2manyhobbies

Lolly’s is the very best of quilt shops there. As for good restaurants, oh my! You will have no problems. Beautiful shops as well. As you stand on the main street in town, look north and wave. Our farm was 10 miles north. We’d go into Shipshewana all the time before it became a tourist attraction.

Battle Axe

Welcome!!!!! I live in Topeka and am so excited about this show that seems to build every year.

Yes to Coppertop! Yes to Blue Gate! Yes to Essenhause which is in Middlebury a short drive. Must stop at Rise and Roll and get some donuts. If you eat once at each one you will be fat when you go home. I hope you can still carry all the fabric you can afford.

Sadly, we have closed 5 quilt shops in this area in the last few years. Janette's in Walkrusa lost her wonderful husband in a car accident. She was older and sold her dealerships to Calico Point which is still going good. Homespun Treasures in LaGrange is having their closing sale this next two weekends. She is retiring and moving to the South away from the snow. Pumpkinvine in Middlebury is also closing. The Emma Fabric store in the country near Emma is now completely out of business. She was older too. Right now I can't remember that 5th store.

What's left and you should visit them all. Follow the shop hop if you can. Please drive slowly and just run over the horse cookies on the road and enjoy them. We are burying two lovely Amish people, a mother and daughter killed by a drunk at 5:30 a.m. Sat. We are all still reeling.

Funny story about Shipshewana and their "dryness". The State Police decided to have a convention in one of the hotels and ordered a delivery of kegs. The Shipshe cops followed them right into the hotel parking lot and informed them of the the local regulations.

Seventy-five percent of the households in LaGrange County are Non-electric horse and buggy Old Order Amish. I'm not but I love it here and fit in well.

It's going to be a fun, fun time. The Honeyville Quilt show and sale will be going on just before. Honeyville is in the Honeyville Church between Shipshewana and Topeka in the country.

There is Lolly's, Yoder's, Spector's, the Quilt store at Essenhause, a very nice store in Renttown near Nappannee. Don't forget Caroline's Cotton Corner in Rome City ?? and the nice Bernina Center within walking distance of Yoder's. I know I'm forgetting so many.

I hope to meet some of you there at the show. I go by Battleaxe, but I'm a sweet little, short, fat loudmouth. I was on the board of directors for LaGrange County for a time and know how important tourism is to our county. We are also a huge RV manufacturing place. Our Amish produce is gaining fast. Many raise flowers, pumpkins, vegetables. We have an auction Tues. and Thurs. at the Clearspring Auction barn on 200 South and 300 West. There are huge lots, so buying just one is difficult, but it is something to see. Starts at 10 a.m and you'd better keep your hands in your pockets, if you want to take home fabric or 20 large hanging baskets.

Please have a great time.

Battleaxe aka Marcia

luvstoquilt

I will be there again this year. I love it and will be staying at the Blue Gate. This is a highlight of my year. I do the shop hop so we see all of the local stores. I especially love one called Lavender something. He sells toy machines and super fabric. Lolly's isn't as good as it used to be since they closed their sale rooms downstairs but still a fun place and Yoders is amazing. I also love the corner store and the red barn near Yoder's.. The food is pretty rich for me but we have found some small sandwich shops on the street behind Essenhouse.

institches33

Thank you all for the great information! This proves quilters are the nicest people.

SuziSew

It's called Lavender Patch, in Bristol and you are right Sharon they have a lot of the collectible toys. It's a great little shop

Marcia, you are so funny! "sweet little, short fat, loudmouth" I'll have to keep an eye out for you! LOL. I think the other shop you are thinking of is Erica's in South Bend, loosing so many is so sad, but we are very lucky to have so many others to choose from! I'm going to miss Erica's for sure and Pumpkinvine is/was just around the corner from my house which was great in a pinch. Her last day is the 23rd.

Hope everyone who comes has a great time! PM me if you want to get together for breakfast or lunch!

Battle Axe

Yes, that was the 5th one, see I can't remember much. Thanks for remembering that.

On the other hand there are some new ones. Can't remember the name of the new one just opened, between the 20 by pass and Elkhart. Then another one in Shipshewana but it mainly has Amish clothing fabric. Lots of notions, but little in the way of quilting stuff other than solid fabric.

SuziSew

Fabric Utopia is the one on 20, not sure about the other...

judykay

Also go to Spector's. It is a small shop and the prices are fantastic. They purchase in bulk and never know what they are going to receive which keeps the prices down and the fabric quality is terrific.