I was reading through your comments about my quilt police experiences and Eddie mentioned an experience in a lqs...and i was wondering, on a regular basis just how are you 'guys' treated when you enter a quilt shop? welcomed or snubbed?
where i am there are 2 in different direction that i frequent...one of them (the biggest/oldest one) which i even worked at for awhile treated my hubby very poorly when he went in planning to buy stocking stuffers for me. He went in the owner was working that day (she is not much of a 'people' person) and pretty much made him feel like he had no business walking through the door...he left without buying anything and said he will never go back there....the other one, he loves going to! the ladies take him under their wings and shop with him, show him things, tell him about things they think i really should have...last christmas he spent about $100 at that one getting me great little things i would not usually buy myself but wonder how i got along without...
so #1 shop really hurt her business, could have had a returning customer...#2 shop, get's his $$ when ever he's over that way...they make him feel like he's not out of place even though he is out of his element :thumbup:

I have only been in two places.

A chain fabric store in Denver gave off a bad vibe to me as if to say "you don't belong here." I will never go back after a couple of repeats...if I can avoid it.

The other is the Fancy Tiger in Denver. It is a small general craft type shop with yarns and fabric but the fabric is mostly trendy (it is a small place). It is owned by a younger couple and in a more youthful area. But I will always support them when I can. They make me feel welcomed.

Other than that, I now buy online.

Just wondering where these shops are? I am in MI and hubby and I are on rides all the time.. ,,, mmmm a destination.
Thanks in advance.

I'm not a guy, but I'm amazed at the number of men that are in the quilt shops when I'm shopping. At one of the best shops in FL.(my opinion), Rainbow's End in Dunedin FL., they even have a guy working there. He stocks, cuts fabric and is a quilter. He's very knowledgeable about the industry. I think it's fantastic that we have men that want to quilt and they're every bit as good as a woman, some are Better. I'm not gender biased in any way and firmly believe to each his own in everything. I don't think that I would have been welcome with my opinions in earlier years.

My husband went into our LQS to buy me thread that I had run out of. He said when he got there, they could tell he didn't belong there or know what he was doing (if you knew my husband, you'd understand). He told them what he needed, they joked with him and helped him find it. He actually enjoyed the experience and now I feel comfortable sending him back if I need to. Of course, the owner and all of the staff at the quilt shop are the best this side of the equator!

if it floats your boat then go with it. that is what i say most of the time. quilting is like anything else, a guy can do it and I think that all guys should lean basic sewing and women should learn basics in hunting, from guns to arrows. parents do their kids a disservice by not allowing a kids to learn as many skills as they have time fore. I went to a middle school and high school that taught archery and shooting to the boys but the girls were not allowed. It was during gym. can't remember but think that we had to learn dancing at that time. was mad because wanted to do the archery and shooting. more fun for me. not very coordinated when it comes to dancing. I look like I am having a seizure. So all you dads out there teach your sons to sew at least a hole in their cloths. it will do them a world of good later. my hubby can't iron or sew a button on to save his life. he has learned to vacuum since meeting me. hehe.

Hey sahm4605, I haven't run a vacuum for the last 25 yrs., that's my DH's chore,lol!! When I had to have a hysterectomy, the dr. told him that using a vacuum was one of the hardest things for a woman and he has done it ever since and never complains. I also have bad issues now so he helps me whenever he can. He's definitely a keeper in my eyes!!!

