Sunday, March 27, 2011

Surfin' Sunday - A Trip to Paducah, KY!!

Hi, all!


I hope you've had a great week and are ready to take a little virtual trip with me - my wonderful husband took me to Paducah, Kentucky this week for a couple of days, and I've got lots of pics and info to share with you!


After a gorgeous warm, sunny week, Thursday dawned cold and windy - but who cares?  I'm headed for quilt Mecca! 


My husband's assistant booked our hotel (work trip!) so neither of us knew where we would be staying, but as we got ready to turn down the street to the hotel, look what we saw!





Dropped my hubby off at the hotel, then headed down the street to spend a little quality time at Hancock's!  You all would not believe this place - it's enormous inside, with so much fabric that you stand there like a kid in a candy store, wondering where to start!  




There's a huge section of batiks - I'm talking rows and rows and rows of bolts.  And every color of Kona cotton available, along with Bella solids and 108" backing fabrics.  I've never seen all the Kona cottons in one place - my LQS only carries about fifteen of the colors - and it literally took my breath away!  (Silly, isn't it?)  


The fabrics are all sorted out by manufacturer, then by line, so it's easy to find a specific fabric.  Unfortunately, they didn't have the two fabrics I really wanted to pet - Sherbet Pips and Sunkissed - but I did see Fig Tree's new line, Buttercup, lots of Amy Butler, some of Ty Pennington's beautiful fabric, even some Kaffe Fassett and Liberty!




Then I found the remnant table - containing the ends of bolts at about half price - and boy did I have fun!  




Ended up with this beautiful bundle of fabric - three pieces of Swiss Chocolate and a piece of Fandango that go well together.  


I found two pieces of Kona in the end-of-bolt section, also at about half price, and picked out bolts of Kona in Earth and Chinese Red to finish off the bundle.  I think this will make a gorgeous quilt!  Now I just have to find the right design....


Then I went off to the cutting counter, where the ladies were diligently cutting website orders.  




We talked about where the orders come from, one of the ladies showing me the atlas she keeps to mark where she's filled orders from!  As she was cutting my fabric, I asked why they didn't have any precuts in the store.  She said, "Oh, they're in the other room."  The Other Room!!  (Does that sound like the back room at a video store to you, or is it just me? lol)  Anyway, she invited me to follow her...




.... and of course, I did! 



Unfortunately, they don't let you play everywhere back here, but it sure was fun to look and drool a lot - imagine having this in your own back room!  They had lots of precuts and bundles back here, and I did pick up this beauty...




....for a quilt for my husband some day.  It just reminds me of the ocean!  


As I left, I signed up on the e-mail list, and I found one more thing they carry at Hancock's - pornography!




OK, well, quilter's pornography, but you catch my drift!


Now here are some things I learned about Hancock's while I was there.  


They do not have clearance fabrics in the store.
Those all go to the online customers. 
And they go fast.  Get on the e-mail list!

Prices in the store are (sometimes) higher than in the catalog.  Usually right before the quilt show.

The manager orders lots of the things he 
thinks will sell well to the quilt show attendees, 
but if they don't sell, 
they get marked down and put in the on-line store 
about 2-3 weeks after the show.

And right now, this weekend, they have 
free shipping 
for all on-line orders.  The prices are lower 
in the catalog than in the store, and there's free shipping. How can you beat that deal?
(And no, Hancock's didn't cut me a deal to let you all know about that!)


The quilted sign over door....

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-


Friday morning, we went to the National Quilt Museum.  What a fabulous place!  Unfortunately, they don't let you take pictures inside the museum, but here are a few pictures from their website.....




This place is a definite must-see if you are in Paducah!  One of the most interesting things I saw was a wooden quilt that looks like fabric - like it's blowing in the wind.  They let you take a picture of a sample of the quilt....






but not the quilt itself.  You can just see the quilt in the background of this picture.

Just FYI, your AQS membership will not get you a discount here, but if you have a group of ten or more and call two weeks ahead, you can get in for half price.

I hope you enjoyed (vicariously!) my trip to Paducah!  It is certainly a wonderful place for quilters. I'm sure there's more to see - we might have stayed longer, but Winter decided to make a return visit and it was cold and rainy, so we didn't wander around downtown.  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back sometime soon - maybe for the Quilt Show!

