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1520 mile S.E.X. Odyssey-final
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Phyllis Andersen
Oct 13, 1998, 3:00:00 AM10/13/98
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Well, today is the eighth and final day of this wonderful S.E.X. Odyssey. I
left the hotel in Camarillo, waving goodbye to the soon to be
jack-o-lanterns at the corner pumpkin patch. They have rows and rows of
pumpkins going up the gentle slopes. What a sight. As I headed south on
#101, I passed by acres of strawberry fields, just being prepared with the
sheets of plastic. The plastic protects the fruit from the soil. A little
farther down the road, were young strawberry plants just about ready to set
fruit. I knew I would arrive too early for the first shop to be open, but
sitting around in the hotel was just too boring. I arrived in Thousand Oaks
to find I had a 45 minute wait. I drove around until I found a “Eggs and
Things” restaurant. They had a special 2 egg omelet, just stuffed with
smokey bacon and sharp Cheddar cheese. It came with wonderfully crisp O’
Brien potatoes and the largest homemade biscuit I have ever seen. It was at
least 4 inches across and 1.5 inches high. I left, knowing that lunch would
be a snack out of the ice chest! Shop number 23 was Mary’s Quilt Inn located
in Thousand Oaks. Now this is truly a quilt shop…no crafts….and reminded me
the most of “my” local Creative Expressions in Palm Springs. It has just the
right amount of fabric, hanging quilts and interesting stuff. It did lack a
large classroom, or at least I don’t remember it. However, I wish the
saleslady had been more accommodating with another customer. The lady had
admired a quilt that was hanging. The customer wanted the pattern, but was
told that the saleslady teaches a class on this and hands out the pattern
with the class. I got the impression that the customer might not live in the
area. At least it seemed she wouldn’t be able to take the class. Too bad the
salesperson could not have offered to sell just the pattern, without the
class. This customer really wanted it so badly, that she took a picture of
the quilt. I certainly understand why the salesperson would prefer to fill
her class, but I kept thinking that if this had been asked at Creative
Expressions, it might have ended differently. I purchased 2 fat eighths…a
first time ever for me…and a book on Jewel Box quilts by Quilt in a
Day….sure <g>. Should take me a couple of months or more! I headed to #101
again, turning inland. I found The Quilt Emporuium, shop #24 in Woodland
Hills. This also was a nice shop, but I was beginning to become a little
weary of looking at fabric…..imagine!! They don’t cut FQ’s…not every shop
will, I found out…so I purchased regular quarter yards of some more garden
prints. I found a cute dog print on blue background and got a half
yard….hmmm? how does this fit in with anything? I got a yard and a half of
black cotton sateen for the someday Attic Garden Windows. I have the name,
now I just need to find a pattern. I got a total here of 3.25 yards. From
here the freeway gets pretty busy. I will avoid the center area of Los
Angeles, skirting to the north towards Pasadena. I never listen to the radio
in the car, except to hear the traffic reports. I always listen to them in
the L.A. and Orange County areas. I turned it on to hear an eighteen wheeler
had overturned and blocked the right *three* lanes, but fortunately, it was
nowhere near me! I looked in my side mirror to see the CHIP….think highway
patrol….just in time to drop from 70 to 65. No, I didn’t hit the brakes,
silly. That would be a dead giveaway. There was freeway construction going
on with those temporary cement dividers on one side, the lanes repainted
until they were as narrow as possible and a large auto transport truck on my
other side. Needless to say, I maneuvered out of that as soon as possible.
After switching to the #134, then #210, then #10, I was headed for Montclair
and shop number 25! The Fabric Patch, which I had been to a couple of times
before, is a great shop. Even though I had seen enough fabric to last for a
lifetime….wait, make that a week or so….I perked up a bit in this nice shop.
They have a large selection and carry a good bit of quilt related gift
items. I bought a FQ of a tiny quilt design…you know the cheater kind that
already looks like a miniature quilt. I have no clue what I will do with
that. Maybe someday I will make a tiny cheater quilt to display on some
antique in the living room somewhere. I chose 1 yard cuts of a fairy print…I
had passed this one up many times, but not this time, a small pastel
floral…I know, I know…and a pastel confetti, streamer, curly thang. I picked
up a primary colored hearts on white, and some bright fish….darn, I can’t
stop with these! Oh, and a FQ of soft blue background with round pastel
dots….I don’t want to hear it! The total for this final shop was 4.25 yards.
Now I added them all up and the grand total is…..drum roll, please…..83.25
yards! Yikes. But keep in mind my mission was to build up my stash while I
still can. DH is making noises of retiring in a year or so. I figured that I
had better get some stuff put away. But now girls and guys, how do I keep my
hands off of it? The remainder of the long ride home was the most boring,
the sky was overcast and the smog fairly significant. The girls in the back
were busy with the new fabrics, so they had something to keep them occupied.
I, however, put on a CD of Big Bad Voodoo Daddies. Now those guys can jive!