I'm definitely not a guy but have a fun story. Last month I decided to do a mini shop hop myself to check out shops within an hours drive of me.
When I walked into the last shop it was pretty busy with a preponderence of men in there. My "gaydar" pegged at maximum. I have had tons of gay friends so don't think I'm a homophobe or anything. These guys were a riot and a load of fun. Outgoing and friendly and more then willing to start up a conversation. One in particular asked me what I was working on as I was picking out batiks for the block swap here. We chatted about all kinds of stuff and he was very forthcoming in amiably speaking about my choices. In fact I had one blue in particular picked out I wasn't exactly crazy about and it turns out he wasn't either but it was the only shade of blue they had that I thought would go with one of my batiks at home. They were so much fun. Another was picking out fabrics for a round robin and I started teasing him that he should try a mitered border and expand his horizons. The others loved it and chimed right in. They were all quite animated and vocal but I thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment. Turns out one of the owners was a gay man, hence the preponderance of gay clientelle. After the group left the other owner said she hoped they hadn't offended me in any way. I laughed and said "oh no the girls were a riot". Both people behind the counter at the time (the woman and another guy) lauged and said that was the perfect answer.

sewing was once almost exclusively a male role...I grew up thinking that all men sewed since all I knew were men tailors and mill workers in the big woolen mills...

think of all those beautiful men's suits - made by men -back in the early/mid century....

my kids (2B,1G) have grown up with no gender restrictions - I mow the lawn, do house repairs and can use heavy equipment when needed...my boys do the dishes, their own laundry and can cook as good (almost) as me. I don't iron (hate it)...my husband and kids do their own...If you want to do it, go for it...just recently my daughter came home from her BF's mom's..mom wanted to have a lattice put on around her porch, but can't do it herself...the BF didn't have a clue, so my DD got out a hammer and saw and got it done...they laughed a little, then the mom asked if she knew how to put together the new swingset too,,,well, of course!!

the guys in the hardware stores always turn to my husband when we go in...he says, nope - she is the one to talk to...

I taught my son to take care of himself. To include learning to use a sewing machine and sew buttons back on. In Boy Scouts he was required to sew his own patches on his uniforn and sash. For 6 years, I didn't sew anything for him. He also washes dishes, does his own laundry and can clean just about anything in the house. We do our kids a disservice by not making them do chores. Should my son ask to learn to quilt (not very likly though) I would happily teach him. My girls also know how to change the oil in a car, check the fluids, air pressure, etc. One of my DD's has taken auto tech in school. I'm still hoping one of them will learn to quilt.

one is called CALICO CRAFTS in Petoskey,
my favorite shop is THE QUILT HOUSE in Indian River
and another one i get to as often as i possible can is
DELPHINES in Gaylord (Gaylord also has a FABULOUS BEN FRANKLIN CRAFTS that carries TONS of great fabric collections..) i have to save for that one, every time i go there i wind up spending $200-$300

:-D

I love seeing guys in quilt shops. I make sure I give them a smile when they're in there. I've seen all kinds: the ones that are along for the ride with their wife, ones that don't wanna be there, ones that are really helpful, male quilters (I make sure I'm extra-nice to them. Plus, I like to hear what they are working on!), men shopping with their male partners (again, love chatting them!) and one time a guy that was shopping for fabric because HE was the one that sewed for his little girls AND his wife! So, if the staff is not friendly, as a customer I know I make up for it. One time this guy was looking for urban cammo at Joanne's and I chit-chatted w/him...just friendly you know? He came back and asked me on what could only be considered a date. :shock: I declined for many reasons, one being I'm happily married and two...he had to be at least ten years younger than me! :lol:

I've gone to fabric stores in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Indiana, and Kentucky. Almost all were very nice. The Door Mouse in Ohio was wonderful, Marshall Dry Goods in Arkansas was great, Quilt in a Day in Kentucky was also very friendly but the best, friendliest, most welcoming I've ever found is Threads of Time in Danville Illinois. If you're ever in the area and don't take the time to stop in you've really missed out. Take the Bowman Ave exit off Hgwy 74, South to Perrysville Rd, turn right and follow the road to the stop sign. Keep following the road 4 1/2 blocks after the stop and it's on the right, has a huge old fashioned clock outside. Stop in and check it out. They treat ALL customers the same whether they're male or female. There's always a cup of coffee and delicious cookies, a store full of notions, machines, patterns and fabric.

