The local quilt shop is going out of business this week. Their overprices fabrics are all now $2.50 a yard!

And I can't afford to shop for stash right now! AAGGHHHH!!!

Torture!!

I guess you could take out a small personal loan at a local bank...it could save you money later. ;) You could sell some of it on eBay or something and make money?????????

Good idea, Miranda :D

So, did you get to meet Kasey Khane or just his car?

Just Kasey's (and everyone else's) car, but I met Michael Waltrip #55 Napa car (note the hat). We had pit passes, and this was right down in the center of the track!

I always hate to hear that a quilt shop is closing. Those are some great bargains though!

Isn't is funny they will sell for $2.50 now and still make some money,
to bad they aren't cheaper and maybe business would be better. I
know I would patronize them more. :mrgreen:
Off my soapbox now!!!!!!

Very well said! I keep telling the ladies at our 2 local shops that if they made it more reasonable more people would shop in theirs. But what do I know, I'm 'only' a consumer with little monies......... :!:

I know I would have shopped there more, even with their bad attitudes, if it had been cheaper.

I think their indifference to customers and gossipy atmosphere did the business in as much as the prices. Who wants to shop where you can hear the employees talking trash about others?

Oh, gak. I hate stores like that. Makes me feel like I'm intruding. I don't like to give away my money to snobs.

TOTALLY! That's why I try to keep my prices low. BUT you get those ppl that think if it isn't expensive, it must be poor quality. "What's wrong with it if it is this cheap?!?!"
What are they called? Fabric snobs?

Sometimes when quilt shops go out of business, they reduce their prices to what they have in it. Probaly at this price, they wouldn't have been able to pay all of their utilities and workers, etc. BUT, I dislike shoppiing anywhere like that. I really dislike gossipers who constantly are talking awful things behind someones back. What goes around comes around and maybe theirs is coming back around!

As I work at a very friendly quilt shop, I can tell you first hand that no quality fabric is sold to a quilt shop for $2.50. It would be my guess that they are trying to pay off creditors and not make money. We have often heard these kind of stories of gossiping etc in another shop. Between Pam's shop and this board, I find quilters to be the most sharing bunch. Please don't assume that a bad shop is a good representation of quilt shops in general.

Yes, Boo is absolutely right! I have been to a few different quilt shops and so far found all of them to be welcoming and friendly. Not a bad word was said while I was there. The owner's of these shops had introduced me to everyone in the shop and could have talked my ear off. I have yet to shop at a "bad" quilt shop. Now, any other store is a different story. LOL. Also, fabric, good quality fabric is expensive and in order for the quilt shops to stay open they have to raise the price to pay for utilities. When, shops go out of business, obviously they lose ALOT of money and just want to get out from underneath their debts as soon as possible. My aunt had a quilt shop and closed it to be able to stay home with her kids. She was left with all sorts of merchandise, she sold alot of it for what she had in it, just to try to get some of her money back. Owning a business, especially a small business is hard. In a small town, it is even harder. A quilt shop is just about to open here in our small town and I am hoping and praying it stays open and the lady who owns it will profit for years to come.

We have a very nice quilt shop in our town, it is a little more expensive than I can afford, but the fabric is beautiful. And they don't seem to mind too much when I just come in and browse. Since I can't afford to buy everything that I want for a particular project from there, I buy maybe one cut of the beautiful fabric, and then maybe purchase the rest from Joanns (I don't shop at Wallmart because of the labor issues). The shop has deals that they toss in every once in a while too. Our shop even has small pieces of fabric they call tidbits. They are just a bit smaller than a fat quarter. They sell them for 50 cents each. So I collect some of them whenever I go in.

Last weekend I travelled up north (Traverse City, Michigan) with my husband for a big Union Conference that he had to attend. I was left on my own for most of the day Saturday. I found a quilt shop in the phone book, and from there, was directed to every shop within a 50 mile radius. One place had a wonderful room set up in their store where they offered cookies and tea or coffee. So you could sit down at a lovely table and take a break before you continued you search for the perfect piece of fabric. They had one room devoted to sale items. I bought quite a lot from that room. My point is that they were so friendly, kind and helpful at each of the shops. I will definately go back when I am in that area. Exploring the quilt shops is also very relaxing to me. I think I may have found a new attraction and a great way to spend time while my guy attends his meetings.
Linda

Linda,
I can imagine your excitement when you found the quilt shop. Everytime I hear there is a quilt shop near me that I didn't know about or one that is about to open I get all giddy and excited. LOL. I guess that's a quilter for ya!

I was thrilled. My only regret was that I didn't have the time to visit each of them on the list. But it was probably best that I didn't because I picked up so many different projects for Christmas presents. My favorite find was a wall hanging, the Quilt Diva by Amy Bradley. (www.justitdist.com/amybradley.htm) I found her in a shop called the Quilt-N-Bee. She is an appliqué project. I have decided to turn her into a quilt for my mom, who is my best sewing buddy and The Quilt Diva of my family. It sure has been fun digging through all of my stash and scraps to find just the right fabric for each piece. Happy to say, I have only had to purchase a couple of pieces of fabric for it (well at least that is the story I have told my husband). And he is putting the finishing touches on a light box he is making for me. This is my first serious appliqué project. I hope to present it to my mom as her Christmas gift. It will be a challenge to keep it hidden from her when she visits.

