Virtual Shop Hop: A Touch of Amish, Barrington, Ill.

Let me start with a disclaimer that while the quilt shop is named, A Touch of Amish, that doesn’t mean you’ll find Amish quilts there. According to the store’s website, when A Touch of Amish opened 25 years ago, it sold Amish toys, rugs and food. Today the only connection are occasional Amish-style quilting bees in the summer.

Now onto what you will find at A Touch of Amish. The store is located in a massive house that has been converted into a quilt shop. Each room is dedicated to a different type or color of fabric and track lighting has been installed to illuminate the collections of fabric, which makes it really easy to match prints for a quilt.

In the foyer you will find an impressive collection of 1930s reproduction prints and solids.

They are also available in matched fat quarter bundles. These would be great for a quilter trying to recreate the scrappy look of quilts of the time period.

You’ll also find a colorful collection of hand dyed wool.

The main room on the first floor is filled with bright, modern prints.

An area that appears to originally have been some type of sunroom now houses the green and red prints. There are also rooms filled with brown, blue and yellow fabrics.

Also on the main floor is an amazing collection of batiks. Anyone who knows about my obsession with the hand dyed prints, knows I couldn’t see a display like this without buying a few half-yard cuts.

Near the batiks you’ll find a collection of silk thread in a rainbow of colors and several wooden spools of thread. I picked up one of these to display in my sewing room.

Upstairs you’ll find a stash of pre-packaged batting and a room filled with children’s prints.

Downstairs is devoted to classroom space and clearance fabric. If you look under the tables, there are bolts of fabric stacked up along the entire length of the wall that are on major discount.

A Touch of Amish, Ltd., is located at 130 Applebee St., Barrington, Ill. My GPS got me to the general area the shop was in, but had a hard time finding its exact location. Just look for the big yellow house near Jewel-Osco.

If you visit A Touch of Amish, you should also check out Pieceful Gathering, which is a short nine minute ride away in Fox River Grove, Ill.