My favorite LQS is the best. I have been reading other posts complaining about chain stores and short FQ at both the chain and LQS, so I thought I would start a thread where we could talk about the good places we go.

I live in a town with at least 5 quilt shops (and just as many yarn shops), so maybe they are more competetive here, but at my favorite (Quilt Beginnings) they give a free FQ with every fabric purchase after you have spent a certain amount over time. They give discounts on the week of your birthday, the staff is so helpful, they are generous with their cutting, helpful with patterns and with fabric selection. I don't think I would have become a quilter if it wasn't for these folks.

My favorite "local" store is Ericas. they are all so nice and friendly ! After you spend 100.00 ( in one year) you get a 20% discount off you next total purchase, and if you only spend 50.00 you get 10% off. If you like a fabric but they don't have a fat quarter of it , they will cut it for you. For you birthday they send you a 5.00 off coupon towards merchandise, or 10.00 off a class. They have sales at least twice a year, New Years day and in July, which is perfect fro me as that is also my birthday month !

But I also have Shipshewanna about an hour away, and the Amish stores are awesome :lol:
Sharon

There aren't any near me, so I drive to Mary Jo's, about 1@ 1/2 hours away and I love it there. The staff is always ready to help and large cutting tables with no waiting and the largest selection in the USA No frills there, but the prices are like wholesale and she carries All the brands of fabric! 24,000 sq ft of material and all kinds of notions and books. It's a day long trip for me, shop, go have lunch, and shop some more! DH always goes so he can carry my bolts!

:wink:


Ninie

My local store is about 1hrs drive from me.

We do have a Hobbycraft nearby but their 100% cotton fabrics are few & fair between & currently with price increases work out expensive. I did have my eye on a nice green fabric they had there it was a new line from Robert Kaufman but retailing at £13.01 per metre!!!
Needless to say I walked away witout it. LOL

Sharon sounds like you live in heaven - I have looked many a time online at Erica's. An Amish store too!! - can I come visit LOL.
You lucky lucky girl :wink:

Tisha

Sharon B:
I live in Valpo. Where is Erica's? I would love to check it out.

I have five quilt shops wihin a 50 mile radius from me. One of them was highlighted in one of the quilt magazines as one of top ten quilt shop in the USA. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to go to these shops. The ladies are always helpful, we get a 10% discount if we belong to a guild, they keep track of our purchases on the computor and when we spend $100.00 they give us $10. off our next purchase. and they periodically run sales. The Amish community is abut three hours away from me and I usually get there once or twice a year. Lucky me. Marge

I also love Erica's. There is another shop that I go to often, it's Stitch-N-Time. And Shipshewanna is awsome also.
Christine

Eric's is at 1320 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend IN, 46615 574-233-3112, or www.ericas.com.

Stitch 'N Time is at 2305 Miami St., South Bend IN, 46614, 574-234-4314.

There is also a lovely little shop in Wakarusa, IN called Jeanett's Fabric Boutique, at 105 S. Elkhart IN, 574-862-4207.

Happy shopping,
Chrisitne

I've got lots to choose from locally! Well, within an hour.

Ivy Thimble in Victor is great, a good mix of fabrics, wonderful staff. They organize the retreat I've been going to for several years. Also offer fantastic longarm service.

Material Rewards in Dansville, focus more "traditional" (Kansas Troubles, Thimbleberries), but a good selection overall.

Patchwork Plus in Skaneateles was featured in the most recent edition of Quilt Sampler Shop Hop by BH&G.

Mt. Pleasant in York - great selection, fat quarters of most fabrics are always available.

O'Susannah's in Watkins Glen. Not huge, but very nice. Friendly staff. Upstairs quilting room that can be rented out (I swear I'm going to do this someday!)

Hoover's Shoes aka Golden Lane in Himrod. This is a Mennonite store, you won't find LQS atmosphere, but fabrics are less than $6/yard. Same fabrics as LQS.

Edgewood, another Mennonite store. Not as much fabric (they also sell general dry goods), but what they have is also at a fabulous price.

There are others, but these are my favorites. In August, younger DD goes to college in Buffalo - which means I'll be traveling near Aurora Sewing, another shop I enjoy but that is generally a bit farther than I travel. In addition, if I want to add another half hour to hour, I could give you several more great shops - Pucky Huddle, Churn Dash, Village Sampler (also carries cross stitch), Quilter's Corner...

Do you need any more reasons to visit upstate NY??

My favorite LQS is Quilter's Nest -- the people are friendly and very helpful. A few times I've gone in with fabric not purchased there to get something to match. They always have time to do that and come up with beautiful ideas! Also, their prices are great -- nothing over $8.95/yd.!! For every purchase, they punch your little card and when your purchases total $200, you get 20% off the next purchase. When their little jar is filled up with completed cards, they draw for free patterns. I actually won one last month!!

The down side? They're less than 1/2 mile from my house -- just about all my extra money goes there.... :roll: :roll: :roll:

Quilt Barn

It's not so local for me 50 miles...but oh, SO worth the drive. Quilt Barn has the best selection of batiks, aisles full!

They give a BIRTHDAY discounts to their customers. Any day (once) during your birthday month, they will give a 25% discount on all fabric purchased.

Nice gals to boot!

