Are you ready?

Because it's here - Purl Patchwork is open, and it was worth the wait!



I don't think I've even been really overwhelmed at a quilt shop. I can usually take two trips through a shop and find, if I'm lucky, five or six fabrics I like and maybe one or two fabrics that are completely new to me. Today I was dumbfounded. Everything was gorgeous, and much of it was unusual. In addition to a large selection of Heather Ross, Amy Butler, and Denyse Schmidt (all in one place!), Purl Patchwork also carries a small but breathtaking collection of Japanese prints. These are not your usual Japanese quilting fabrics; I've seen a few of the same patterns at Reprodepot, but I wasn't prepared for the beauty or variety of the line. The fabric itself from this line is heavier and lends itself to other projects besides quilts.



But more amazing to me was the wall of small, tonal prints, many of which are reproductions - some even from the 1800's. These fabrics are organized tonally, in really lovely shades that one seldom sees in quilt prints. What a pleasure to see lots of brown and softer, muted shades of teal, peach, pink, blue and green.



And finally - hurray! - a wide selection of solids! They may not be sexy, but solids are so useful and so difficult to find in many shops. I find myself drawn to them more and more; maybe it's the Denyse Schmidt and Gee's Bend influence. Anyway, Purl carries a nice selection of colors.

Yes, it's a tiny store. And just like Purl, Purl Patchwork makes fantastic use of the space: floor-to-ceiling walls lined with bolts of fabric, with just two small cutting tables in the middle of the floor. Merchandizing? Are you kidding? I don't know anyone who does it better than Joelle. The front window is lovely, and I'm sure we're bound to see some fantastic quilts in the shop very soon. I seem to recall some gorgeous threads and a selection of quilting notions in there someplace, too, but honestly I was so amazed by the fabrics that it was hard to think straight. I was giddy and probably made a complete fool of myself with gushing and staring and not being able to make up my mind. Oh, yeah, I brought the baby with me. Now, what did I do with her?

Let's see; what else? Oh yes, sometime in the future Joelle hopes to make PP fabrics available on-line as well. Oh, happy day! In the meantime, I think Sullivan Street has become crafting mecca. It's too bad no one has opened a hotel someplace between the two stores yet; why would you want to travel outside of this block during your stay?

More photos here.