Shop Tour: Country Sampler

Saturday Kelli and Kayla and I hopped into the truck and went on a road trip.  We had a destination…but we had to take a detour along the way to check out Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin.  It’s over 2 hours from here but I have been wanting and wanting to go as I’ve always heard great things about the shop.  It truly was great and well worth the trip!!  They have a feel all their own.

They aren’t really Civil War..and aren’t really country.  Most of their things are an amazing muted color that makes them more primitive.  I think, I am going to start leaning towards some of their colors…a little less intense and go nicely with grays and tans.

Jeanne Horton the owner of the shop designs the fabric for Windham Fabrics.  You can read more about it here.  The girls and I both thought the quilt on the wall in the picture below quite clever.  The center is just cheater cloth and not pieced!!  Still beautiful!!

Kayla was excited to see of copy of Primitive Quilts and Projects…she had to have her picture taken with it.

Even though the shop isn’t really big, there are still lots of fabrics.

As much as we loved the fabrics, each of us were intrigued by the cross stitch.

They were beautifully stitched and beautifully framed.

There wasn’t one that I wasn’t wanting to take home.

I’d promised myself that I could buy myself a treat when we were here…but how to choose???  Quilts…or cross stitch??

Yes…I have cross stitched in my day.  Never on linen…only on aida cloth.  But the samples were so amazing…

The shop decor was fun too.

But get back to you decision making Jo…quilt related item or cross stitch….Oh.  How can I pick cross stitch?  I haven’t done it in years and NEVER on linen and my eyes don’t see the best anymore either…

Then the shop gals recommended magnifiers that flip over my glasses….hmmmm…maybe these feeble eyes of mine could cross stitch.

Oh but the fabric….

Then Kelli who has never cross stitched said I am buying that…and she pointed to cross stitch?!?!?  WHAT?!??!  (The one on the upper right)

Then Kayla said she was going to get a cross stitch project too.  She at least cross stitched as a ten year old.  I didn’t get a picture of her project as it wasn’t done up.

I was so nervous about the cross stitch as my eye sight can be challenging…that’s when I asked how much the magnifiers were….$20.  I decided it was worth a try but wanted to try something smaller and easier.  I picked this.  There aren’t as much open spaces to count over to find where I am going…at least that was my reasoning on choosing this.

Now will I get it done…who knows??  I really do think I would like to give it a try and once it is done, I’d really like to do a big alphabet sampler.

We had lots of fun at Country Sampler and hope to get back there again.  I told myself as soon as I finish this, I can go.  With Hubby almost done in the field we’ll be back to working in the house and I’ll be back to accomplishing very little on the crafting front.

Today I am grateful for the ability to use my hands to create.  When we’re driving in the car, sometimes one of the kids will ask will you rather be blind or deaf?  Of course neither, I appreciate both senses.   I do think the ability to touch and feel is often unrated.  Without touch I couldn’t sew or create.  I do pray that as long as live I can always use my hands.  Creating is a link to both creativity and peace for me….so today, I am thankful for my hands.