BLESSING, TEXAS, USA -- If you blinked, you'd be likely to miss the tiny Texas town of Blessing (population 870), a pastoral setting of farm land just 12 miles inland from the mid-Texas gulf coast. So it was surprising to me that friends familiar with the area were singing the praises of a local quilt shop there.

To hear them speak, this place was something for serious quilters to behold. But how good could it be, I wondered. After all it was miles from nowhere in a town that closely resembled the fictional Hooterville of TV's Green Acres (in better days, the Hotel Blessing,located directly across the street from the Blessing Bead and Fabric Studio was most assuredly a dead ringer for the Shady Rest). But then again, what better place to find expert quilters than in the heart of rural America?

At first glance, the Blessing Fabric and Bead Studio is underwhelming. The front door yields to a small room stocked with a respectable collection of beads and jewelry supplies and beads -- wood, metal, glass and crystal beads from the far corners of the globe.

While there's enough to keep beading enthusiasts interested, the shop is small and somewhat cramped. But venture through the small doorway on the right and you enter an entirely different world. A kaleidoscope of color and patterns envelops visitors on all sides. Quilters can spend hours, if not days, selecting from the huge variety of 100% cotton fabrics gathered from all over the world. You're likely to find some unique fabrics here that aren't usually seen at more traditional quilting emporiums, including many with large bold prints and vibrant fun colors that will wake up any quilter's imagination.

In addition to quilts, the shop specializes in wearable art, so you'll also find some unique patterns and inspiration for all kinds of fabric arts here.

If you can tear yourself away from the dazzling display of fabrics, you'll notice another doorway at the back of the room. This leads to a 1200 square foot state of the art classroom, complete with all the tools and supplies needed to create fabulous works of fabric art. Classes at the studio are ongoing. In addition they offer "Piece Camps" at various times of the year. These multi-day adventures give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in camaraderie and creative spirit, while coming away with valuable new skills and techniques. Various camps may be bead or fiber related and will focus on different aspects of beading, quilting or other fabric arts.

The Blessing Bead and Fabric Studio is a joint venture between long time friends Jimmie Stephens and Kathleen Poessel, who run the shop with a huge amount of help from Jimmie's daughter Taylor. Each of the ladies brings a different perspective and set of skills to the venture. Jimmie's background is in tailoring and clothing construction, Kathleen is an expert in piecing and hand quilting, while Taylor comes about things from a more artistic approach working with fabric dyes and fiber treatments, art quilts and fabric collages.

All three women share the common goal of seeking to validate the creative spirit of each customer who enters their store. "We like to see people get excited about what they are doing, to take it seriously as an art form," says Taylor. "Folks are taught to be good consumers, but we can be good producers too."

In addition to the extensive array of classes, the shop offers on site quilting services, so if you have a quilt top that needs quilting, the studio's long arm quilting machine might just be the answer. Of course the studio carries a large selection of battings - cottons, polyesters, blends and even luxurious 100% wool, as well as extra-wide fabrics suitable for quilt backing.

When asked why they started a quilt shop in such a remote location, Taylor Stephens answered, "It's just rural living, you can either make work where you are or you can drive to work."

This savvy trio opted to make work where they were and people have responded. Over 85% of the quilt shop's clientele drive a minimum of 60 miles to get to them.

When asked why quilting is important to her, Taylor said that it was all about color and texture giving her the means to express herself creatively. If there was one word of advice she could give to beginning quilters, Taylor says it's not to be afraid of color. "People get intimidated by color, but really that's where the fun is."

This shop backs up this philosophy with their impressive selection of fabrics. So if you find yourself anywhere near driving distance of the Texas gulf coast, make a side trip to Blessing and indulge your creative side. You're sure to come away with some unique fabrics for your next quilting project along with a renewed appreciation and enthusiasm and appreciation for your hobby. Make that your art.

Practicalities

You can find the Blessing Fabric and Bead Studio on 10th St. in the town of Blessing, Texas. For more information or a class schedule, please call 361-588-1200.

For information about planning a visit to Matagorda County, Texas, click on www.visitmatagorda.com or contact the Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation at 979-245-8913.

Matagorda driving distances:

• 80 miles from Houston
• 95 miles from Galveston
• 145 miles from Corpus Christi
• 165 miles from Austin
• 200 miles from San Antonio.

The two closest airports serving Matagorda County:

William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is about 78 miles from Matagorda County and is served by Air Tran, American, American Eagle, Southeast Comair, Delta, and Southwest airlines. Rental car agencies at HOU include Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, national and Thrifty.

George Bush International Airport (IAH) is about 98 miles from Matagorda County and is served by 23 passenger airlines including American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest, United and US Airways. Car rental agencies serving IAH include Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.

Find the Matagorda County Museum at 2100 Avenue F in Bay City. Call 979-245-7502 or visit www.matagordacountymuseum.org.

Learn more about the Texas Nature Conservancy and their activities by clicking to www.nature.org.

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.