Here in New Hampshire, I found out this week that two quilt shops are closed and moving their inventories either online or to other shops in the area, and another has cut their inventory.

We don't have a huge number of shops in NH, many of them are small and are really struggling during these hard times.

I implore all of us to try and keep our local quilt shops going. Frequent them when you can, get the word out to other quilters and sewers to do the same, contact your sewing guilds to have their meetings or special events there during the year, take part in a shop hop!

Let's do are part board members!

oh no, i used to live in NH, which shops are closing?

I agree we need to support our Local Quilt Shops (LQS)

I just went and completed my 1st shop hop a few weeks ago in Shipshewana, Indiana (8 quilt shops) was fun as this was during the time that I had set up my 3rd Meet and Greet. I got to meet more Quilting Board members! Thank you all again for coming.

We had so much fun!

Craftybear

Peggy Anne's in Concord, and Little Lambs Quilt Shop in Barrington are closed/ closing. Checkerberries in Northwood is the shop that inventory is down, but they are looking at carrying some new lines of fabrics.

I wish I could support my one (not so L) LQS. She charges upwards of $15 a yard for cotton fabric. I just can't afford that, and she won't let my DD who's 2 in her "pristine" shop because she's afraid of sticky fingers.

I love LQS fabrics,along with some goodies not seen in diff shops,but I can't afford to keep them in business,no matter how nice the fabric is.

I only shop good sales & clearaces.....regardless if it's a LQS or on line store.JMO

I believe it is those of us who buy the little things in a shop that keeps it afloat , even if your not out there buying large quanities of fabric, theres usually a sales area or a fat quarter , thread something. even if you only spend a 1.00 its more than they had a moment ago.

I sure can understand where you are coming from. I too would love to buy only from the LQS but I just can't afford the prices of most of their fabrics. I have to be a very wise buyer when it comes to fabric and accessories for quilts I make. We do have one QS that is offering a good discount if we spend at least $50.00 at a time. It really is nice when a QS offers some good specials now and then. Of course I hate to see quilt stores closing because they aren't getting enough business but they aren't the only ones dealing with the price increases on everything from food to gas. A lot of us have our heads spinning because of rapid price increases. We can only do the best we can and if that means being wise buyers that is what has to be done.

i have always watched the budget. in the 70s-80s, i considered myself to be middle class. taxes and inflation havebeen horrible and real estate investments that used to be good have now been losses. now i feel that i am just barely hanging on to lower middle class. times are tough for everyone. of course we hate to see LQSs go out of business. but we can't blow the budget to keep someone else in business when it is difficult to get by for ourselves. all i can say is that i'm sorry to hear of their tough times.

I too think its not my responsibly to keep someone in business. I like going to LQS but if they want to stay viable in this tough market with rising commodity prices then they need to maybe find away to broaden their demographic market.

Offer more entry level classes, allow kids and husbands to come in the store or at least not make then feel like outcast for being there. Offer sales and special rewards. Offer some cheap basic level classes to get new people interested. And maybe "gasp" find some cheaper lines to offer those that can not pay 10+ a yard. If they can not get good prices on their own then they need to reach out to other LQS and form a co-op and have buying power together

but those are just my thoughts. Like I said I like going but I cannot afford more then 5$ or so a yard for most of my quilts

I am very sorry for any business that goes out because of the present economy. I would love to shop at our "one" LQS, but, I have to support my local Doctor, local Pharmacy, local Food store, and the local filling station to purchase the gas to get me to those places. Fortunatly, I can do pretty well with stash for now.

Very well said!!!!

I feel bad for them also-but being on soc sec for disability and a fixed income and no increase for 2 yrs in pay.the prices of everything has risen drastically I cannot afford the 15.00 a yd prices either.I have a huge stash and am de stashing to help pay bills.

Another NH shop, Quilted Threads, has added an online store to their operation, but they have no plans on shutting the doors of their beautiful building. Peggy Anne's closing means the loss of a Bernina dealership as well.

I buy almost entirely from local shops, and not just for quilting stuff, because I'd much rather see my dollars stay in this area to help other local businesses and citizens. I believe in backing the home team. :)

Man, She'd really have a corinary at Dizzy Divas in Knoxville. There is usually a dog present, kids learning to quilt and occasionally a monkey that comes to visit.. Love it there.

I love to support my LQS (3 in the area), but because 2 of them requires a 50 mi round trip, I find myself buying online a lot. I quit shopping @ JoAnn's years ago.

I try to buy a lot locally. With QS, I don't get as much quilting done as some of you all do. :-) But I usually buy something when I stop in.

it is sad to see Peggy Ann's go. that is where I test drove my first Bernina many moons ago. I liked that their fabric was always different than other places in the area! the little lamb too? too sad, too sad. I loved that country store by the little lamb, can't recall the name of it!!

I'm with you, if I can buy from my local shop, I'm happy to do so, very rarely will I buy on line (usually if I cant find what I need at the LQS) and I never buy fabric from walmart or joanns. ok, confession, I totally do not like walmart and don't shop there for anything.

At the LQS they know me by name, they know what I like what I don't like, they help me make great choices when faced on a tough color selection, they are willing to listen to what I need and what I want, and then try and accomodate me, you're surrounded by people who are passionate about what they do and frankly, the customer service and the experience of being in a great quilt shop just can't be beat. to me, worth it, any day.

I do support the LQS - I love to visit the ones in the area and am going on my first Shop Hop in a couple of weeks. I love to touch and feel the fabrics and to look at their displays. I am lucky to have quite a few within easy driving distance.

I love my local quilt shops but find myself going to the clearance 50% off back room fabrics. $10.00 and up is just too expensive for me as a senior citizen...

