This past weekend I drove over to Shelbyville, Kentucky, located 30 minutes on the other side of Louisville. This two and a half drive is an easy trip. However, they are on the wrong time an hour ahead of me so to attend a class starting at 9 am would have made me getting up way too early. So I decided to go Saturday night, which gave me time to find the location of the Sunday class at Making Ends Meet and explore this town.
After finding where Jane LaFazio’s Sketching and Watercolor Class would be held, I checked out a local consignment shop, the Polka Dotted Pineapple.

This is an upscale consignment store with lots of name brands. They had a great selection of beautiful clothing including jackets – some to die for – from Chico. I found the prices to be really reasonable and some were even on sale. I loved how they had arranged most of their clothing by color. They also had a large selection of sizes. Of course, I ended up with a couple pieces to add to my wardrobe.
But more than the clothes, I really liked the couple who own the store. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of them or their names, but I learned that they started the business a year ago September. He retired from construction and she had worked in retail. Even though I walked in 20 minutes before closing, they told me to take my time. If you are looking for nice nearly new clothing, check out this sweet shop. I’ll be checking in again with them the next time I’m in the area.
They also gave me a wonderful suggestion for dinner, the Bell House Restaurant just down the street.

This house was built in 1902 for Dr. and Mrs. E. B. Smith. Ownership changed over the years and in 2007 the house was purchased and restored by Bob and Sue Andriot who opened it as a restaurant in 2009. The bell, currently in the front yard, was made by William Kaye & Co. in Louisville, Kentucky in the mid-1800s. It began as the city fire bell which sat on top of the firehouse in the town square. The bell is rung daily to celebrate the joy of delicious food. And the food was yummy!
When the waitress brought out my dish, I wished I had my camera. It was really too pretty to eat. But I did! The Chipotle Shrimp and Mango Salad included sauteed shrimp with a sweet and savory chipotle rub on a bed of mixed greens with feta cheese, fresh mango salsa, a smooth hummus dressing and toasted flat bread points. Yum! And to top off this feast I enjoyed a piece of their coconut cream pie. All of their food is made from scratch including the desserts. The service was great and I loved the homey atmosphere. This is definitely a place I will go again next time I’m in the area.
But the reason I went to Shelbyville was to take Jane’s sketching class. The shop that sponsored the class, Making Ends Meet, sells bolts and bolts of fabric from chennile, tapestry, micro and ultra suede to indoor and outdoor, and all kinds of trim. But what I loved were their Studio products. These included all kinds of batiks, fibers, jewelry findings and tools, and mixed media stuff. Some of these goodies I’ve only seen on the internet. My pictures don’t do the place justice.



Here are a couple of the goodies I brought home – some fiber and material pieces.


Ooh, la, la! Well, more to this story but that will be my next post. Hope to see you then.
I think I would like that shop too! Are those SILK ribbons? Lovely.
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I think they were. One of my favorite were ones that were roses on top of the ribbon. At the top of the photo on the right you can see a little bit of a yellow one and the brown one. Can’t believe I didn’t take the picture to include them since I had not seen anything like that. She had so many neat things.
I went to the website and took the virtual tour…that is one huge shop…looks like upholstery fabric is big…they had lots! Love those big prints.
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Hey Lynda… So glad you were to visit and I really enjoyed spending time with you! Hope to see you again for more classes… and we will do 10:00 🙂 Thanks! Have a great day!!
Leslie, Thanks for such a great lunch and classroom. Love your shop and I will be back!
My mom and I used to come to Shelbyville, peruse the shops on Main and Washington and ate brunch or lunch. That was in the early 90’s. I moved here in 1999 and I love this town! Sylvia’s Closet is a great consignment store for infant and childrens clothes, furniture and toys. World renowned Wakefield-Scearce Galleries features a feast for the eyes in antiques, the shops and restaurant are there also. Shelby County Community Theatre is a fun way to spend the evening after dinner at the Bell House or at the locally acclaimed Fiesta Mexicana. The Fairgrounds hosts many events throughout the year from the Saturday morning farmers market to fundraiser events, tractor pulls, and horse shows. I could go on, and on! Come and see us again! You are always welcome.
Kate, Thanks for all of the info. I know I had just scratched the surface of what was available there. I will be back for sure. Lynda
Sounds like a great trip and I love the materials you brought home!
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