Back next Sunday with another great quilt blog to share - hope to see you then!

Later!


Sarah

23 comments:

  1. Pornography for quilters! That is TOTALLY true! This city is definitely on my must-see list of places to see. I bet I could spend $1,000 in the store in no time at all.

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  2. Thanks for the tour! I will be in Paducah for the show. Good to know how the store is laid out in case I am looking for something in particular!
    Sandy A

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  3. Awesome! I have been on the road with business also and made sure I looked up where the Quilt Shops were. I just learned that Hancock's of Paducha is totally different than Hancock Fabrics!

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  4. Wow! Thanks for that information. There's a package of goodies on its' way to me now. hee hee Cannot wait. There's more kitty fabric in there to go with my winnings from you. And a super deal on rotary cutting blades. Wo!! Thanks!!

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  5. Wow - I think I would hyperventilate just walking into that store! Thank you so much for all the photos and info!

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  6. I love Hancock's. Went there for the first last year with 2 friends and we were wowed! I never noticed the sign over the door.

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  7. I love your bundle of Swiss Chocolate and Fandango fabrics. I think this will make a beautiful quilt. Can't wait to see what design you pick.

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  8. Thanks for the trip recap - that is on my list of places to see. I have been in a large store like that before (not as large) but it does take your breath away. I remember standing just inside the front door and taking it all in.
    I love the bundle of fabric you got - can't wait to see what you make with it.

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  9. What a great time you must have had in Paducah. I can remember going twice to the quilt show. Once with a quilting buddy, once my husband took me. It's a great place to visit.

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  10. I've been to Paducah once for the Quilt show a few years ago. What an awesome place to visit. And there is much more to see, so make your plans to return.

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  11. You lucky girl! I always wondered what the store looked like. Thanks for sharing the tips on the bargains.

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  12. I didn't have time to go to the "other" room when I was there, but I left a big enough dent in the bargain bins! I'm glad you had a good time:)

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  13. I just discovered Hancock's of Paducah online a couple of weeks ago - and you are right, their prices are amazing online! Thanks for sharing your trip, and I love the fabrics you picked out, especially the ocean bundle!

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  14. That remnant bin looks like pure heaven! I'm so glad you took the time to snap all those pics and share them. I'm excited to see you put that fabric to work.

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  15. Oh WOW !!! looks absolutely FABULOUS !! LOVE your fabric you bought and thanks for all the information !!!

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  16. Indeed, I did enjoy the vicarious visit!

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  17. Oh Sarah, I am hypoventilating just reading your blog!!! Wow, what a great trip. I admire your restraint! lol I... I.... I.... would have to sit down just to gather my wits to make a choice rather than want to shout "I'LL TAKE A YARD OF EVERYTHING!!!" lol
    Thank you for the virtual tour.
    Christina in Cleveland!

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  18. sounds like a wonderful weekend Sarah ! I order from Hancocks occasionally and it was fanastic to see the real deal in picture form - thanks!

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  19. Oh, Sarah. Thanks so much for the vicarious trip. My sister lives in Atlanta and we have talked about driving sometime from there. You have certainly piqued my interest. Must go someday.

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  20. Sarah,
    I love Hancocks of Paducah- Thanks for the great tour- I have bought a number of fabrics from them and the shipping is becoming more reasonable from them to Canada where I live.
    It would probably be a deadly place for me to visit- my suitcase wouldn't be big enough LOL
    The museum looks fabulous too- so many exquisite quilts to view.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Regards,
    Anna

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  21. Oh I did so enjoy seeing where you made me spend my money :-) Wow! What an amazing store. This is definitely going on my must do list when we do our US holiday.

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  22. Happy day! Glad you got to go to both H-O-P and the museum, they're enough to make a trip there worthwhile! I always head for the "back room" first! I'm really surprised they didn't have Sunkissed or Buttercup. Maybe Moda sends stuff to the LQS first? Can't wait to see what you make from the additions to the stash, beautiful stuff!

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  23. Great trip! Thanks for taking us! I love the blue bundle you bought, it does remind me of the ocean. Can't wait to see the quilt that comes from that.

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