Originally Posted by quilttiludrop
Originally Posted by mom-6
Many small businesses of all sorts are having slow times lately. The lady at the boxes and packing materials shop we visited yesterday was commenting on being bored because so few people had been in now that Christmas is past.
Some areas are suffering more from the economy than other areas. There's a lot to supporting your local quilt shop. It is a place of networking and making friends also.
The only place I buy fabric from is my local fabric shop.The fact that it's local and just 2 miles away is only part of the reason. The biggest reason is the that from the moment you walk in her door you feel welcome,only if you only want a pack of needles.It's that feeling that will keeping you coming back for more than needles.There's usually other quilters shopping for fabric too. We all start talking quilt patterns and color combinations.Usually the owner's mother is there.She has been sick and it seems to make her feel better to sit in her recliner at the shop and talk to the other quilters about how she used to quilt(she's 98 now) .We enjoy talking to her just as much. Her doctor says sitting in the fabric shop talking to friends does her as good as her medicine. The big chain fabric stores may have the fabric but they won't have the friendship and small town values .The fabric is top quality and the owner will order whatever colors and patterns you want that she doesn't have at no expense to you. The small town fabric shop will treat youu like a member of their family,the chain store won't.To them you're just another sale.