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Black's Handweaving Shop Here's your chance to watch weavers at their looms as Bob, Jr., and Gabrielle Black create beautiful throws, shawls, scarves, and place mats in their shop, which is attached to their home (0.7 mile west of Mass. Rt. 149). Bob makes jacquard coverlets and throws and can personalize larger pieces by weaving names and dates into them. The Blacks are custom crafters, so you can choose your own colors and designs. They weave about 90 percent of the shop's goods; the rest is the work of other hand weavers. The Blacks have been weaving since the 1940s; they opened the shop in 1954 and over the years have woven pieces for customers worldwide. The shop is open daily.
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Claire Murray Opened in 1997, this newest Claire Murray shop
offers the same beautiful, distinctive, handmade rugs, needlepoint, gift
items, home accessories, and cotton throws as the Osterville shop (see
listing) and the Nantucket shop. Also available are rug-hooking and
cross-stitch kits, as well as lessons. The shop is open daily. Tern Studio If you love wood--really fine wood, worked by a
real craftsman--come visit Tern Studio, where Albert Barbour handcrafts
fine wood furniture and one-of-a-kind wood turnings. Barbour uses all New
England wood and often employs green wood for his turned pieces, then ages
the finished pieces. The gallery is full of hand-turned bowls,
candlesticks, and vases--each a truly unique piece of art. You may also
find a few pieces of furniture but since most of the furniture Barbour
produces is custom work, it doesn't stay in the studio for long. Photos of
his pieces in their new homes line the walls of his studio. "My idea
is, don't make the same thing twice," says Barbour, who has been
plying his craft for more than two decades. "I don't want to become a
factory." No chance of that; these far-from-factory creations must be
seen to be appreciated. Tern Studio is open year-round, "six or seven
days a week," the craftsman says. West Barnstable Tables In their 29th year of business in this large,
year-round showroom, Stephen Whittlesey and Richard Kiusalas produce
handmade custom furniture in a primitive style that retains and emphasizes
the color and texture of the natural wood, much of which is about 100
years old. The shop also converts antique windows into frames for mirrors.
Trestle, Shaker, farm table, and pedestal legs accent the distinctive
tables. They display unique folk art cupboards created from antique wood
and found pieces such as ship portholes. It's open daily. The Whippletree Housed in a beautiful, 225-year-old barn, The
Whippletree is filled with gifts and home accessories with a country
flavor, including cotton coverlets, dried flowers and wreaths, greeting
cards, candles, and hand-carved birds. Some popular collectible lines
include Cats Meow, Snow Babies, and Squashville. You can also select gifts
for the holidays and items for children and babies. The Whippletree is
open seven days a week from June to December and Thursday through Sunday
the rest of the year. |
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Claire Murray Claire Murray's handmade rugs are so beautiful you
won't want to walk on them. Actually, some of the smaller ones make great
wall hangings! The colors are rich and the designs delightful on these
heirloom pieces. You can buy finished rugs--prices range from $99 to
$4,000--or a kit. Some patterns are simple enough for beginners; others
are a challenge to accomplished rug makers. Kits average about $130.
Classes are available in rug hooking, needlepoint, cross-stitch, and
knitting; call for more information and class schedules. The shop, which
is open daily all year, also carries needlepoint and counted cross-stitch
kits, gift items, wearable art, home accessories, and cotton throws. And
look for Claire Murray's beautifully illustrated book: it makes a great
gift. There's a Claire Murray shop on Nantucket too, and a new location in
West Barnstable (see listing above). For a catalog ($5 refundable with
first purchase), call the 800 number.
Claire Murray also has a shop in Freeport, Maine; two shops in Vermont;
and shops in Charleston, South Carolina; Naples, Florida; and Carmel,
California. Joan Peters of Osterville Interior designer Joan Peters brings together the
elements of her own original paintings, wall coverings, hand-painted
furniture, sinks, and tiles to create a distinctive, coordinated look.
