The quilting part of our travels

The plan from the beginning, was to stop at a quilt shop in each state we drove through and get something fthat we would then use to make a quilt as a memory of the trip.  Over the summer, there was a thing called the Row by row experience where many shops across the U.S. created a row for a quilt. Quilters go to multiple shops and then make a quilt using the patterns.  They also offered fabric license plates at each shop.  We were able to get a few of those.  We had hoped to be able to get the patterns, but we weren't able to because there was an embargo til end of October. We did learn that shops can send the patterns after the 31st so we have some of those coming our way.  

Kentucky - no quilt shops on our route and we had a six hour drive ahead of us that day

Ohio -Quilt Beginnings in Columbus.

For the quilt

For the fun of it

Pennsylvania - Erie - Kelly's sewing center

For the quilt and the bird fabric is for fun

New York - Niagara Falls- Auntie's Attic

For the quilt - they have our name to send us the row by row

For the fun of it

New York - Niagara Falls - Quiltmakers and friends

For the fun of it

Vermont - Norton house Quilting

For the quilt

New Hampshire- keepsake quilting

For the quilt

For the fun of it and on sale

Maine - Mainely Quilts

For the quilt - blueberries are the state fruit and the lighthouses are symbolic of the Maine coast

Massachusetts - Mansfield - Mad about Quilts

For the quilt

For the fun of it

 And this was on sale!!

Rhode Island - Blaine's Sewing Machine Center

For the quilt -the state bird is the red rooster

For fun I got this

Connecticut - Norwalk - Christie's Quilting Boutique

We have this for the quilt

And this for fun

Still to come...

New Jersey - missed

Delaware - Hayes Sewing Machine Co. In Wilmington, DE

They are sending the row by row kit

This is for Kentucky - Louisville Slugger

This is the license plate and pech blossom fabric (state flower)

For the fun of it

Maryland - Bear Paw Quilts - Towson, MD

Jackie will email them for their row by row pattern which looks like this.  

But also picked these up

West Virginia - Country Roads Quilts - Morgantown - for the memory quilt

For the fun of it

North Carolina - Quilters Quarters, Waynesville

For the quilt

For the fun of it

Day 13 - Waynesville, NC to Nashville in the rain.....

Odometer Reading:   59170

Starting Point:  Wayesville, NC

Destination:  Nashville, TN

Miles driven today:  270

State Lines Crossed:  2 - NC to TN

Odometer at the hotel when Jackie dropped me off:  59440

Total Mileage for me: 2908

Total mileage for Jackie:  3120

You know, when I started this blog and called it This Quilters Journey, I was thinking of my quilting journey - learning and growing as a quilter.   I had no idea how many wonderful trips I would be able to take:  Ireland for the first International Quilt Show in Galway, last year's Danube River Cruise and trip to England and now this trip all over the Northeastern US.  In addition to just seeing all the sites, we set ourselves a goal of making a memory quilt including fabric from each of the states we visited where we could visit a quilt shop.  I am very lucky to have had these opportunities and have really enjoyed this trip with my sister.  We had a great time and I am in awe of the fact that she drove all 3000+ miles with only one meltdown (long day, traffic and lots of merges on busy highways as I recall)  and very few wrong turns.  I think that, because my only job was taking pictures along the way (which had it's stressful moments), I really learned to just sit, look at the beautiful views and relax.

Final Stats:

13  days

17 States

1 Canadian Province

13 Hotels - Two Embassy Suites, 1 Comfort Inn, 1 Bayport Inn, 1 Best Western, the rest Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express

14 Quilt Shops (13 States - two were in NY)

1 Visit with my Morganntown daughter and her boyfriend (also a brief respite from the drive)

3 Meetups with friends, some planned, one a wonderful surprise (Ann and family, Evie and Caroline)

1 Deluge and other less stressful rain

2 traffic jams and lot of misc. construction

1 Awesome natural wonder - Niagara Falls

Many, many views of our beautiful US countryside

So many trees with great fall color I couldn't even begin to count

A couple of mountain ranges including the Smoky Mountains

13 days fun days with my sister - the most we've spent together in a long time

I am at my hotel in Nashville.  We  got here much earlier than we thought we would when we started planning the trip so I had to wait a bit to get into my room.  I kind of wish I could grab a flight back today, but the cost would probably be outrageous.  On the flip side, it's nice to have some down time before I sit on five hours of flights and a couple of hours in crowded airports tomorrow.

I think we both agree that Niagara Falls was the high point of the trip.  I think second for me was the opportunity to visit my daughter and see friends I haven't seen in a long time.  Third would be Biltmore Estate.  That was Jackie's idea and honestly, I thought it was a little crazy to add a six hour drive to the end of the trip (from Morgantown), but I have to say, I am really glad we did it.

The fall colors in New England, especially in Vermont were just awesome.  Proably second best were in Maryland.

My favorite pictures were:

American Falls at Niagara

Canadian Falls

Rainbow Bridge between NY and Ontario

Vermont

Kennebunkport wharf and lighthouse

Random barn - can't remember where we saw it

Boston Streets

Love Plaza - Philly

Independence Hall

Smokey Mountains - Asheville

Biltmore

I have a feeling I'm going to need to stay closer to home this next year so I can save up for whatever the next adventure will be.  I love traveling and seeing new places and visiting good friends.  Another trip of a lifetime - almost complete.

Thanks for reading.