June Day Trip to Tongham & Elstead – A Wonderful Day of Fabric, Food and Friendship

Our June day trip on Wednesday 24th June turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year, but that certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm! Eight of us set off in two cars, with Kate driving one and Fiona the other, for a wonderfully enjoyable day visiting two inspiring quilting businesses in Tongham.

Our journey was pleasantly uneventful, and we arrived at Sunflower Stitches, where Karen Crookes gave us a very warm welcome. We were treated to tea, coffee and a delicious homemade apple cake before settling in to browse Karen’s incredible range of fabrics, patterns and quilting supplies. The choice was simply amazing, with beautiful fabrics wherever you looked, making it very difficult to choose just a few favourites.

Needless to say, none of us left empty-handed! There were plenty of purchases all round. Fiona found fabric and the pattern for a new bag, which we’re hoping will make an appearance at a future Show and Tell, while everyone discovered fabrics that sparked ideas for new projects. The accompanying photographs give just a glimpse of the wonderful selection Karen has in stock.

A short 15-minute drive took us to our second stop, Fabrica Trading Station, where Trish Grammar introduced us to a completely different style of fabric. Her stunning collection of South African Shweshwe fabrics proved irresistible, with their vibrant colours and distinctive designs inspiring yet more project ideas. Once again, several of us couldn’t resist adding to our fabric collections—Kate and Fiona perhaps leading the way!

After our successful shopping expedition, we headed to The Palm House at The Packhouse for a well-earned lunch. The food was excellent and we enjoyed relaxing together and chatting about our purchases and future sewing plans. The only downside was the lack of air conditioning on such an exceptionally hot day, but despite the soaring temperatures, everyone agreed it was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend time together.

A huge thank you to Karen Crookes and Trish Grammar for making us feel so welcome and for sharing their wonderful shops with us. It was a day full of inspiration, laughter, friendship and, of course, some very successful fabric shopping!