She'll even paint floors to match the rest of a room's decor and fill a
living space with unique accent pieces such as teapot chandeliers,
mirrors, and custom shades. She custom designs carpets, and her
hand-painted sinks and tiles are not only designed and painted on-site but
also fired in kilns at the studio. Call for winter hours. Oak & Ivory This shop is owned and operated by a
sixth-generation Nantucketer who makes classic Nantucket baskets on the
premises. It also carries antique reproductions of tables, chairs,
hutches, chests, and side chairs. For a gift that represents the Cape's
maritime history and traditions, you can't improve on the whimsical
handmade Sailor's Valentine seashell boxes or the lightship baskets in
precious metals and original scrimshaw. The shop is open daily in summer
and in December and closed Sundays the rest of the year. The Shoe Salon No need to travel to New York or Paris for the
finest in ladies' footwear--the Shoe Salon brings it to Cape Cod. You'll
find shoes by Stuart Weitzman, Cole Haan, Van Eli, and Peter Kaiser, along
with accessories such as jewelry, handbags, and even a select few
sweaters. "We try to bring the unusual--we're not a me-too
store," explains owner Pamela Boden. In addition to dressier shoes,
the store carries men's and women's Mephisto walking shoes, which have
been handmade in France for 30 years. Boden describes them as "the
Mercedes-Benz of walking shoes." The shop is open daily in season,
and Monday through Saturday in winter. A second Shoe Salon, in Chatham,
(508) 945-0292, is open April through the Christmas holidays. Yankee Accent A cross between a gift shop and a gallery, this
26-year-old business with a nautical focus carries prints and originals by
well-known local artists such as John Stobbart, Richard Sparre, Elizabeth
Mumford, and Nancy Braginton-Smith. It also carries gifts for the home and
books by New England authors. The store is open daily from May to January
and on Saturday only the rest of the year. Cape Cod Clockwork Wendell Sharp, a certified master clockmaker,
relocated his shop--the largest clock dealership on the Cape--from
Yarmouth in the fall of 1998. He carries 20 or so grandfather clock
designs plus a complete selection of Sligh and Howard Miller wall and
mantel clocks, Chelsea ship clocks, and Swiss music boxes. He is a dealer
for the Wellfleet Clock Company, which makes tide clocks and shelf and
wall clocks. Sharp's motto: "If you need a clock repaired/ Old or
new/ Bring it in/ Wendell knows what to do." He is open daily in
season, and closed Sundays off-season. 1856 Country Store As the local children know, if you've only got a
nickel in your pocket, you can still buy something sweet at this charming
and historic country store in the heart of Centerville. Whether you're
after penny candy, a daily paper, or a souvenir of your vacation on Cape
Cod, you'll find it here. And as you can tell from the benches out front
marked "Democrat" and "Republican," the Country Store
is a gathering place for adults (registered, opinionated, and otherwise),
teenagers, and kids. On a hot day, this is where you'll find a cold soda,
and on cold days, a cup of hot coffee.
The gift selection ranges from the popular Westerwald pottery (a line
that features each village in Barnstable), to homemade jams, hand-dipped
candles, and note and greeting cards. From gossip to Gummy Bears, the
Country Store has it all! It is open daily. Andi Carole This classy boutique sells gorgeous designer
clothing for women--clothes by small designer labels you won't find
anywhere else. One of those designers is Andi Carole herself, a talented
lady known locally for her crusade against litter and for her beautiful
dresses with clean, flattering lines. She uses European fabrics with an
emphasis on natural fibers, and the quality of the material shows in each
piece. These dresses just fall so beautifully. "The thing about my
dresses is you've got to see them on," says Carole, who opened this
shop 11 years ago after a decade of designing in Europe. Everything she
sells in the store is American made, including accessories and jewelry.