My husband loves shopping the quilt stores by himself. He gets a lot of attention and makes sure to tell me so ;-)

My hubby is loved at the our local quilt shop. He has great eye for color and he is so easy talking to people. When I go alone they always ask for him.

As a male quilter i have been put off many times when entering a quilt shop, consequently i dont bother with them anymore and its there loss apparently. One owner called me begging to have me display one of my quilts at a little show they wer putting on i was more than happy to shoot her right down with no exsplanation. These days my business partners have a fabric shop where my shop is also located so between that and the internet i can find what i need. Chris

While visiting this past weekend w/ a son and DIL, we made a trip into Hannibal to the Hickory Stick. My son seemed lost and the clerks completely ignored him. They didn't seem overly friendly to the women either. Perhaps they felt they could do as they pleased as they are the only LQS in the entire city, or so I was told. But, they did have lounge chairs for the waiting men, and there were several. They did have beautiful fabrics, but a bit too pricey for me. Maybe I'm just too cheap.

there is a shop by Traverse City that the owner's husband helps out alot, he bakes cookies, does the 'heavy' stuff, and i believe he even put in a little horseshoe pit for the guys who go with their partners and don't want to be there...they can go out back and 'play' while wife shops...

My local Joann's has started hiring guys to the stocking and checkout staff. Have not had to test their knowledge yet, but one told me they do go through a training course. I'll let you know how it goes.

I love your story. It's good to know how to do many things! So you can take care of yourself.

lol, same here ;-)

Where is this shop. My husband offered to go with me yesterday and I told him he would be board. Where I went was not where you describe.

NOT REALLY QUILTING ,but my DH used to petit point and had a very good relationship with the lady owner of the sew shop and she used to serve a farmer who did this too but could not use wool as he had rough hands so used silks.
A chap with whom I worked many years ago was the neatest embroiderer I have ever seen and he went lots of places to buy linen/tranfers/silks etc .

That is the coolest idea! In the few shops I've been in with my husband, he tried to find a chair to just sit and wait, or he walks around with me looking extremely bored! LOL! needless to say I try not to take him with me ;)

Before we moved, I visited a great quilt shop in TN. My husband was welcomed with open arms, but for a different reason. He did all the computer work for awhile. They had had some problems with the pos system for weeks. Computer company had even flown in a tech to fix it, and it didn't work. I convinced the owner to let my DH have a look. It took less than an hour for him to fix it. Of course it was something simple. Sadly we moved, the owner sold the shop, and 2 other quilt shops have been in that space. Both have since gone out of business.

My DH does not quilt, but has asked me why some quilt shops welcome the DH's with greeting, cold drink, and chairs or benches to wait on and some just plain ignore you? I said I didn't have the answer but if I ever own a quilt shop, the guys will have shade trees with benches, lawn chairs, cold sodas, and during bad weather, they will have a room of their own with tv, chairs, cold sodas/coffee,and their own bathroom. He thought that was a pretty good idea.

Our local LQS is owned and operated by a man and his brother sometimes helps out. Robert is very friendly and helpful to all folks who come in.

I've got a bad knee and it's hard for me to get around, so DH does a lot of my shopping for me. He's the type that's never met a stranger. In fact, he's quite a charmer when it comes to the "little old ladies" who work at the local stores. :)

A couple of weeks ago when I was looking to buy a quilting machine and frame, DH went into a certain sewing machine store, trying to find out what brands they carry. He was totally snubbed by the "little old lady" working there. She wouldn't even talk to him. Her nose was so high up in the air that if it had rained, she would've drowned! ;) He finally picked up a brochure and left. I don't know if it was because he's male, or if she didn't like his appearance (he'd just gotten off work a couple of hours prior), or what.

I bet if she'd known he'd just been by the bank and had cash money in his pocket, he would've been treated very differently.

