Shopping in Amsterdam

My August trip included nine wonderful days in Amsterdam, where we decided to spend our summer vacation. Beyond the canals, museums, and beautiful neighborhoods, one of the highlights for me was discovering not just one—but two—beautiful quilting shops in the city.

Finding real quilting stores while traveling always feels magical to me. It’s a chance to discover local fabrics, quilting traditions, books, and tools that are sometimes impossible to find back home.

Our first stop was Den Haan & Wagenmakers, a beautiful quilt shop filled with traditional Dutch fabrics, quilting books, patterns, and all kinds of useful quilting accessories.

This is also where I finally bought my long-awaited copy of the Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt book, together with several quilting rulers and tools that I had been wanting for quite some time.

The atmosphere inside the shop was inspiring and full of color—exactly the kind of place where you instantly want to start a new quilt project.

Our second stop was Birdblocks, another dream destination for quilters and fabric lovers.

This shop introduced me to two quilting books that quickly became favorites in my collection: Material Obsession and Quilting From Little Things.

I could honestly spend hours browsing fabrics and books in places like these. Quilt shops always feel creative, warm, and full of inspiration.