I’m in love with that drummer! When I saw the sign for the Morongo Indian
Reservation, I knew home was getting closer. The life sized cement dinosaurs
in Cabazon rose up on the horizon. These were a creation many years ago by
one man on a mission to create the Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex
entirely himself. He had been a creator of sculptures at Knotts Berry Farm
in Buena Park, an amusement area. He did complete them before he passed
away, and they have been featured in several films and music videos. You
might have even seen them in one. As I came around the base of the San
Jacinto mountains, I was entering Palm Springs. The sky was nearly cloudless
and so blue. No smog here today. I stopped at my office to drop off some
cookies from Solvang to the gang. They lasted about 10 minutes. My husband
said a package had arrived for me. I made him go into my office to get it
for me. I had no courage to look at that desk of work waiting for me!
Tomorrow is soon enough. It was the two quilt tops from Katie Wilson for the
Ronald McDonald kids. Thanks Katie. I made two more stops to drop off
goodies to my Mom and Dad and my daughter. Then it was time to head for the
barn! When I stepped out, I was amazed to see the girls in the back had
already headed for home, on their own. It was fun having the three of you
with me. Check your mailboxes in a few days for a “thanks for the company”
surprise. They had left all the fabric in perfect order. The only thing
better, would have been if they had washed and ironed it all. Now that I am
not looking forward to <g>. As I emptied out the trunk, I could swear I
heard a sizzle from under the hood of the Subaru that sounded just like a
sigh. Guess the old girl is glad to be home for awhile, too.
EPILOGUE:
How many shops visited: 25, including counting all the show vendors as one
shop
Did I enjoy the trip: Yes
Would I do it again: Yes, but not right now
Did I have favorite shops: Most definitely. Some of the best, not in order
of best: Windy Moon in Reno,NV, The Quilt Stop in Sparks, NV, The Cotton
Patch in Lafayette, Eddie’s Quilting Bee in Mountain View, Carolea’s Knitche
in Sunnyvale, and Thimble Creek in Walnut Creek. There were many other very
nice ones. There is only one that I wouldn’t really care to visit again. But
I won’t name it, unless you email me. No sense hurting anyone’s feelings,
don’t you know?
left the hotel in Camarillo, waving goodbye to the soon to be
jack-o-lanterns at the corner pumpkin patch. They have rows and rows of
pumpkins going up the gentle slopes. What a sight. As I headed south on
#101, I passed by acres of strawberry fields, just being prepared with the
sheets of plastic. The plastic protects the fruit from the soil. A little
farther down the road, were young strawberry plants just about ready to set
fruit. I knew I would arrive too early for the first shop to be open, but
sitting around in the hotel was just too boring. I arrived in Thousand Oaks
to find I had a 45 minute wait. I drove around until I found a “Eggs and
Things” restaurant. They had a special 2 egg omelet, just stuffed with
smokey bacon and sharp Cheddar cheese. It came with wonderfully crisp O’
Brien potatoes and the largest homemade biscuit I have ever seen. It was at
least 4 inches across and 1.5 inches high. I left, knowing that lunch would
be a snack out of the ice chest! Shop number 23 was Mary’s Quilt Inn located
in Thousand Oaks. Now this is truly a quilt shop…no crafts….and reminded me
the most of “my” local Creative Expressions in Palm Springs. It has just the
right amount of fabric, hanging quilts and interesting stuff. It did lack a
large classroom, or at least I don’t remember it. However, I wish the
saleslady had been more accommodating with another customer. The lady had
admired a quilt that was hanging. The customer wanted the pattern, but was
told that the saleslady teaches a class on this and hands out the pattern
with the class. I got the impression that the customer might not live in the
area. At least it seemed she wouldn’t be able to take the class. Too bad the
salesperson could not have offered to sell just the pattern, without the
class. This customer really wanted it so badly, that she took a picture of
the quilt. I certainly understand why the salesperson would prefer to fill
her class, but I kept thinking that if this had been asked at Creative
Expressions, it might have ended differently. I purchased 2 fat eighths…a
first time ever for me…and a book on Jewel Box quilts by Quilt in a
Day….sure <g>. Should take me a couple of months or more! I headed to #101
again, turning inland. I found The Quilt Emporuium, shop #24 in Woodland
Hills. This also was a nice shop, but I was beginning to become a little
weary of looking at fabric…..imagine!! They don’t cut FQ’s…not every shop
will, I found out…so I purchased regular quarter yards of some more garden
prints. I found a cute dog print on blue background and got a half
yard….hmmm? how does this fit in with anything? I got a yard and a half of
black cotton sateen for the someday Attic Garden Windows. I have the name,
now I just need to find a pattern. I got a total here of 3.25 yards. From
here the freeway gets pretty busy. I will avoid the center area of Los
Angeles, skirting to the north towards Pasadena. I never listen to the radio
in the car, except to hear the traffic reports. I always listen to them in
the L.A. and Orange County areas. I turned it on to hear an eighteen wheeler
had overturned and blocked the right *three* lanes, but fortunately, it was
nowhere near me! I looked in my side mirror to see the CHIP….think highway
patrol….just in time to drop from 70 to 65. No, I didn’t hit the brakes,
silly. That would be a dead giveaway. There was freeway construction going
on with those temporary cement dividers on one side, the lanes repainted
until they were as narrow as possible and a large auto transport truck on my
other side. Needless to say, I maneuvered out of that as soon as possible.
