Notes From A Fabric Rep: On The Road In Vermont

Blog post written by Shelley Houis.

Among the many pleasures that come my way in my travels as a Jaftex sales rep, is the opportunity to visit Vermont – especially in Autumn, when my route is ablaze with the brilliant reds, oranges, browns and yellows of the turning leaves. It seems that the coniferous trees are perfectly happy to provide a nice dark green counterpoint to the warm hues of the deciduous trees. I was almost stupefied by the splendor of it all yesterday while driving to a quilt shop at the very top of Vermont, almost at the Canadian border. As StudioE has said in their beautiful new line, AUTUMN ABUNDANCE!

To view entire Autumn Abundance collection, click here.

One of the things that a driver in Vermont must bear in mind is that although perfectly good superhighways like 89 and 91 can speed you along in North-South directions, the State is somewhat challenged when it comes to East-West travel. This is because of the Green Mountains which elevate the center of the State, from the bottom to the top. When driving from Essex Junction to Stowe, for example, to visit Carla at Stowe Fabric and Yarn, my car and I are grateful that nature has provided Smugglers’ Notch, a steep and narrow mountain pass through which smugglers and bootleggers of the early 19th century were able to transport illegal goods through thickly forested switchbacks, to and from the Canadian border. The notch also played an important role in the Underground Railroad, which helped American slaves escape to Canada. The winding road through the notch, at the foot of Mt. Mansfield (Vermont’s highest peak @ 4,393’), is closed in Winter.

Often, in Vermont, what should be a one-hour drive becomes a two-hour drive because only back roads, through small towns and miles and miles of farmland, can get you to where you are going. Such was the case for me, yesterday. The quilt shop in Newport, at the top of the State, is called Countryside Quilts. Flo Verge, her wonderful helpers, and their shop dog Buffy, are no longer frozen in their tracks by that gorgeous view from their parking lot of Jay’s Peak (elevation 3,862’). Unaccustomed to this kind of natural grandeur, I almost forget the purpose of my visit when confronted by that magnificent vista!

Image source, click here.

The back roads that take you from Newport to Essex Junction, home of Yankee Pride Quilting, go through towns like Troy, Lowell, Eden Mills and Jeffersonville. The roads go through notches and mostly follow clean, clear rivers. I saw several “Thank You For Visiting” signs without having been aware of actually having BEEN somewhere!

There is a very subdued commercial presence in this part of the world. Aside from the many farms, where the farmhouse is often connected to the barn (so that, I imagine, the humans and the animals can share the warmth during long, cold winters), you will see woodworking shops, maple syrup sugar houses, orchards, and the occasional, small, hand-painted sign at the end of a driveway, for “Quilts”. The Vermont legislature has made a concerted effort for more than fifty years to keep roads and highways free from unnecessary signs and billboards. You notice it the minute you cross over into the State. Freedom from signage makes it possible for you to really appreciate Vermont’s natural beauty.

Image source: http://www.dearjane.com/

Quilting is a huge part of the Vermont tradition and culture. The Dear Jane quilt is at the Bennington Museum. Shelburne’s Museum has more than 400 18th and 19th century quilts. The Vermont Quilt Festival is New England’s oldest and biggest quilt event, with hundreds of quilts on display every year, along with gallery talks, classes and shopping opportunities. The Vermont Shop Hop in March (mud season) will take you to a dozen wonderful quilt shops – and there are plenty more well worth visiting. The “You Can’t Get There From Here” aspect of traveling in Vermont is one of the best things about the beautiful Green Mountain State. I recommend Vermont to you as a travel destination, quilter or not, any time of the year, but especially in October