I don't know what has come over me today, since I have never posted anything like this before. I was just talking to an owner of a quilt shop...and things are not going so well for her in this economy. It wasn't what she said, it was more of what she wouldn't tell me. For her privacy, I will not mention more, but I was thinking all it would take is a few more customers to buy something each month. So I guess I am saying, go buy more fabric from you local shop, unless you have too much. I am sure this little quilt shop is not the only one that is in trouble.

- Harry

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.

If this shop you speak of has an on-line store and you can give out the web address those of us out of the area can help.

Times are tough. Those of us who can need to patronize the places we love or else they won't be there. It's food for thought.

They have a website, but you can't buy anything on it unless you call it in. It is also very limited on the selection. I think most of the business is instore.

I would rather not publish the name of the shop for her privacy even though I know it would help.

- Harry

It's a sad reality that people simply can't spend what they don't have. The only one that really gets away with that is government.

Isn't THAT the truth!!!

Next time you go there, you could ask if she would like her website details put here.

It is a shame the effect of this economy is having on many folks that we have thought would always be there. Hopefully it will turn around soon so we can go back to our regular lives.

It's sad. I'm a scrappy quilter and use all my scraps and are always on the lookout for more. I like to be "green" and truthfully, I guess I'm cheap. Quiilt store fabrics are so expensive and as a senior I just can't justify the cost.

AMEN!!!--about the government!!

Thank you for posting this. I shop my LQS online I have a couple that will ship getting out of the house is hard and well the big stores just dont have what I want. I would rather pay to them what I would have paid for gas then drive to the J'store closer to me.

not that I think it is a good idea- but what about credit cards,mortages,installment loans- I hope those don't apply to quilting- which of course should be a cash only hobbie

Yeah - and look where it got us!

It will probably get worse now that cotton prices have gone up. I would love to give my business to LQS but it can get very pricey. I love my hobby but I do have to keep costs in check. I won't use credit cards and always pay cash for my fabrics. I feel sorry for those who get deep in trouble with credit cards. We can only do what we can do using good judgement.

You could PM it to those who would be interested. Just a thought. :wink:

I only want high quality fabric, and like to do my feel test. I am on a very strict budget but when the LQS has FQ reg $2.50 each on sale of $1.00 you bet I run right over (1 hour drive each way), but call a friend to go with me.
Just this morning bougt LQS fabric at $3.99 yd. I buy almost all my fabric at different LQS but NEVER (or hardly ever) pay retail. They all usually have sale fabrics for up to 50% off. That comes real close the JA prices and 100% better quality. JMHO

There r several in my area and I try and hit them all!!! The area where I live has not been hit as hard economicly as other states. All the LQS seem to be both thriving and expanding. I do love a bargin and pick up good deals when possible,wherever possible. But there r times when u need to caress some crisp, top of the line, just out, new for the season fabric.I did pay cash, don't use cards, but only bought 5 yds fabric.

It's a hard time for many. I feel lucky that I can still treat myself from time to time and that I can still be a good customer at my favorite LQShops.

I don't know if this will help your friend's quilt shop or even apply to her. I live in a small town and we have a small fabric shop that is usually busy. What she does is :

1.As each customer comes in she'll ask them if they found the colors they needed and if they didn't she will order that at no expense to them and if they want to be called when a new supply of fabric comes in.

2.she has a long arm quilter and does quilting for people in this area who makes quilt tops but doesn't want to quilt them.

3.has classes to teach quilting,sewing,crochet,kniting,embroidery

She doesn't do this all by herself.She has 2 daughters and 1 sister who help with the classes and the daughter who does the long arm quilting is fantastic with it. She told me if she had room she would sell quilts on consignment but she has no room. Maybe your quilt shop friend could try something like that.

Can you ever have to much??

