San Antonio, part 2

Monday morning I visited The Stitcher's Hideaway, a new shop which opened just a few months ago. Being new, the shop is in the growing stages as it adds new merchandise and models. The local stitchers told me about the excellent customer service that Jenny, the shop owner, provides.Jenny had been ill for several days and was unable to be in the shop on Monday. Her charming husband, Kyle, and her friend, Nancy, filled in for her. Here is a photo of Kyle and Nancy holding two of Jenny's shop models, Quaker Sampling I, and A Quaker Hornbook. Kyle told me that Jenny plans to also stitch Quaker Sampling II.

One of the visitors to the shop while I was there was Carolyn. Carolyn used to own the Thread Peddler in San Antonio but had to sell the shop because of health reasons. She brought in her My Favorite Things Stitching Basket for me to see.

I love the wonderful bows Carolyn added to her basket. The bows are made out of the same material as her basket lining. Absolutely beautiful! I was so excited to see Carolyn's basket that I forgot to take any more photos of it than just this one. Carolyn decided to loan her basket to Jenny for a shop model. If you're in the San Antonio area, stop by The Stitcher's Hideaway to see Carolyn's lovely basket.

In the afternoon, I headed to the Witte Museum which focuses on South Texas history, culture, and natural science. Of particular interest to me were the exquisite dresses on display. First some background information:

On April 21, 1891 (the 55th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto which was the decisive battle leading towards the establishment of the Republic of Texas), a group of San Antonioans held a "flower battle" in front of the Alamo to commemorate both the Battle of San Jacinto and to honor the heros of the Alamo. The "Battle of Flowers" parade has become an annual spring event, now part of Fiesta San Antonio.

One of the major events during this 10-day celebration is the coronation of a queen, a princess, and 24 duchesses. Each year a theme is chosen for their exquisite dresses.

Below are photos of some of the dresses currently on display.

Here is an enlargement of the calla lily on the shoulder of the previous dress. Here is an enlargement of one of the roses on the last gown. Look--you can even design you own train. This was set up for children, but since there were none in the room, I decided to "design" two.