...I would not buy you a house.  Well, maybe, but not after I spent my pennies opening a modern quilt shop in my area.


I recently read Jennifer a post from That Girl...That Quilt about her experiences at her local quilt shops, and I'm sad to say that I have to echo some of her observations after visiting my local quilt shop last weekend, one of the biggest in my state.

Not only did I not even get a hello, but I spent nearly an hour there without a single person asking if they could help me find anything.  I was looking for a few specific things, most of which I did not find.  I did observe the workers having many lengthy conversations with older quilters and sewists, but the younger shoppers, myself included, seemed to get the cold shoulder.  While this shop may have more bolts than most other shops in the state, they sure weren't bolts I was looking for.  Even when I checked out with my lousy three Michael Miller fat quarters for my aqua/red collection, I still was barely spoken to.  I sure didn't feel welcome.

courtesy of The Consumerist/Flickr

My husband has always joked that if we ever opened a business, it ought to be a Dunkin Donuts.  Mostly, I think, because he loves their coffee, but also because it seems like a reasonable venture.  Sure, coffee's yummy, but it's not exactly pretty.

I think if we ever happen to find ourselves with considerably more cash, I'd talk him into opening a modern quilting store in my area and carry loads and loads of modern quilting fabric.  No roosters.  No cute cats or over 35 different bolts of cupcake fabrics.  And I'd make sure to carry every color Kona cotton comes in.  Not just the same selection that Jo-Ann's has, which is to say, very little.  And we'd carry lots of modern quilt books and modern quilt patterns.

After this last trip to this shop, I've decided I'm going to stop making the drive because it's just not worth it.  I almost always leave empty handed, and it's just not worth the gas.  It's a shame that I don't have a nicer local quilt shop nearby, but I'm glad I know where to look online.  I'm so thankful for awesome online shops like Sew Deerly Loved, Hawthorne Threads, Fabricworm, Fresh Squeezed Fabrics and Pink Chalk Fabrics.  I don't know what I would do without them.  So, thank you, ladies, for keeping my fabric stash overflowing with beautiful modern fabric!