Store Tour: A feast of color and creativity

Every nook and cranny of Rooster Creek has been gracefully styled, inviting customers to come in and stay a while.

That's no small feat for a shop that occupies two floors and the largest spot among a cluster of unique boutiques.

Part antique store, part stitchery shop, Rooster Creek offers a slice of heaven for those who crave items for their home that are imbued with character or have been lovingly created by hand.

The shop is large, with varied goods ranging from crafting supplies to antique furniture to vintage decorative items. All form an assemblage that becomes a virtual feast for the eyes once you reach the back of the store in the areas set aside for The Wool Lady.

Ruth Molina laughs when I ask how she became "The Wool Lady."

"People would just go into the store and ask, 'Is the wool lady in?'" Molina tells me in a phone interview.

Molina was a quilter and fabric-arts crafter in 2007 when the store owner asked her to step in for a former crafter. Her business started out as an "itty-bitty store" but grew as word of mouth spread and now encompasses more than one room in the shop.

In addition to wool fabrics, The Wool Lady's offerings include yarns, rug hooking supplies and patterns, among others supplies that Molina says are relatively rare, even in Southern California.

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Molina buys her wool directly from the mill and painstakingly hand dyes the pieces in her home.

"You can put four or five pieces of wool in the same pot and get a variance of color," Molina says. "It's not tie dye. Quilters really appreciate it."

She recalls a recent trip with her husband to Lake Tahoe, where she enthusiastically collected leaves of all shades, colors so mesmerizing she couldn't wait to go home and dye them.

Wool fabrics have been simply, but elegantly arranged in a kaleidoscopic collection of color that doesn't disappoint ...

... either those who love the brightest of colors ...

... or those who prefer more subdued shades.

Molina tells me, but I already know from visiting the shop that she loves what she does. Not only is everything in her area beautiful to look at, but each piece begs to be touched and used to create something ... anything. As a matter of fact, the upstairs section to the shop is largely composed of a few long tables where crafters gather for classes and camaraderie.

The wall fabric hangings are among the creations that are crafted with woolen supplies.



Vintage and antique pieces throughout Rooster Creek salute the craftiness of yesteryear by showcasing today's creations, such as this piece of fabric artwork, laid out across an antique cash register.


Some items still bear the weathered patina that adorns some older items, but others have been artfully restored with a fresh coat of paint, like the desk pictured below.

This delightful little corner is home to artwork by self-taught Murrietta artist Gina Adkins.

This yummy candy stand greets and entices customers at the store, along with an old-fashioned popcorn machine offering freshly popped corn.

Rooster Creek is at 42030 Main Street, Temecula, Calif. (951) 694-9918.