Aging & Attitude
Thanks to my friend Christine (who writes Pudbudder), my interest in quilts and sewing is rekindled.
Christine dragged me around to participate in the Central Florida Shop Hop. It is fun, if you live in Florida where the steering wheel is too hot to handle in July and August.
What is a Shop Hop?
It is a clever way to attract people to Quilt Fabric stores. Customers pay a five dollar fee for a passport and list of twenty-eight stores where they receive a free fat square of fabric when they visit. Quilting is now considered an art form. The stores are different and each a unique aesthetic experience.
At the Byrd’s Nest a Quilter explained why their business is booming. She incorporates a silhouette of the owner’s dog into a custom-made quilt. The quilt she worked on was constructed from beautiful mosaic black and brown fabric for a chocolate lab owner.
In our travels I learned about the Showcase of Quilts at Stetson Mansion. I have been to the Stetson Christmas tour and was eager to see quilts displayed throughout the mansion. I snapped some pictures, however, the tour was so interesting; I stopped to fully listen. You will see those pictures below.
The Stetson Mansion is the restored summer home of John Stetson, maker of the Stetson Hat. TripAdvisor named the mansion one of three hundred must see attractions in the United States, more popular than Disney. Orlando Disney is near Deland.
Tours are by reservation only, as the owners live at the mansion and maintain the property themselves. The cost of renovation was contained by contributions from over three hundred sponsors, secured through letter writing. Over time, the campaign mailed some sponsors one hundred letters to obtain commitment. The renovation scheduled to take years was completed in eighteen months. Their story is enchanting and the the manison a definite must see.
Dawn also posted some pics!
. . . just saying
claudiajustsaying 