A few months back I got the idea that it would be fun to go to the AQS show in Branson. I’ve never been there and seeing Branson plus a quilt show struck me as a golden opportunity. I asked Mike if he wanted to go and he responded “no thanks” (ever since he retired from flying all over he doesn’t want to go anywhere – and I get it). So I asked if he’d mind my going with a friend and got a sweet – “no problem”. So I texted Cathy and we made plans. After looking at the map I realized that Hamilton, MO was sort of on the way, so this past week we loaded up the car and headed south.
It was a lovely day for a road trip and we arrived right at 5pm.

We checked into our lovely Air B&B, just a block off the main street, and went for a walk.

The stores had all just closed, so we took an obligatory selfie, peeked in a bunch of windows, and had a quick dinner at a local shop. We were even privileged to see the biggest spool of thread. I only wish I’d had some thread with me to add to it.

That night we found a puzzle in the B&B and had it together before going to bed. Cathy and I both have puzzling brains.

The next morning we hit the shops of Missouri Star with enthusiasm and oh what fun we had! The fabric was gorgeous and plentiful, and the people were so friendly.

Each of the buildings housed a different type of fabric (solids, kids, batiks, seasonal, etc.) and most of them were connected. Everything was delightfully neat and organized, with oodles of encouraging and funny quilting phrases and signs painted everywhere.

I was so impressed that I had to give Jenny a high five:

We have plenty of purchases to remember her “buy” 😁.
Then it was time for lunch. Mrs. Littles Tea and Toys looked intriguing:

The decor couldn’t have been more charming.


Our soup, sandwiches and all the special extras were served on tiered plates, and every bite was delicious.

After lunch Mrs. Little came out to see how everything was ~ and we told her how much we enjoyed it. I asked her if I could take photos and include them in my blog post about our visit to Hamilton and she was thrilled. So thrilled that she told me to tell all of you that if you travel to Hamilton and visit Mrs. Little’s Tea and Toys, simply mention you heard about her here and she’ll have a little treat for you.
What a wonderful time we had in Hamilton! And that was only the beginning of our trip! Next week come back to hear all about the 100th AQS show and our adventures in Branson.
And if you haven’t been stitching on any quilts recently, remember what it says on the side of a building there:

I think they forgot the word “quilts”, but you get the idea.