Replies

1. 
   pinkit | Mar 01, 2008 07:41pm | #1

   Hi Moira:  I am in Vermont.  Brandon is a few short miles from me.  There are a lot of artsy things going on in Brandon and perhaps some quilters there that can help you.  Fall is a great time to visit VT.  In Rutland which is South of Brandon there is a Jo-Ann Fabric.  North of Brandon is Middlebury (not far) and north of that is a place called West Haven Jct.  At that point is a lovely shop "Knits & Bolts".  It has lovely quilt materials and great yarn.  Burlington has a great domestic fabric shop for drapes, curtains, and upholstery materials.   The stores name is "Rags to Riches".  Just out side of Burlington is a town known as Essex Jct.  and there is a great small fabric store there by the name of THREADNEEDLEFABRICS, Inc. They carry very good quality materials.  The shop is small and run by the owner.  They have a web site. http://www.threadsneedlefabrics.com .  Welcome to VT and I hope the weeks you choose are PEAK. 

    

1. 
   moira | Mar 07, 2008 08:39pm | #4

   Can't work out how to name you all in this reply, but to Joanfitzu, Meg and Pinkit, thank you all for your responses. I'll take note of them for when we have our trip. Seems a while away but it sounds as though we'll be there at just the right time for the colours, quite apart from the shopping.

   Edited 3/7/2008 12:40 pm ET by moira

1. 
   Stillsewing | Mar 08, 2008 12:16am | #5

   Last Autumn my husband and I had a pretty disastrous trip (I wouldn't call it a holiday). to New England. Make sure that you have everything booked way in advance whatever it is you want. We tried to travel by train but it is not user friendly and anyway in that part of the world the car is king and anyone without one is seen as a kind of nut. Also it rained at least two out of every three days so as for the colours...... there were there when it wasn't raining but hard to find because of the weather. So enjoy your trip, I'm sure that it will be better than ours was! .... and you will have the nice people on this website to talk to after you get home.I only managed to find one fabric shop and it was a Jo-Anns. It blew me out it was so big, but I didn't have time to really visit it as that day we had driven over 200 miles out of our way, looking for accommodation, and next morning had to do that same return journey for the following night's prebooked hotel. So book up in advance, you won't be able to do that kind of distance when biking, which next to walking is my favourite type of holiday. ---Hate cars - particularly when on holidays----

1. 
   moira | Mar 08, 2008 04:44am | #6

   If I was the one booking the holiday, our story would quite possibly end up a bit like yours! Fortunately DH is in charge and he tends to look at the detail and plan things fairly well. Of course he can't plan the weather and your story doesn't reassure me much especially as we're to be on bikes! Let's just hope this year's different. I'll let you know in due course.

1. 
   Stillsewing | Mar 08, 2008 03:54pm | #7

   MoiraI'll look forward with interest to hear how you fare. I loved my previous visits to the US, Texas one time, and the wider Grand Canyon area on another occasion. New England is a different place and very very expensive. A B/B that would cost at most $50 here cost $150 there. As a result we mostly used hotels - in fact we nearly always do but that way you don't get to meet the locals, only other travellers. I don't remember the costs the previous times because there was't the same rip off.

2. 
   moira | Mar 25, 2008 05:34am | #8

   Thanks for all your replies. I'm copying them to myself to keep for when the time comes. Maybe I'll send them to DH as well. He's been asking if I had any info from you. And eventually I'll let you know how it went.

2. 
   joanfitzu | Mar 01, 2008 08:47pm | #2

   If you were going to have a car a great shop for needlepoint and cross-stitch would be in Stowe. The Wooden Needle on Park Street.
   http://www.wooden-needle.com Threadneedle for "fashion fabrics" is the only one that I know of, in the area, and worth the trip.

3. 
   meg | Mar 02, 2008 02:24pm | #3

   If you are into quilting we (in Vermont) are having our 3rd annual Quilt Shop Hop next weekend; I could get you a copy of the 'passport'. It lists all the participating quilt shops. Check out the Vermont Quilt Festival website (http://www.vqf.org) for lots of information; quilt shops are listed there, too, plus a host of things to do, such as the Shelburne Museum. Also, the first weekend in October is almost always Peak Weekend for the autumn colors; an especially beautiful. I live along Route 100, which runs the length of the state through some very scenic towns (well, most everything in the state is scenic...!).