Quilting

Insider Tips for Shop Hopping

Never Shop Hopped Before? Or maybe you have, but want to make the most of your experience. Here are some insider tips to make your Great Sewing Adventures™ Across Kansas & Nebraska the best they can be.

 Study Up and Plan Ahead!

  • Register on our website and follow our Facebook Group to learn more about all the fun and adventure adventure awaiting you on your Great Sewing Adventures Across Kansas & Nebraska, April and May 2023!
  • We’ll keep you updated about our stores, our sponsors and all of the great prizes that you have the opportunity to win.

Schedule Some Time

  • Choose a day or two (or six) to spend some quality time on your favorite hobby during the months of April and May. (You deserve it!)

Make it a Group Affair

  • A Shop Hop is great on your own, and even better with friends!
  • Call your quiltsie(s) and make it a road trip.
  • Bring your significant other – we know that many of them share your same love of quilting.  If they don’t, (I mean how could they not?), while you’re in the quilt shop, they can check out all the little hidden secrets of every town that you visit.
  • Invite your sister, daughter, brother or son – there is nothing better than encouraging the next generation to explore our hobby! There is even a youth passport and prize category available. What a great way to encourage a budding sewing enthusiast excited to Hop along with you!

Get Your All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Magazine!

  • Visit one of our participating stores. Maybe it’s your “home” store, or a new one you’ve never been to, but the first thing you need to do is to get your All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Magazine to secure your exclusive All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Passport and Map. For our out-of-town guests planning to visit the beautiful states of Kansas & Nebraska during the Shop Hop, many stores will be happy to accommodate the sale of a magazine online or over the phone.
  • Magazines go on sale mid-February, so you’ll have plenty of time to plan ahead and get ready.
  • Each person in your party will need their own Passport so you can each register for our prizes.
  • You’ll want to use your All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Magazine all year long. Whether you make it to all our stores during the Shop Hop or not, the magazine is a great resource the next time you find yourself meandering the country roads of Kansas and Nebraska and feel like checking out a local quilt shop. It also has great articles, free patterns and related sewing and quilting information.

Plan Your Route

  • The All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Magazine offers statewide and regional maps to help you plan your route.
  • Check out where all of our participating stores are located and calculate the most expeditious route so you can visit as many as possible.
  • You do not have to hurry; take your time to enjoy the hospitality. One great thing about the All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop is that you have TWO months to visit all our stores! 

Check Out Each Region’s “SUPER SUNDAYS” and Other Extended Hours

  • Our independent stores all determine their own hours, but many offer extended hours or days during the Shop Hop. These special Shop Hop hours can be found on the regional maps pages.

Remember, it is a SHOP Hop… so be Sure To SHOP!

  • Each of our stores have their own personalities, secrets, and special items to offer. We hope that you will discover what will keep you inspired and excited about sewing and crafting.
  • Don’t forget our exclusive All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Fabric! Each year it’s different, you can’t find it anywhere else, and it’s only available during the Shop Hop. When it’s gone, it’s gone! So be sure to get it when you see it!

Receive Your Free Collectible Quilt Blocks

  • Each of our stores has created a unique, 4-inch quilt block that captures the fun and creativeness of this hobby.
  • Collect them all, combine them with the exclusive All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Fabric to make a one-of-a-kind project. These will only be available to those embarking on their Great Sewing Adventures™ Across Kansas & Nebraska!
  • Complete your collection with regional and state blocks!
    • Collect stamps from all the stores in each region and turn in your passport. We’ll send you a free, 6-inch on-point quilt block to commemorate your accomplishment for each region completed.
    • You can purchase a commemorative 8-inch all-event block at participating stores or from our online store. Better yet, WIN a free “I Finished Kansas & Nebraska” all-event block when you collect the stamps from all stores and turn in your passport!

Get Your Passport Stamped Before You Leave Each Store

  • At each store, take a moment to get to know the owner or staff, enjoy their hospitality, maybe do some shopping, and sign up for the local raffle.
  • Before you leave, be sure to collect your passport stamp.
  • Please be respectful. We understand many of you are only interested in earning prizes. Please be courteous and take a moment to just look around before you ask for your freebies.

This is Kansas and Nebraska! Enjoy All Parts of Your Great Sewing Adventures!

  • Make your adventure about enjoying everything that our Kansas and Nebraska communities have to offer.
  • Our stores offer unbelievable hospitality, and you’ll find the same in most of the hometown establishments across both states.
  • Enjoy coffee or lunch at the local diner.
  • Check out an antique store, local boutique, or the hardware store.
  • Find that unique, quaint restaurant or pizza parlor to grab a bite for dinner.
  • Go all out and book a night in a local Bed and Breakfast. Or check out one of the Retreat Centers on the Resources page or in the magazine.

Share Your Fun!!

  • Post about your Shop Hop experiences often on Facebook or our website Contact page. Share your photos. Tell us who you’ve met, what you’ve seen and who you’re sharing your adventure with!

Turn Your Passport In to WIN!

  • Mail your passport directly to the All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop office. The postmark date and mailing address can be found on your passport.
  • Make sure all your stamps are secure and you’ve printed legibly so we can contact you if you win!

Get Busy Sewing! Commemorate Your Trip!

  • Make your collectible quilt blocks into something awesome that you and your friends will remember forever.
  • Use the other fabrics, tools or supplies you picked up along the way. You were inspired to CREATE!
  • Use one (or all) of the free patterns in the All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Magazine or on this website to create a one-of-a-kind project with our exclusive fabrics.
  • Remember to SHARE your projects with us on our Website or Facebook!

Reset and Plan for NEXT YEAR!

Be sure to return to your favorite stores throughout the year. Use your All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop Magazine  all year long and, of course, SAVE THE DATE for the next All Kansas & Nebraska Shop Hop – Great Sewing Adventures™ Across Kansas & Nebraska.