An Unbelievable Fabric Store

Jane and Allan Kirby, Proprietors

When I was visiting my sister last week one of her friends suggested we go shopping at a fabric store she had shopped at years before and had loved. Given the suggestion was for shopping for fabric my sister and I, of course, readily agreed. And, that was our mistake.

You see, her friend was suggesting that we go to The Fieldstone House in upstate New York. Well, The Fieldstone House is not like any other fabric store I've ever been in. In fact, I don't think I've ever been to a fabric store like it before - EVER! Not even the old fabric mills I visited years before could compete with this.

When you drive up the driveway and park it just looks like an old house. However, the outside looks are very deceiving as this is no ordinary house.

My sister and I had barely gotten inside when we both said, "Oh, my god!" The first room was literally filled floor to ceiling with rows and rows of cotton fabric. And, I do mean FLOOR to CEILING.

As we walked from the 1st room to the 2nd, to the back and around the corner to yet another room tucked away all we could say was, "Oh, My God!" Then the proprietor told us there was another floor full of fabric upstairs. "Oh, My God!"

I literally couldn't believe how much fabric there was. Shelves and shelves and shelves and shelves of fabric. Fabric on the tops of the shelves, leaning against the shelves, tucked in here, tucked in there. There was so much fabric I did not know where to look first. The fabric and all the colors were intoxicating. I decided I must be in fabric heaven.

Of course, all the while my sister and I were going crazy my sister's friend was smiling. It was as she had remembered and she was pleased that we were delighted.  Delighted was an understatement.  We were like little kids in a candy store.

Since I love holiday fabrics I decided to start upstairs.  I picked bolt after bolt after bolt trying to coordinate all my colors.  Just when I thought I had the perfect combination of red, green, white, and gold I'd find another bolt that was every bit as complimentary to the bolts I'd already chosen.

I decided I had to stop and move along to the winter fabrics. Truth be told, the blue and white colors of the winter cotton fabrics had been calling me since I went upstairs. I couldn't resist them any longer.

My sister, of course, still hadn't made it out of the Batiks section. I should have known.  She just LOVES batiks for all her Inspired Creations by D fabric or wall art quilts. I began to wonder how we were ever going to get her out of the store.

I asked the proprietor if it was okay to lay my bolts down near the register and she said, "Of, course. Start a pile." So, I laid my holiday bolts down next to an enormous pile of Batiks - which, of course, turned out to be my sister's pile.

After quite some time of searching through the fabric I decided I had enough and went to check out. Of course, I had to wait a long time before it was time for my fabric to be cut as my sister and her enormous pile of Batiks was still being cut.

Standing next to my sister was her friend. I asked her where her pile was and she just held up a small bag filled with a tiny amount of fabric. I couldn't believe it. She had bought only what she needed for a project she was working on. No more no less. Such self control and restraint. I had to admire that. Compared to my sister and I she was a fabric shopping saint.

Of course, as we were standing at the register getting our fabrics cut she was subtly suggesting bolts that would look wonderful with our color selections. I tried to resist buying more - I just couldn't. I decided she wasn't a fabric saint - she was the fabric devil. Of course, I couldn't resist her suggestions - they were perfect for the fabric I had bought.

We walked out of the fabric store laughing and carrying our fabric treasures. We were off to have lunch and reflect on our amazing fabric adventure. It was a wonderful and delightful fabric shopping experience and I have to thank my sister's friend and The Fieldstone House for that.