Mom and I boarded a bus early on Friday October 3 for a wonderful tour of Amish Country in Ohio with the Putnam Quilters Guild. The ride was so relaxing and there was much excitement in the air. Everyone was anticipating a day of shopping in this quaint country side. The rolling countryside provided view of many farms, cows and horses. On several occasions we noticed farms working their fields using their giant teams of work horses. The Amish homes were not that much different from homes located anywhere, other than there were not power wires running to them. Each home had multiple lines of laundry out to dry. These people must get up early to work, because we came through around 9:30 or so.
Our first stop, was a quilt shop called Millers Dry Goods. I thought I had died and gone to quilters heaven. There were two buildings full of patterns, fabric, quilts and crafts. I was so overwhelmed. We only had about an hour and a half to shop. I think I could have spent the entire day. They had bolts and bolts of any color or collection you could possibly imagine. I was able to find some fabric that I needed for a project, but was able to resist taking more than I needed home. Mom was able to find a belt for the Treadle Sewing Machine that she was given. I think this find, made the trip worth while.
Our first stop, was a quilt shop called Millers Dry Goods. I thought I had died and gone to quilters heaven. There were two buildings full of patterns, fabric, quilts and crafts. I was so overwhelmed. We only had about an hour and a half to shop. I think I could have spent the entire day. They had bolts and bolts of any color or collection you could possibly imagine. I was able to find some fabric that I needed for a project, but was able to resist taking more than I needed home. Mom was able to find a belt for the Treadle Sewing Machine that she was given. I think this find, made the trip worth while.
Next, we proceeded to a local bakery, I can’t even begin to describe the tasty treats. I did manage to buy a few things to bring home to my boys. Let me tell you, it was hard to keep from eating the variety of fry pies that I had purchased. Yum-O!
Finally, we made our way to Berlin, I was just so amazed at the number of shops available to check out. We were rather limited in our time, so we concentrated on shops that were fairly close to the center of town. Believe me, we skipped a lot. We did visit two more quilt shops. My favorite was The Country Cupboard, they had two stores devoted to the needle arts and also had a bottom floor dedicated to scrapbooking and stamps.
While we were in town, I was able to see several Amish folks and horse drawn carriages. I was amazed at how well behaved the horses were. The obeyed all the rules of the road, even stopping for traffic lights. The main road through town was a VERY busy street, with tractor trailers passing occasionally. The horses never faltered or startled. At one point, we saw several carriages parked at the bulk food store. Do you think the horses were chatting with one another?
Our last two stops was at Grammie Fanny’s Quilt Shop and the Apple Orchard. Grammie Fannies was amazing. It was a two story barn style building with quilts draped over every square inch. What a beautiful sight. Each pattern more intricate than the next and each quilt hand quilted. They were amazing works of art. 
The end of the day came soon enough and Mom and are were absolutely warn out. We’ve decided that we must plan a road trip for the Aunts next year. Aunts Marretta, Jane and Mary would enjoy the sights, sounds and shopping of this area. I can’t wait.