Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Florida Quilt Shops: Rainbow's End

Over on the Gulf Coast, north of Tampa, you'll find Rainbow's End.
They claim to be the biggest shop in Florida...and they may be right!
Just inside the front door you'll find the latest deliveries from the new designers..all that Amy Butler-ish stuff. Nice fresh colors...uh-oh, I feel a new project coming on!

Now this is what I call a Fat Quarters Wall, not to mention a lesson in color.
Even better is the Batik Wall! I really had to get myself under control and focus on my sister's curtain fabric...which I still haven't exactly figured out yet.

This shop truly has something for everyone, and it's well organized so you can figure out where to go. I didn't get pitures of all the rooms. There's also a section for children, bolts of wool felt in the alcove by the restroom, and if you keep wandering around you will eventually find the giant warehouse section filled with holiday fabrics and a wall of sale bolts ($4/yd!).

Yes, there's even a place for the delicate & dainty...buttons, special threads and trims of all sorts.

WHAT I BOUGHT:
Just a fat quarter, but I had to have it...all I got on the selvedge is "Colonies Poison Green".
My mother made a blouse out of this same print when she was 12...and later I wore it, too! I wish I still had it.

I was looking for some beachy stuff..the blue turned out to actually have a wood grain between the stripes (company unknown). The footprints are cute (Makower) and have been around for awhile in several versions.

Rainbow's End has a lot of the food fabric prints. I couldn't resist these two fat quarters after I'd taken a picture of that box of doughnuts at the start of this trip! They're from Cosmo Textile Co. Ltd. I can see them made into a little bag to go inside a purse. You know, for your secret doughnut fund!

I love black & whites. These really don't have enough background showing to fit my guideline that the fabric should read either black OR white...but those buttons are too cute! Especially as reverse-value prints. (company unknown)

If only my camera would do this real justice...it's a riot of color! Thanks to Free Spirit for printing this fun stuff...I got several yards.
No, I do not know what for! But when I do, I will have it!

The red & brown is Tranquilty by Moda, and the retro brown & teal is All That Jazz by Windham. The colors are remarkably good with the coffee cups wallpaper border my sister has, and the inspiration for the curtains.
Yep, I have enough fabric now to make curtains for 10 kitchens, so I'll have to decide soon!
This is one of the sneeky ways your stash keeps growing even though you think you are making things.

I'm finishing up the instuctions for the Mystery Quilt for Seaside Piecemakers in Satellite Beach, and looking forward to being down there at the end of the month...and then at last revealing to you Dear Readers the most unusual Mystery Quilt I have ever done!
Meanwhile, it's time to make a few "green bags" to donate to an auction...does the quilt world need another tutorial on that???

3 comments:

Pat said...

A Fat Quarter wall - oh my! I would not have any self control there.

Anonymous said...

Thankfully, Sunnie didn't reveal just how many FQs came home with me! And they weren't even on that huge FQ wall, but in their own little Amy Butler cubby.
CC

Sand and Sunshine said...

That quilt shoppe is dangerous, quilters go in and never want to leave. Oh wait, that's not it at all. We are like little children rushing home to play with our new things.