After switching to the #134, then #210, then #10, I was headed for Montclair
and shop number 25! The Fabric Patch, which I had been to a couple of times
before, is a great shop. Even though I had seen enough fabric to last for a
lifetime….wait, make that a week or so….I perked up a bit in this nice shop.
They have a large selection and carry a good bit of quilt related gift
items. I bought a FQ of a tiny quilt design…you know the cheater kind that
already looks like a miniature quilt. I have no clue what I will do with
that. Maybe someday I will make a tiny cheater quilt to display on some
antique in the living room somewhere. I chose 1 yard cuts of a fairy print…I
had passed this one up many times, but not this time, a small pastel
floral…I know, I know…and a pastel confetti, streamer, curly thang. I picked
up a primary colored hearts on white, and some bright fish….darn, I can’t
stop with these! Oh, and a FQ of soft blue background with round pastel
dots….I don’t want to hear it! The total for this final shop was 4.25 yards.
Now I added them all up and the grand total is…..drum roll, please…..83.25
yards! Yikes. But keep in mind my mission was to build up my stash while I
still can. DH is making noises of retiring in a year or so. I figured that I
had better get some stuff put away. But now girls and guys, how do I keep my
hands off of it? The remainder of the long ride home was the most boring,
the sky was overcast and the smog fairly significant. The girls in the back
were busy with the new fabrics, so they had something to keep them occupied.
I, however, put on a CD of Big Bad Voodoo Daddies. Now those guys can jive!
I’m in love with that drummer! When I saw the sign for the Morongo Indian
Reservation, I knew home was getting closer. The life sized cement dinosaurs
in Cabazon rose up on the horizon. These were a creation many years ago by
one man on a mission to create the Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex
entirely himself. He had been a creator of sculptures at Knotts Berry Farm
in Buena Park, an amusement area. He did complete them before he passed
away, and they have been featured in several films and music videos. You
might have even seen them in one. As I came around the base of the San
Jacinto mountains, I was entering Palm Springs. The sky was nearly cloudless
and so blue. No smog here today. I stopped at my office to drop off some
cookies from Solvang to the gang. They lasted about 10 minutes. My husband
said a package had arrived for me. I made him go into my office to get it
for me. I had no courage to look at that desk of work waiting for me!
Tomorrow is soon enough. It was the two quilt tops from Katie Wilson for the
Ronald McDonald kids. Thanks Katie. I made two more stops to drop off
goodies to my Mom and Dad and my daughter. Then it was time to head for the
barn! When I stepped out, I was amazed to see the girls in the back had
already headed for home, on their own. It was fun having the three of you
with me. Check your mailboxes in a few days for a “thanks for the company”
surprise. They had left all the fabric in perfect order. The only thing
better, would have been if they had washed and ironed it all. Now that I am
not looking forward to <g>. As I emptied out the trunk, I could swear I
heard a sizzle from under the hood of the Subaru that sounded just like a
sigh. Guess the old girl is glad to be home for awhile, too.
EPILOGUE:
How many shops visited: 25, including counting all the show vendors as one
shop
Did I enjoy the trip: Yes
Would I do it again: Yes, but not right now
Did I have favorite shops: Most definitely. Some of the best, not in order
of best: Windy Moon in Reno,NV, The Quilt Stop in Sparks, NV, The Cotton
Patch in Lafayette, Eddie’s Quilting Bee in Mountain View, Carolea’s Knitche
in Sunnyvale, and Thimble Creek in Walnut Creek. There were many other very
nice ones. There is only one that I wouldn’t really care to visit again. But
I won’t name it, unless you email me. No sense hurting anyone’s feelings,
don’t you know?
How did I find all these addresses and plan this trip? I used two computer
programs on CD’s. Microsoft Streets Plus and Microsoft Trip Planner 98. No
connection, just love those programs.
Some of my pet peeves? It is so hard to find address when commercial
buildings rarely have the addresses posted.
Best part of the trip? Meeting my cyber friends in person! I got to meet
Lora, my icq buddy, and her friend Alley. Lora gave me a gift of a 1963 Life
magazine on the life of John F. Kennedy. What a treasure. Our breakfast
together was fun with some of the r.c.t.q. gals and Kim and Scott and their
crew. I now have a quilting pin from Kim that looks just like me, well
except for the fact that I am a bit “rounder”. I got to spend two nights
with my DH’s aunt in Reno. And I even got a tan on one side of my face and
left arm! I hear some people like to vacation at the beach and go home with
a full tan and no fabric! Now really! Well, all you quilters start quilting!
Bigbearlady/Phyllis
MKSQUILTS
Oct 13, 1998, 3:00:00 AM10/13/98
to
Wow, Phyllis, some trip. Sounds like you had a great trip and collected a lot
of fabric. :) When do you start on the next quilt?
Merry Kay in NV
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