Oh well. It's her loss. We bought everything elsewhere (got a better deal, too). :-P

I told him he should take my new sewing machine up to the store, wave it around, and tell that snooty "little old lady":

You work on commission, right?
Big mistake.
Big.
Huge!
I have to go shopping now!

(From the scene in Pretty Woman)

:lol:

My hubby drives me everywhere, so yes, he goes into the shops with me sometimes, but really can't understand why it takes me so long "just to pick out fabric"!!!Makes me nervous and uncomfortable so I try to get him to find something to do and come back for me-having said that, the other day in Joann's (Escondido store), the manager was SOOOO nice to both of us, he chatted with her while I tried to make up my mind and made him feel really welcome. I have gone back a few times, and told her how much we appreciated her help and friendliness.

Is that the shop in Grove City?

Tell me about it, as God is my witness it will be a cold day in Hell before I visit anyones LQS around here.

When I first was getting into quilting I went to our shop here in town and they looked at me like I was lost. Then when I told them what I was sorta looking for here comes the sales pitch about buying a machine. It was bad enough they thought I was a bum with no money at first (just left the automotive paint store and went straight there) I told them that dont worry money was no object. Then their attitude change a bit to see how much they can milk out of this sucker.......

After I told them that all I wanted was material and thread they asked what kind of machine I was using. I told them it was a 1911 Singer 27 in a treadle and the lady told me "Good luck with that" And I looked her in the eyes and told her what part of my anatomy she could kiss and walked out.

Billy

Billy,
I love it!!!!! :-)
That really gave me a laugh!!!!!!!

Thats really not the funny part of the story.....Fast forward a year and I was at out local Sonic for the Monthly Cruise In and I had a guy come up to me wanting me to paint his 1957 Chevy Convertible so the next day I went and looked at his car and his wife came out.........she was the woman that owned the quilt shop and was also the one who told me "Good luck with that".

So when I quoted him the price I tacked another $5K to the price just because his wife was a @%$^# and he asked how soon could I paint it for him!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

She never recognized me, but she was the one that paid me cash for the job when they picked the car up at my house! It felt good nailing her for an extra 5 just because!!

Billy

I have visited some shops by myself, and I have to say I have been treated very well. It's a shame a few of these shops don't treat the guys well. Like some of you have already said, even if the guy isn't a quilter, he may be buying gifts for his wife. I happen to be the one who picks and/or matches most of our fabrics. If a shop wants our business they better be nice to me.

Billy -

That's a fantastic story. What comes around goes around, right?

Darren

When I worked in a quilt shop I loved to wait on the men. They were usually looking for a gift for a loved one and would be open to any suggestion I might make. It was always fun to put together a great gift that I would love to receive and have the significant other come back and swoon over what they had received! My all time favorite customer was a man who taught textile art at a local college. He always came in with a brainstorm and wanted help in seeing it come to life. That was exciting!

I just goes to show that you never know who your next customer might be. Treat everyone who walks in those doors with respect and welcome them to your business. What part of that do some shop owners not get? It's Business 101! Do they think they can just open the store and things will sell themselves? I like to be greeted when I walk it and asked if I need any help looking for something. It's just being polite and good business sense.

Well when I go on my trip this September I plan on visiting a lot of you guys and I want you all to take me to your LQS and show me what a good one is like to go into!

I plan on buying at least one yard of fabric from each stop I make and I am going to make a quilt to commemorate my ride around the country on my bike!!

Billy

Pat has no trouble going to the LQS with me and since he has a great sense of humor, he usually engages people in conversation. One time he was inspecting a quilt real close and the quilter challenged him. She kind of yelled at him. He told her that he was admiring her craftmanship and how well the points met. He even named to block. She blushed. What a charmer.

:) A male friend went into a quilt shop with me in Berkeley when I was on vacation a few months ago. The ladies absolutely doted on him. I rarely see men in any of my LQSs.

Priceless. I have been smiling all the way through this thread! I love it.

Billy -

You'll have to give us your route and timeline so we know when to expect you.

Darren