And this is one of only a few shops that sells locally created Marsh
Bears, adorable creatures that are much more than stuffed animals. Andi
Carole is open daily, except for two weeks in February. Cape Cod Crafters Outlet This shop represents nearly 150 crafters who
present a smorgasbord of artistic expression: handbags, baskets, quilts,
birdhouses, doll clothes, paintings, tole art, bears, bunnies, flags,
calendars, hand-painted clothing, baby items, wood carvings, clocks,
jewelry, rubber stamps, wood burnings, pressed flowers, shell craft, dried
flowers, plant rooters, and Victorian accessories. The shop is open daily. Cape Cod Mall The largest mall on Cape Cod--really, the only
"real" mall--Cape Cod Mall is anchored by Filene's, Macy's, and
Sears, along with mini-anchors Best Buy and Marshalls. Major retailers at
the mall include Bath & Body Works, The Disney Store, Gap, GapKids,
Express, Eddie Bauer, Lerner New York, Abercrombie & Finch, and
Victoria's Secret. Their 400-seat international Food Court features Au Bon
Pain, D'angelo, Manchu Wok, McDonald's, Sarku Japan, Freshens Yogurt, and
Sbarro.
Cape Cod Mall is a totally nonsmoking facility, and hosts many special
events throughout the year. The stores are open Monday through Saturday
9:30 AM to 9:30 PM, Sundays 11 AM to 6 PM. |
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Cape Town
Plaza Some of the larger stores you'll find here include
Filene's Basement, Kmart, Tweeters, and a very large and wonderfully
stocked Barnes and Noble Bookstore, which sponsors author signings and
social events. Our "Pick of the Plaza" is Cape Cod Crafters! The
stores are open daily. Colonial Candle of Cape Cod Follow your nose to this store: the fragrant scent
of candles being made is irresistible! Founded more than 80 years ago by
Mabel Baker, who started out making bayberry candles for her friends and
family, Colonial Candle of Cape Cod today is a division of the largest
candle company in the United States. In addition to outlet stores around
the Cape, the Colonial Candle Company operates a Main Street gift store
with candles and related accessories. Colonial Candle is open seven days a
week. Other outlets are in Falmouth, Sagamore, West Dennis, and West
Yarmouth. Columbia Trading Company If it has anything to do with boats, you'll find it
here. This shop, right near the corner of Main Street, deals in
out-of-print and rare nautical books, marine antiques, ship models, and
marine artifacts. Literally, they offer thousands of new, used, and rare
books on whaling, shipwrecks, Coast Guard history, boat building, sailboat
racing, and navigation. It also has marine art for sale. The shop is open
Monday through Saturday, year-round. Festival Plaza This collection of stores includes Boston Bed &
Bath, Ben Franklin Crafts, Golf Market, Lenscrafters, Pier 1 Imports, Toys
'R' Us, Blockbuster Video, Star Market, and Paperama. When you need a food
break, fill up at the Country Time Buffet. The stores are open daily. Nantucket Trading Company If you like adding color and style to your kitchen,
treat yourself to a shopping spree here. We love browsing in this
spacious, two-level store, which carries glassware, dishes, cookware, and
a huge assortment of kitchen gadgets along with specialty foods such as
Nantucket Coffee, tea, spices, garlic, vinegars, and Cape's Kitchen pasta
sauces and salsas. You'll also find terrific serving bowls, salad sets,
cutting boards, place mats, and napkins. This is a great place to shop for
a gift, and the store's bridal registry is a neat alternative to the more
traditional crystal and china registry. It offers UPS shipping and free
gift wrapping. Nantucket Trading Company, which also has a location in
Falmouth at 208 Main St., (508) 548-5881), is open daily all year, with
expanded evening hours in the summer. Puritan Clothing Store In business nearly 85 years, this family-owned
retail clothing store represents three generations of commitment to Cape
Cod and has a very traditional feel. We especially appreciate the
attentive service we always get here. Where else can you get free
alterations, free gift wrapping and a lifetime guarantee? Puritan carries
a complete line of men's and women's clothing, including sportswear and
performance shoes (this store carries sports equipment). Puritan also
rents and conditions skis.
The company introduced its own beautiful four-color Cape Cod tartan
plaid several years ago and offers men's and women's clothing in this
handsome material. Puritan has other locations in Chatham, Orleans,
Falmouth, and Mashpee Commons, plus a seasonal shop in Wellfleet. The
stores are open daily. Southwind Plaza The Southwind Plaza contains Yield House, Bradlee's,
Children's Orchard, Stride Rite, The Card Outlet, and Stop and Shop. The
shops are open daily. The Mill Store This store has a large selection of unfinished
furniture and craft items and is simply a fun place to explore if you are
feeling creative or thinking it's time to make some changes in your
personal space. Prices are excellent, and the store is open daily. The
Mill Store has other locations in Dennis-port, West Harwich, and Plymouth. 19th Century Mercantile Step through the door and into the past.
