Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Cloth Carousel and a Day Trip to Winters, California


My friend Brenda called and we decided to take a spur of the moment trip to Winters, California to visit a little shop she had discovered.  Alas my phone was dead by the time we got there, so I have pulled these photos off the web.  What a charming little Main Street they have in Winters.  I had not been there in well over 20 years, we use to go over once a year from Napa, to get fresh peaches and dried fruits.  

Winters has played a large roll in the history of California agriculture and education.  The little post office was established in 1875 and the town was incorporated in 1898.  It derives its name from Theodore Winters, who provided half of the town's land.  Another important early pioneer and the first English speaking man to settle in the area now known as Winters; John Reid Wolfskill, born in Kentucky, started the agricultural development of the Sacramento Valley here, planting orchards and vineyards in 1842.  In 1935, Wolfskill's heirs deeded 100 acres of the Wolfskill ranch in Winters to the University of California, Davis, which had been founded in 1908.  The land was to be used for an experimental orchard.

Well, this little town with a big legacy, is a delightful place.  There are places to enjoy a lovely meal, some shopping, a beautiful park if you like to picnic...and of course...a sweet little quilt shop!


Located on the first floor of the Opera House Building at #9 Main Street, they hold an ever changing assortment of 2000 bolts of fabric.  The shop is very well organized with a nice selection of dot fabics, batiks, current Moda selections, Kaffe Fassett, Cotton and Steel, good selection of Kaufmann solids, brights and blenders, nice selection of oriental themed fabrics, Tula Pink, good selection of black on white and white on black, seasonal delights and lots of other fabric lines too numerous to mention.


It's interesting to go into a variety of shops and see how they are arranged.  I loved this shop.  Well organized, not cluttered.  Items were arranged in a logical manner.  The back wall contained an abundance of notions, you wouldn't need to make a trip out of town for anything.  Right under the cash register counter they have a good variety of rulers, including the Hex N More and the Side Kick.  At the front of the store, at the windows edge are their quilt books, great location, lots of light for easy viewing.  And what an extensive selection!  They have a large cutting table that can service two customers at the same time.  


Fabric is arranged in a pleasing manner, easy to see, easy to access, with lots of little cubbies holding fat quarters, jelly rolls, charms and layer cakes of the same fabric line.  On the walls hang some beautiful and inspiring quilts.  At the very back of the store is a room set aside for teaching.

It's the kind of Little Quilt Shop that you would love to spend the day in.  You would come home with all that you required to construct your project.  On the whole a well thought out space!

What did I buy, you ask? I purchased a Moda Persimmon Jelly Roll and a Moda Persimmon Layer Cake.  YUMMY!!!



Well, that was fun!  I won't let it take another 20 years before I return to visit the little town of Winters and the Cloth Carousel, I promise!

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