ConnieF

Hi Craftybear,
Yes we are having our 12 shop hop her in the PNW
Just got the flyer toda and there are 54 shops this year.
It used to be 3 days and now is four days. Just so many shops to get to. You get a passport and each shop you go to you get it stampped. When you get 16 you can turn it in for the drawing... and do another 16 and all kinds of things to win. I got a $10 certificate one year... but they give away a new machine and a $500 basket and loads of other stuff.4 Gift boxes and 108 certificates of $20 each. A quilt retreat to one hopper. Oh I see reading there are 2 machines this year. A BL Espire and a Bernina Aurora. There is a theam fabricanf each shop has a blk you get and you can end up with a top for hopping. WOW and I am just reading it is 5 days this year. Wed to Sat 9am to 7 pm ad sun 10 to 5. So sound like it will be a fun filled hop.

The local shop here have a 40% off everything 2 X's a year. June and Nov. June is my BD so hope I will have some $$$ to spend then and make it go farther.
Well I didn't meat to write a book but just so excited ...
ConnieF

craftybear

Wow, sounds like fun, are you planning on going?

mommaB

Ours in Central Ohio is in July and runs for several days, although I think its changed a little this year and you can stretch it out over a longer period of time. I have never gone, but plan on it this year. You can go by yourself or there are buses you can ride, for a fee of course, but usually games and prizes are involved. Sounds like fun. :lol:

brushandthimble

Went on my first one last year, Seacoast Shop Hop, I won the grand prize!! $150.00 gift cert i could use at ay one of the five shops. Went back to 3 of them.

Did the Schoolhouse shop hop recently, the lady i went with won $50.00 gift cert to the shop she did not like; I got to use it!

thimblebug6000

We've had a few here in BC. You get a passport at the 1st shop.... & have it stamped. Buy a basic block for $5 and move on..... The 1st one we went to DH drove us... let us off at the door & we ran in, got in the line up, did our stamp....got our blocks & left..... The last one I went to we only did 4/10 of the shops....but found some fabrics we liked....& had a great day...didn't win anything because you had to visit all 10 of the shops to qualify. I think any time you get an opportunity to do something FUN.... go for it.... forget about whether there is a prize or not.
Have you ever done the on-line one? You get a "free pattern" as your prize.... nothing exciting, especially if you have EQ.

LBryan13790

Did my first shop hop last year with my MIL. Loved it and come home with 4 new projects which are in various stages of completion. The goal is to have finished at least 3 of them before this year's July shop hop!!!

LaurieE

I haven't been on a shop hop in about 10-12 years. What I liked about it was I got to visit quilt shops that I normally would not have gone too because of the distance. I found it very interesting that each shop had different fabrics and patterns. Granted some of it was the same but a lot was different.

On that particular trip, I drove. The shops were spread out all over and in many cases it took 2 hours or more to get from one town to another. I didn't make it to all the stores that were listed. I found it very disappointing when we got to a shop and it was a sewing machine dealer who happened to have some bolts of fabric. It wasted time that I could have used to drive some place else.

But overall my daughters and I did have a good time. Over the last few years I've noticed that a group will hire a bus to drive them to the different stores. That's the way to go as far as I'm concerned because if you get tired, you can take a nap in between towns.

Marcia

I have done the northern Virginia/Maryland shop hop several times and I have done the Atlanta area shop hop. I have never heard of having to buy your passport!

LaurieE

The "passport" is just a booklet with blank pages that the shops stamp with their logo. It's proof that you've been to the stores. Some areas have prizes for people who visit all the participating stores.

craftybear

Are you planning on going on any shop hops soon?