There we were, driving happily along, checking out Blenheim, when we came across a shopping complex known as The Vines Village. So named, no doubt, because it was surrounded by grape vines, as far as the eye could see. There are more vineyards around here than you could shake a stick at. This is New Zealand’s largest winemaking region with around 65 wineries and 290 grape growers and over 4000 hectares planted in grapes, mainly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. Enough to keep any wine drinker happy.
Tucked inside the Vines Village was The Quilters Barn, a shop I had visited before on our previous South Island trip, but well worth another visit. I had to smile at the message on the black board – my sewing room is never as tidy as I would like, either!
The friendly owner gave me permission to take some photos of her lovely shop. There were all sorts of wonderful things, shelves full of fabrics, knitting wool, haberdashery, patterns, and a great assortment of beautiful quilts lining the walls. In the classroom I could hear a group of ladies talking about the charity quilts they were stitching, for good causes. It seemed a very happy place indeed.
Inside The Quilters Barn
I was after a skein of Perle No5 in dark purple for one of my stitchery blocks, and found a rather nice variegated one. And when I spotted two more skeins of the dark green I’m using in all the blocks, I happily gathered them up too.
My purchases for the day
While I was happily pottering around the shop, looking at this and that, admiring the batiks, and checking out the various patterns, Robin was outside devouring an ice-cream before it melted in the hot sun. So we were both having a great time at the Vines Village!
6 comments:
I could spend a lot of time and money in that shop. The purple thread you found is gorgeous.
Did you sneak in some wine tasting?
You have found all the right places to visit, and to get your threads, a big bonus. Enjoy those last days of the South. We cross over on 19th February.
That looks like a lovely wee shop.
What a lovely shop
It was a lovely shop indeed, and I felt a little guilty when I only purchased some threads. THere was such a lot of lovely fabrics, but these days I try to only buy for a project, and not "just because".
It looks like a lovely spot to visit, especially with the bonus of this shop. Glad you found some suitable items. Did you miss out on ice cream?
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