It was my understanding from their newsletter that PeggyAnne's will become an online only store. There are family medical problems. And I think it said the Bernina dealership will be going to a nearby store.

I wish I could afford to only shop at a LQS. But I can't. I do try and buy from them on occasion, but it is usually sale or clearance fabrics. I buy where I can get the most for my dollar.

I agree with all comments posted, as I too am watching my spending, and trying to spend more wisely. Its difficult to see good places go out of business for one reason or another ....

I could not have said it better....

I think it's a lofty notion to try to support a local QS but they have to meet the consumer half way. If I can find the same fabric +$5 a yard cheaper online I'll buy online everytime. I don't think it's cool for people to tell anyone how and where to spend their money.

I LOVE my LQS. Luckly their most expensive fabric price is $10.99 a yard. I am taking a 9 patch variation quilt class, it starts tomorrow. I am sooo excited. I went in today the pay for the class, I ended up buying the fabric for the class. I normally don't buy my fabric at the LQS, but I found a fabric that went well with my choices. I have to make my money streeeeeeeetch & lasssssssssst. (Like every1 on the board) :lol: :lol: :lol: My LQS will & can special order items for me. (Thats a ++++++++++++). The quilt is going to be a Xmas present for my sister-in-law. I hope she will LOVE LOVE it. ;-) ;-) ;-) We all have to do what we have to do, to make ends meet, & be able to afford our hobbys. (Sometimes a hobby is the only thing keeping us SANE!!!)

debra

I shop in my LQS when I can and really love their fabric. I like the classes they offer and they give a 20% discount for any supplies used for the class. I find that if I buy less stash and buy only when I need something for a project the LQS fabric is more aforable. In other words, if I buy less fabric I can usually buy better fabric. But, I also buy at JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby and online sometimes. Whatever works for each of us.

have to agree with others - the fabric is just too expensive at the lqs. I'm on a serious budget so on-line shopping is where I get my fabrics.

Ours seems to becoming more and more friendly to the budget shopper. There's a case with $3.99 and $5.99 fabric. On June 30 they offered 30% off of any fabric that was red, white, or blue. How cool was that? AND that included the bargain fabrics and ANYTHING that had ANY reddish, white-ish or any hint of any of the red/white/blue colors. That was a GREAT sale.

I spent most of my money on the $3.99 shelf - getting backings and even the fabric for two different quilts - the kind where you take one yard each of 3 different fabrics. That's less than $10 for 3 yds of fabric.

The workers are awesome - very child and husband friendly.

I can't buy most of my fabric there - unless they're having a sale like this - but I can get a border to complement something I've purchased online. When I go in I know I'm paying for the staff's knowledge of their stock and expertise.

If I'm going to give away everything I make (which I do), I need to buy fabric that costs less than the $11-$13+ at my LQS. I support local business whenever I can, but have to use my own brain (and dollars) when making purchases. No one is sending me extra money for anything, so will have to make do with cheaper fabrics, give it away, and be happy, too. Fact of life!

I agree.

I love buying stuff from any small quilt shop. I always try to buy something when I visit a LQS, even if it's just a fat quarter or two.

Gotta remember the small businesses. They aren't making tons of money like Wal-Mart and the customer service is usually the best.

One of the things I miss about living in Mich was how close Shipshewana was to Plymouth. I know 3hours doesn't sound close but had friends close to the community.

I am not a Joann's shopper except for using their coupon for buying batting. I do like quilt shop fabric, but now days using my stash, and only shopping for borders. I remember back when fabric first went over $5.00 a yard and how people complained back then.

I do visit our LQS's...we have 4...but only occasionally, and usually when there is a sale going on...and I really need something. The special service you get at a quilt shop is so much better than what you can get at the big box stores....and I love seeing all the samples and the inspiration I get at the LQS's.

DITTO !!!!!!!!!!

I buy my fabric where ever I can find what works for my project and if I can get a great price-even better. Sometimes the LqS has what I need and sometimes not. I did notice in Petoskey yesterday that Calico Craft quilt store was going out of business. I didn't even get a chance to visit!:(

Exactly! If buying just one fat quarter would keep them in business then it shouldn't be that difficult to lower there prices some. What business people often forget is that if you lower the price and advertise more people will come and in the long run you sell much more by volume of sales.

It's very sad to hear of local shops closing... and when I saw the wholesale prices of fabric rising so steeply beginning late last year, my first thought was that this was going to be a year that weeds out any shops who were "just hanging in there".

I know everyone loves a sale, but - to give you a shop owner's perspective - there really aren't any lines out there that we can buy, that will let us offer them at a retail price of $5 / yard.

So... you will ask, what about thousandsofbolts and 5bucksayard? They are buying closeouts and discontinued prints. Those are already "picked over" by the time the manufacturers make them promo goods. So IMHO they don't quite constitute "a line" at that point.

And even the promo goods cost nearly $3 / yard, and shops still have to pay an additional 20 - 30 cents / yard in freight to get the fabric in the door. How is a LQS going to make a go of it, on a gross profit of less than $2 / yard? I think they can't. That's why it is pretty much only the online shops that can offer the $5 / yard pricing. And even there, I've noticed that they often let you buy only in whole yards (or with a minimum cut of 1 yard). We all know that quilters *love* to buy just a little bit - maybe a quarter-yard - and that takes just as much labor as the one-yard cut that yields four times as much profit.

It's not easy to be a little shop. Especially this year!

Just offering the view from my window...

I prefer to surf globally to see what's on the market and get ideas and then shop locally. I have a LQS that will order for me. It's a win:win.

I'd love to have supported my LQS but they were not pleasant places to shop. They went bankrupt, both stores in one year. If you have a great LQS support it as much as you can.