That will be gorgeous when you get it done! I love this pattern. I like how it calls for button and sequins, that will be neat and fun. Be sure to post pictures when you get it accomplished. You're mother is sure to love it! :D

Linda - if you go back up North you need to visit the quilt shop in Indian River (just 2 blocks south of main light) and the Ice House in Grayling (west of the freeway). And if you get the chance, go to the Mercantile in South Lyon. And there's another great shop in Pinckney. She has fat quarters cut for every bolt of fabric in her shop. If you want to shop-hop on your own sometime, LMK. I'm in Ann Arbor. My sister and I started out in Lansing on a Thursday and worked our way north hitting every quilt shop we could find East and West of 127. Then we went back to her cottage and sewed for 2 days. It was a fantastic get-away and great therapy. We stopped in a Ben Franklin in Gaylord on the way home and they had lots of fabric and great clerks.

qm101,

that's not the one downtown that is in two adjoining buildings is it?

tim in san jose

Yes, Quilt Corner is gone, Tim. You could buy their building and start your own shop here! It is only about $170,000.

The closest quilt shop is in Chumuckla (NW of Pensacola) in the boonies.
I think there is another in Destin, but who could afford that?

There are also a few in Mobile, AL that I heard of, but that is over an hour away.

That is why I will be sticking with A and E Pharmacy's fabric dept, Joanns when I have to, and online shopping for now.

Wendy

I will make a note of these places. I had so much fun and it would be great to add new places. That sounds like a great road trip with a dream ending. Oh to have glorious time after shopping to then sit down and sew without interruption. Have you discovered the Quilt Patch in Tecumseh? I wanted to just move in.

I love one of our local quilt shops. Everytime I enter the door, I am greeted with a happy smile and a welcome. The clerk always tells me what sale is going on and then asks if I need any help. It's not just the owner who greets customers this way, it is every single one of the staff.

To emphasis how important this is to me, I had been in my 'old' favorite quilt shop last Saturday. The staff looked at me like I was imposing, after several minutes in the store, I was nodded at. There was nothing I 'needed' so I left. I then went to the above mentioned store and was greeted warmly. Again, there was nothing I 'needed', just was browsing. I left with $336.00 in fabric that I didn't need but am very happy to have. Pretty sure I paid a good portion of the clerks' wages that day. I can't spend that kind of money all the time, but there are enough of us in town that will keep that shop humming for a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnng time.

Yeah it's had. My quilt shop is closing, I shouldn't say 'my' because I don't own it but I do feel so very comfortable there. This is the first shop I went into when I started to learn to quilt. They have all been so friendly and patient with me and the mistakes I have made while learning. I know them all by name and they definitely know me!

I was so looking forward to the 'block-month' this year. Actually I like the colour selection so much that when she said she was closing and had a special sale for us regulars, I bought all the fabric needed to make a quilt. I just finished the top and will 'borrow' her tables next week to sandwich. I just don't have the room in a small townhouse to layout a twin quilt to sandwich. I have told them all how much I'll miss their friendly faces.

Now I need to find a new place to feed this new addiction called quilting.

That's interesting. Quilt Corner in Pensecola is the first Quilt shop I went to. I was on vacation, got drug in there and found the fabric for my Yellow Brick Road Quilt. They also had the pattern for sale. At the time, the people seemed nice. This was in about 2003 or 2004. I had never been to Florida before.

I bring my Queen size quilts to work to sandwich, but have been offered tables down at Eddie's Quilting Bee (here in California) if I need them for an hour or two and they don't have a class going.

tim in san jose

"That's interesting. Quilt Corner in Pensecola is the first Quilt shop I went to. I was on vacation, got drug in there and found the fabric for my Yellow Brick Road Quilt. They also had the pattern for sale. At the time, the people seemed nice. This was in about 2003 or 2004. I had never been to Florida before.

I bring my Queen size quilts to work to sandwich, but have been offered tables down at Eddie's Quilting Bee (here in California) if I need them for an hour or two and they don't have a class going.

tim in san jose"
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Tim, no offense, but anyone in this part of Florida is going to seem nice compared to people in the Bay area. :wink:

And since you mentioned Yellow Brick Road, have you seen the upcoming Wizard of Oz fabrics? They will be out in December and you can pre-order them from some online shops.

I used to order from Eddie's! Now I just look at their equilter.com website and wish I could afford it. Even their sales aren't in my price range. Lucky you!

Tim, no offense, but anyone in this part of Florida is going to seem nice compared to people in the Bay area. :wink:

I used to order from Eddie's! Now I just look at their equilter.com website and wish I could afford it. Even their sales aren't in my price range. Lucky you!

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I am not from here. I just live here.

And if you didn't quilt so fast, the money wouldn't matter so much. Quilt slooooow, like me.

*L*

tim in san jose

I know you are not from there Tim! Just watch out for those people in Cupertino, Palo Alto, etc.

If they even smell middle class on you, you're done for!

I try to slow down, but my creativity is on Fast Forward!
:D