Topeka Horse Sale (This Really Does
Have A Connection to Sewing!)
Twice a year
my husband and I travel to Topeka, Indiana for the Topeka Horse Sale. Topeka is a very small town with no hotels,
therefore, we usually stay at the Blue Gate Garden Inn Hotel in
Shipshewana. Although we sold our draft
horses several years ago, my husband still loves to be around horses and visit
with others who love horses. I know it
is healthy for all of us regardless of age to focus on hobbies and things of
interest. My husband supports my love of sewing by
waiting patiently in the car for me while I shop at fabric stores. He doesn’t mind if I invest in sewing equipment
and/or notions to make my sewing easier.
So, when it is time to make the trip to the Topeka Horse Sale, I am
always ready to go. I know there will be
much more than horses involved with this trip.
We began our
trip on Monday of this week and returned Wednesday. It was just a short, three-day trip but one
that renewed my energy and my creativity.
While my husband watched horses and horse equipment and products sold, I
visited fabric and quilt shops in the area.
Our neighbors, Connie and Dale, stayed at the same hotel so we had two
vehicles at our disposal to pursue our separate interests. My husband and Dale took one and went to
watch horses. Connie and I took the
other and went to check the area for everything sewing-related and more.
We stopped
at Gohn Brothers at 105 S. Main in Middlebury.
I needed ¼ inch ribbon for the fabric gift bags I make and I can
purchase it at Gohn Brothers for only 20 cents a yard. I purchased 25 yards each of Christmas red
and green. I also bought a Dritz tape measure
for 69 cents and a seam ripper for 49 cents.
If you are in the Middlebury area, this shop is a great place to get
basic sewing supplies at very reasonable prices. David Coffin mentioned Gohn Brothers in his
book Shirtmaking – Developing Skills for Fine Sewing. He listed the store under “Sources of Supply”
on page 164. As I indicated in my post
of 4/14/18, this store has been in business for more than 100 years. It still has the original wood floor and tin
ceiling. As soon as you open the door, you
realize you just stepped into a by-gone era.
You can hear the sound of the commercial sewing machines working in the
upstairs sewing factory where they make denim pants and coats for Amish (plain
clothing). They also make Colonial era
shirts and stock high top shoes for both men and women. I enjoyed visiting with the employee in the
store. When I exited the store, I was
relaxed and happy with my purchases. My
shopping experience was pleasant and I look forward to returning. It was exceptionally nice to be greeted and
helped by someone who displayed a love for helping people find what they want
and a love for their job!
Another stop
for us was Zinck’s Fabric Outlet in Ligonier.
It is 15.2 miles South of Shipshewana on State Road 5. I never know what I will find in this
store. Sometimes I find nothing and
sometimes I find just what I didn’t know I wanted! This visit I found a pale green knit fabric
to make a summer top. I also found some
light blue 14 inch ribbon for my gift bags and some felt for a project I am
making for the youth group at my church.
The staff at Zinck’s Fabric is always helpful and pleasant. Another relaxing place to shop!
I even found
time to relax at the hotel between shopping trips. I took along a small stack of old Threads
magazines just in case I had time to peruse them. I am always amazed at the inspiration I get
from these magazines. I read them
completely from front to back when they arrive at my door, but when I reread
them several years later, it is like I never saw them before. This time I found an article entitled “Design
Ideas from a Miyake Shirt” from the May 1998 issue number 76. The article describes in detail how to make a
shirt similar to one by Japanese designer Isssey Miyake by using a simple
jacket or shirt pattern that you already have.
I like that idea. The author,
Tara Arnold, showed several different design variations. I am going to make a copy of the article and
stick it to a closet door in my sewing room so I don’t forget about it. I would like to try to sew one of these
shirts for summer.
No trip to
Shipshewana would be complete without a visit to Yoders Department Store. My husband buys all his jeans from Yoders
because they carry his size and, if they are out of the size, they will order
it for him. He also loves the Darn Tough
brand of socks which come with a lifetime guarantee. I love the shoe department. I can almost always find a pair of shoes that
want to come home with me. This time I
found three pairs. How could I say “no”
to those shoes? After all, Spring is
here and who knows what condition my shoes from last year are in. I had to bring those shoes home. I absolutely could not risk having to go
barefoot this summer!
I hope you
save some time in your schedule to relax and be creative. Let’s get those summer projects started!
Judy
