Susan Gower of Nifty Thifty Dry Goods
Are you ready to meet trim lady? Well, she's not really called that, but it's tempting when you see what she surrounds herself with beneath her massive tent. Trim lady is Rhode Island-based Susan Gower, owner of Nifty Thifty Dry Goods.
She has ribbons, buttons, trims, beads, and more, both new and vintage. Susan travels around selling new and vintage notions that you'll swoon over. And yes, I said she travels. She gave me a copy of her upcoming show schedule so I'll post it below because she's hitting IL, OH, MN, MI, WI and TX between now and November 2nd.
I discovered Susan just a few days ago via Country Living magazine (June '08 page 90) and after some extensive online research (she doesn't have a website), I found out that she's showing currently at the Central Park section at the Brimfield Show in booth #116. I wanted some of the items shown in Country Living but she told me that they took those images 7 years ago so she doesn't have those items anymore. I nearly fell over. Seven years? She was surprised too. But I'm happy that they ran it when they did because I found her. :) You'll love Susan's tent and the section she is in has lots of of ladies selling fabric and notions so you'll stay busy for awhile. The tent directly across from Susan's carries vintage tablecloths starting at $10 -- you can't miss their heaping piles of fabric and women going completely bonkers.
Susan organizes the things in her tent by color, so it's super easy to navigate. And everything is set up so nicely. She is a little shy, but once you get to talking to her she's so very nice. She even gave me a discount on some trim I purchased, which helped because I spent $135 on her stuff and could have easily run the bill up to double that. It's hard to not drop mounds of cash, everything is absolutely amazing as you can clearly see.
She doesn't have a store or website, but if you're in Rhode Island anytime soon you can find lots of her goodies at a shop called Refind located at 436 Wickendon Street in Providence (401-277-0606).
Nifty Thifty Dry Goods 2008 Show Schedule
June 19-21, The National Quilting Center, Columbus, OH June 26-28, Minnesota Quilters' Annual Quilt Show, Rochester, MN August 21-24, Stitches Midwest 2008, Schaumburg, IL September 11-13, Quilt Expo - Sewing with Nancy, Madison, WI September 26-28, The American Sewing Expo, Novi, MI October 25-27, International Quilt Market, Houston, TX October 30 - November 2, International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX
(photos taken with permission by thorsten becker for decor8)