Washboards, quilts, and feather dusters from an earlier era share space
with period clothing--spats, hoops, and parasols--and old-time remedies
such as slippery elm throat lozenges. The shop occupies a historic
building dating to 1802. Originally a ropewalk, it was operated in the
mid-1800s as a general store and would have been stocked with items you
can find there today. There's even a corner where children can play with
old lesson books and clothes. Civil War and Revolutionary War re-enactors
love this place. The store is open year-round, with a shortened schedule
in the off-season. The Picket Fence Behind a picket fence is The Picket Fence, a great
old barn filled with unique decorative items and collectibles. You'll find
hand-painted furniture, pottery, original dolls, and a terrific assortment
of holiday decorations. We always make a point of coming here at least
once before Christmas. It's a fun place to browse, and it's friendly too.
In November, you will often find free hot cider and cookies greeting
you.The shop closes after Christmas and opens again in spring.
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Pondside
Gifts & Boutique This unique gift store and boutique is located in
the Hearth n' Kettle Plaza on Mass. Rt. 28 (see our Restaurants chapter
for other locations of the Hearth n' Kettle Restaurants) and offers a
great selection of gifts that are ideal for wedding presents or gifts for
any occasion. Their lovely pilgrim glass vases and lamps are made with
gold and lead crystal and have a beautiful cranberry color. In the
boutique, they've got evening bags and attractive button-down cardigan
sweaters printed with images of colored lighthouses of Massachusetts. The
store is open year-round Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, but
during the summer until 5:30 PM (6 PM on Fridays). The Silver Unicorn If you are looking for a keepsake of your visit to
the Cape, stop in at the Silver Unicorn where you'll discover an extensive
line of nautical jewelry--bracelets, charms, rings, and earrings in gold
and sterling silver--with a Cape Cod theme (maps, lobster traps, and whale
tails). The shop also sells nautical glass sculpture. It's open daily. Wild Birds Unlimited Bird lovers flock to this store for bird feeders
(priced from $3 to $300) and plenty of seed and suet. But why stop there?
The bird-themed paraphernalia goes on and on: hand-carved birds, jewelry,
music boxes, clothing, songbird tapes, videos, books, and all kinds of
educational materials. Do you want a birdbath? Wild Birds Unlimited has
standing and hanging baths in wood, iron, concrete, ceramic, and plastic
that can be hung from trees, mounted on a deck, or placed in your gardens.
The store is open seven days a week. Yankee Crafters Inc. Thousands of pieces of handcrafted wampum
(cylindrical beads made from shells, once used by Native Americans as
ornaments and currency) jewelry--rings, pins, earrings, and bolas--are
offered at very reasonable prices. Also among the collections are
Scandinavian jewelry, linens, calendars, crystal, and Norwegian trolls.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Yankee
Crafters is open daily. The Barn & Co. Make a point of stopping by to admire this circa
1840 barn filled with folk-art and country-style crafts by local and
regional artists. You'll find Hearts Content hand-painted clothing and
slate welcome signs, Pat Gardiner dolls, Brewster native Marybeth Baxter's
primitive cards and prints, Marstons Mills' Dust of the Earth pottery,
lovely dried floral arrangements, and everybody's favorite--angels--in
cloth, ceramics, and porcelain. Local basketmakers produce handsome items
in the Shaker, traditional, and Nantucket lightship designs. The shop,
also great for Christmas ornaments, is open year-round. Parnassus Book Service Housed in an 1840s building, Parnassus is a book
lover's dream come true. There are books everywhere--filling the
floor-to-ceiling shelves, stacked on the wooden floor, piled in boxes. New
books are mixed in with old, arranged in a unique categorized system that
is purposely left unlabeled--owner Ben Muse likes customers to explore.