Quilt Barn
2102 E Main, Suite 102
Puyallup, WA 98372

thanks for the info & recomendation on Erica's. I've seen it advertised, but haven't made a trip there yet. Shipshe is an hour from me too! I'll be there this month for their first annual quilt festival.

My favorite local store was closing due to retirement, but my long-arm quilter ended up buying it. Yay! Bernina Sewing Center & Quilt Shop

I have LQSs, but my favorite place to shop in Weatherford, TX, is, surprisingly enough, the old Gibson's Ace Hardware on Main St in downtown.

They have a GREAT selection of fabrics, however I normally go somewhere else to buy notions, they are always out of thread in the color I want.

Now, you are going to be waited on by the local teenagers, and sometimes you have to show them how to cut fabric. However, the local teenagers need jobs, too, and I'm glad to shop at a place where THEY have a place. Plus, I think many of them might end up being future quilters because of their experience there.

And whoever is in charge of buying the fabric selection there is AWESOME!

ChristineD- Thanks for posting the answer. I have only been in Stitch n Time only once, don't ask me why. And didn't know about the store in Wakarusa . Thanks for the info :lol:
Sharon

OHSue, I'm a beginning quilter in Central Ohio and Quilt Beginnings is my favorite LQS too! Very, very patient people!!, Great classes, Reasonable prices, Pfaff machines, and 2 locations!!

And my favorite is also MARY JOS. I feel the same as you do. I drive 2 hours from my home and DH is patient with me. ( as long as I have a list) :lol:

I live in Southwest Missouri and we have several great shops within an hours drive.

I have one that is only 5 minutes away, but I won't go there unless I absolutely have to. They're so unfriendly and any request for help is met with such a frown you'd swear you'd asked for their first born child.

I travel just over half an hour to get to my favourite. Not the greatest range of fabrics, but the best help and the friendlies staff. They're totally helpful with tips, ideas, and they won't push something on you if it's not right.

There's one a further five minutes after my favourite, and they have a great range, but can be a bit pushy with the sales side.

My favorite local LQS is Etc Crafts in Cary. They are generous with their cuts too. And the ladies who work there have always been very helpful when I needed a specific color to match something. They have pulled bolts and bolts off the shelves for me to look at -- even when they knew I only needed 1/4 yd.

My favorite is Quilter's General Store in Rockford, about 1/2 hr from me. It's in an old farmhouse and just beautiful. They have classes, etc. There is one closer to me, but I won't go there because of the attitude of the staff. There is another one in So Beloit called Quilters Attic which has wonderful people.

I am so fortunate to live where I do - the pictures from the Omaha Quilt Show are a testament to just how active and talented the quilters are here, and we have several really great quilt shops. There are a few out west I haven't even had a chance to get to yet :oops:

It's hard to pick a favorite, but if you're ever in the Omaha area there are several shouldn't be missed shops. Country Traditions is my favorite for eye candy - finished projects all over the place! Log Cabin is where I go for silk hand quilting thread, fabrics, kits and patterns. Mangelsen's isn't a quilt shop per se; it's a family owned craft store, with every craft imaginable - and their fabric is fantastic. We never go in there without being asked what we're working on, and getting pulled over to see what's just come in :-) The added bonus is that for every $200 you spend, you get $20 in coupons in the mail good on anything (even clearance fabs!)

Unfortunately the economy in Southern California has caused my favorite quilt shop to close so I travel 45 miles once a month for my applique group and it just happens to be my new favorite quilt shop. They are friendly, personable, reasonable as they can be in this economy, have great class schedules for those that live in the area and they do accurate cuts. Many times they will overcut the item just to have a happy customer. I know it is getting expensive to shop the LQS's, especially for those of us on a fixed income but it is so worth it using fine material.

My favorite shop in Phx. Az. is Mulqueens on 59 Ave and Northern.
Instead of charging full price for fabric they charge 6.99 a yard.
It is the same fabric that others have they just cut down on thier profit.
They are a sewing repair shop that expanded to carry fabric. They now have a large selection.

You have a sewing room to die for!!!

Here is where I am
www.flickr.com/photos/athomesewing

You have a sewing room to die for!!! :lol:

Quilt shops in my area are few and far between. We have 4! One is 15 miles away, one is 25 miles, the 3rd is 35 miles and the last is 46 miles, that is one way. The closest one is so small is doesn't have much in way of fabric, and they just opened up less than a year ago. We do not have competition here. But to get fabric we have to drive along way and spend a mint. If we want quality fabric, we drive the 25 or 35 miles and pay $8-$10/yard for fabric. The price is so high because there is no competition!! To help keep it low, so they charge an arm and a leg and some times a torso!! Wish we had more LQS in the area!! To those who do feel lucky!!

Ninnie where do you live? I'm in Lexington, NC. I've only been to Mary Jo's once.

I love my LQS too. It's a fifty mile round trip drive, but I gladly make that trip. My quilt shop, along with having the most LUSH collection of fabrics, has a lovely little cafe attached to it. All of my quilting buddies, and I, have our lunch there, and enjoy it so much. The desserts are handmade and super good. But the best thing is the staff of the shop. They're very experienced not only with making quilts themselves, but with helping their customers with any problem or crises that comes up. They're terrific. I could stay there all day. The name of my shop is Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop, located in Trenton, Florida. It's in an old Pepsi Cola bottling plant. The building itself is a treasure. 8)