We just lost our RV business of 11 years due to the economy so I do so understand her fears, our little quilt shop is struggling also in town, I used to be her best customer but now have to struggle just to get along.

let us not forget that where we spend our money has every thing to do with jobs, the value of our dollar(s), our economy. that goes for patronizing lqs if possible as well as the priority the manufacturing companies (whom we give our money to) give to americans.

I am POSITIVE that if you asked the store owner if she would mind having more business...she would be thrilled. I would purchase unseen just to help her out! Please give it some thought and I will try to watch for the next couple of days for an update from you...I think you are "selling her short" (no pun intended) but not making the offer to help.

Look at all the people on here that want to offer help. How touching. Classes are definitely a key to increasing business. Please keep us updated on your friend.

My lqs has a dollar table and a 2 dollar table,she puts seconds and mill ends or anything she deem suitable on these tables and sells it for that price, I have picked up backings for my quilts for one dollar a yard, Backings and an occasional other piece of a special color or print is all I buy,everthing else comes from my stash which I obtained prior to my retirement. Thank You Lord...

Two quilt shops in my area have closed. One claimed that it was because quilters are making scrappy quilts (using their stash) instead of buying new fabric. I'm sorry to see them go but if you can't afford to buy more fabric......

Our local quilt shops are simply too expensive. At $15 a meter I can buy 3 meters online for less. I would love to help them out but it would put me in a position that I cannot afford, to do so. I do however try to go for the odd things that I need, but most times it is just too pricey.

It is so important to support our LQS as when they aren't there you realise what you miss. I popped into my one on Friday and bought a few bits n pieces, not anymore expensive than buying online when you take postage into account. I also hold 2 patchwork classes each week so I let him know what I will be telling my ladies what they need and he lets me know the price and gets them in stock, works both ways that way.

Please support your LQS even it's just for the odd bits n pieces.

What a wonderful thing to do for someone in need!!! I know that it is true for most small quilt shops and I do shop when I have money. Thank you
:thumbup:

The sad truth is that with bad economy or not, between big box stores and Internet suppliers, the local shops are doomed. We are trained to look for the best deal, if I can get the same fabric for $6 a yard ordering it from ----.com and maybe even get free shipping if I order enough, I surely won't pay $10 for it at ---Quilt Shop. The ease and convenience of ordering online and the great deals because most of these online suppliers don't have as high keepup costs as local shops do,make it an attractive choice for many.
Sadly, I see a world in the not-so-distant future, where we won't be able to go to a shop to buy fabric(or many other things), and we'll HAVE to order everything online. Many may not mind...but it saddens me greatly. I have great time visiting my LQS (there are five within a 30 minute drive from house), touching fabric, matching things up and talking and listening to stories. I've never seen a LQS get wealthy, they charge what they need to charge to keep the lights on and generate little income to live on.

OK, I am off of my soapbox...

I really try to support my LQS, but the past few times I've been there I've gotten so upset that I swear I will not go back.

1. Advertised hours on the door, but 2 out of the last 4 times I've gone there she's already locked up and left over an hour before her closing time. One time she was still open with an hour left before she's supposed to close, but when I walk in the door she picks up her phone and calls to order a pizza and then adds at the end that if she's late to pick it up, don't worry she'll be there, as SOMEBODY just walked in her door.
2. One time I picked up a bolt of fabric and noticed water stains down the bolt. I then looked at several of the bolts on that particular shelving unit and they ALL had water stains. I asked her if this was a bargain area and she said no, full price on the fabrics. When I pointed out the water staining she did a poor job of pretending I was the first person to notice the water staining and said not to worry it would all wash out. The fabrics I was looking at were all tone on tone beiges and off-whites. Needless to say, I didn't buy any.
3. Took a beginning quilting class and we didn't even get halfway through the project as the teacher just wasn't in the mood to teach it since she'd just had a death in her family. The owner and the teacher pretty much sat in the owner's office and talked while we in the classroom tried to lead each other through the project.