But he's always happy to help you look for a particular book, and if he
doesn't have it, he'll try to find it elsewhere. A longtime book scout,
he'll generally come through. The shop carries extensive collections in
such subjects as maritime history, fine arts, antiques, and Cape Cod and
Colonial American history; it also carries many publications you won't
find anywhere else, such as old town reports. It is open Monday through
Saturday year-round. Pewter Crafters of Cape Cod Here at the Cape's only pewter studio, artist and
craftsman Ron Kusins displays the simply beauty of a metal that was for a
time overlooked. The shop features unique jewelry, vases, plates, cups,
and other items that are both decorative and functional. It's open
year-round, Monday through Saturday; call for off-season hours. Armchair Bookstore We love browsing in this bright, homey shop, which
has a huge selection of titles in hard- and softcover along with wonderful
gift items, cards, and toys. The family-run shop stocks literary fiction,
history, nature and wonderful children's books, among many other
categories. Armchair is open seven days a week, year-round. The Cape Cod Collection Ltd. This shop has lovely jewelry, including charm
bracelets with gold- or silver-plated Nantucket baskets, sand dollar and
shell bracelets, and an unusual scallop-shell bracelet and earring set
cast from molds made from actual shells. They now offer Nantucket baskets
as well.
But the really unique merchandise in this shop is its line of weather
instruments made by Downeaster Mfg., also based here at the Cape Cod
Collection. Their wind meters were mounted on the flagpoles at the 1996
Summer Olympics. We love the brass-encased Medallion series of tide
clocks, wind meters, ship clocks, and wind meters. Start your collection
here! The store also features a selection of weather vanes, brass
thermometers, and classic ship models. It's open daily. Lady Bug Knitting Shop In business since 1982, this shop formerly carried
both quilting and knitting supplies but now concentrates on knitting only.
In the Kings Grant complex, the shop carries lots of yarn, needles, and
supplies, and books on knitting. Owner Barbara Prue offers knitting
classes for all levels. The shop is open year-round, daily in summer and
Monday through Saturday the rest of the year. Linda Burke Linda Burke, specializes in clothing that is
classic and comfortable. The store's motto is irresistible: "We wear
20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time. Our goal is to be that
20 percent." The store maintains a customer registry that makes
wardrobe building easier and gift giving error-proof. Owner Linda Burke
does all the alterations herself--you won't find this kind of service in
larger stores. The shop is open year-round. Patriot Square With some 25 stores, Patriot Square is one of the
mid-Cape's finer shopping plazas with a wide selection of shops and
services. Nationally known stores include CVS, a JC Penney catalog store,
Royal Discount Books, Radio Shack, Marshall's, and Stop & Shop.
There's even an AAA office in case you need help planning the rest of your
trip! Fast-food eateries include Pizza Hut and Burger King. Other stores
specialize in video rentals, greeting cards, and gifts, clothing, shoes,
eyeglasses, and more. Film fans will rejoice: The mall has a 12-screen
movie theater! Need cash for a shopping safari? There's also a 24-hour
ATM. Ross Coppelman Jewelers To say Ross Coppelman's gold and silver creations
are unique would be an understatement. This jewelry is lush, extravagant,
bold, and beautiful. Unusual and classic gemstones are displayed in
striking settings, many of them inspired by ancient Egyptian, Aztec, and
Roman designs but with a contemporary flair. Just west of the Mass. Rt.
134 junction, the shop has two showrooms of gold and silver jewelry and a
workshop where it is created. Coppelman, who opened his business in 1971,
designs and produces custom jewelry, including wedding rings, and also
resets stones. The shop is open daily in summer, and Monday through
Saturday the rest of the year. Tobey Farm Country Store Tucked inside this 300-year-old working farm--one
of the best stops on the Cape for fresh fruits and vegetables--is a small
shopping area featuring exquisite, reasonably priced dried floral wreaths
and centerpieces made from German statice, lavender, eucalyptus, rosebuds,
and yarrow. Freshly baked pies and a variety of locally bottled jams and
jellies are irresistible. It's open mid-April through Christmas. Don't
miss their Halloween celebration, which includes hayrides for children. |
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Continue to Lower Cape |
