later it will be gone....and hard to find!!
Plan for Fun:
• Take money, snacks, your sister Debi, and her friend Wendy.
HOPPERS
• We have these three rules: only pack PJs, clean underwear, and pills. We need room for fabric!
• Grab a friend. Plan a quilt and get fat quarters from the different shops.
• Come up with a challenge for your group like a scavenger hunt in each store. Then plan a sewing weekend to work on the challenge project.
— BY KOLEENE HERLOCKER —
advice
from veteran