Unfortunately, this is really my only LQS.

I have signed up to take another beginning quilt class at another LQS and will have to drive almost an hour just to get to the class, but when I was in the shop last week they were so nice and their samples are so beautiful. The staff members were very knowledgeable and two of them took the time to pull fabrics and help with suggestions for my class fabrics. I needed 1 focus fabric and then 3 light and 3 dark complementary fabrics. I bet they had over 50 bolts pulled helping me pick my choices. Now this is what a quilt shop should be. I start the class on the 19th.

I am sorry to hear about your LQS. Business are closing everywhere and as much as we want to help, it is impossilbe to help all businesses stay open. You may suggest that she also try to market to younger people. We as consumers have allowed our industries to go overseas instead of demanding made in the USA products. I tried very hard not to buy made in China several years ago, but guess what, I lost. Pretty much everything is made in China even fabric now. I loved Walmart when Sam Walton was alive because he sold made in the USA products. He knew that if we did not buy American products, our economy would fall. Weren't anybody listening? Had we taken a stand and demanded American made, what kind of America would we be today? Just a thought!!!

I always shop at my LQS. Actually her prices are lower than the only other fabric store in town (HobbyLobby). I not only buy fabric but I buy templates and acessories for my Bernina machine.
Not only do I get alot of good stuff at fair prices, but I also get a lot of tips and help from the owner and women that frequent the shop. I am actually glad that Walmart stopped their fabric dept, because I have made new friends because of it.

i was just going to mention the same thing, ask her. It would be polite and helpful.
I wish I had more local stores than just Joanne's. I want to talk Walmart into taking our coupon's. I first told they will take our C for other things that match ,but not fabric. this last time the lady told me they don't know what Joanne's charge for there's and I said it wouldn't matter we would be happy if you just took our coupon's.

Something that has always bothered me in this type of happening is that if the shop (or any business) decides to close because they can't survive, the masses flock to the store to grab up the "bargains." I'm hesitant to do that because I feel that if I didn't support that business while they were open and viable, why be a "shopper" when they are closing.

Many local quilt shops have sale sections if one cannot purchase fabric at full price - even buying this helps - with prices going up it definitely is going to be another stash buster time for many provided they didn't deplete their stash last year.

My LQS is about an hour away, but it's wonderful! I don't go often as I am just now getting into quilting and haven't really started yet, just took the class so far. That was last year. I have been buying fabric for about two years, mostly online, but I did get a bunch of the Kaufmann Flourish line there this year when it came out so I wouldn't lose out on getting it, it's so pretty, and I go to the fat quarter sales and stock up. Anyway, I was going to say also that there are a lot of things we can get at the shops, all the geegaws and such. Last week my daughter and I went into Houston for a furniture shopping trip for her, and I stopped by the shop just for the heck of it, and asked about some machines that they had on sale. By the time I left, I had put in layaway my first new 'quilting' machine, a Janome 3160, even though I had thought not to do it till I was able to get serious about starting to make quilts. My current machine was a cheapo Brother from Walmart for about 70 bucks. Yeah. 'Nuff said, right? anyway, the next day we had to go back to Houston to take care of details for Daughter's furniture purchase, and stopped by the Lazyboy place. THey had just what I needed to replace our old one, but it was a lot of course. I started really thinking how foolish I was to put that machine on layaway, when there are so many things we need right now. I considered calling them to ask to cancel the purchase, but finally decided against it. Now I am so glad I decided not to cancel. I had not considered what the shops are going through now. I will just have to wait for the other things that are more needful, but I am happy that I am keeping the machine. I can't wait to use it, so it will definitely be an incentive to get into my sewing!

Please check out this web page. I found it in a recent newsletter from one of my LQS's. We need to support our local economies to the extent we can afford it. Not all of us can. But if we can, those few extra dollars that we might spend pay off.

http://www.the350project.net/home.html

Great link! Thanks for sharing.