Visiting quilt stores
 

Just want to share my experience. While traveling from N East down to Florida and then to Georgia I have stopped in few quilt store, mostly in VA and then in GA. Did not stop in NC since we could not get hotel room in that state as the flood victims were staying in them. My visits to all these stores were wonderful and my DH had a good experience as well. In one store we might have been for over an hour. I have learn a lot in those visits, so much that I was able to help a quilter in FL to choose her fabrics and was able to explain it why. So, ladies, please visit those stores that are still around and support them as much as you can .thanks and I just had to share my experience.

If you haven't yet begun your return trip, I can give you some suggestions for different LQS's in the Carolinas. You can either post your expected route here or PM me.

Those of us who live in the Carolinas are quite spoiled when it comes to quilt shops. Depending on your starting point, you can hit anywhere from 4-10 shops in one day!! If you were to count the two states as one, we have more quilt shops than any other state, including Texas!! We have so many shops, there are 3 different shop-hops... the original "Carolina Shop Hop", which hits about 20 shops from the Appalachian Mountains to about an hour west of Charlotte. The central part of the two states hosts the "Mi-Carolina Run" shop hop. And I apologize that my brain just died, I forget the name of the hop for the eastern part of the two states, but there IS a hop for the shops in the coastal Carolinas. All three shop hops have LQS's in both North Carolina and South Carolina.

One thing for sure - if you're going to travel on I-85, you MUST stop at Mary Jo's in Gastonia (about 20 minutes from Charlotte). It's quilter's heaven!!!

2 large fabric stores have closed in our town of 160,000. Another small locally owned store has quit selling fabric, now sells only machines. There is a new locally owned store and I patronize it, hoping it can continue to keep the doors open. Quilters are worried here.

We are losing 2 of our favorites in Illinois and are really sad.. both are due to the need for retirement of the owners and both are very profitable stores. The owner of Susan's" in Fulton tried without success to only sell to another quilt shop owner. The problem seems not to be the economy but the fact most of us quilters are getting older and there are not a lot of younger quilters coming up behind us! I was given that information from another shop owner and it makes sense to me when I think about the attendance at the quilt shows I attend during the year. So, what we need to do is recruit some younger quilters. I think I have managed to inspire my DIL. Think of it! I love my LQS and I shop there regularly but I have a large stash as most of us do so my shopping doesn't really keep her doors open!

We travel a lot and I always stop in the LQS's. When I stop in, and the people there are friendly, I'll spend $$.

I had a some what different experience earlier this month while traveling through MT and WY. I was only able to stop at 3 different LQS due to the fact my DH is a "gotta get to point B" type of person while we are traveling. Three totally different experiences. In one, the staff was busy visiting with 3 different customers (non-quilting conversation) and totally oblivious to my being there. I had to interrupt twice to find what I was looking for, and reach around someone to get what I wanted. In the second store, everyone in the store wanted to visit and talk quilts or when they found out I was visiting from Alaska, ask a zillion questions about living here (not a problem, I love to talk about my home state). The 3rd shop, was not busy and the owner was very chatty, and when she saw my husband standing on the sidewalk holding 2 cups of coffee waiting for me, she went outside and brought him in, told him to sit in her very comfy chair, that it was OK to have the coffee in her shop and then proceeded to visit with him while I browsed. So for me, I never know what kind of welcome I'm going to receive when I walk through the door.

I had that kind experiences as well, and I too will spend my $$$ if I fell that I am welcomed And not ignored when I ask quilt related uestion. Overall I had a wonderful experience.

Most quilt shop owners are very friendly, and when I come across on I love to chat about quilts. However, I have been quilting for many years, and have enough fabric to last me until I'm 200 years old. lol I have every ruler made (probably) and enough books to last 2-3 lifetimes. My DH tells everyone that I have spent at least a million dollars, and he is probably close. When I did this years Row by Row I took him along and he talked more than I did. It was great when there were 2 people working in the shops--one for me and one for him--kinda like a tag team. By the way, he knows nothing about quilting, but praises my work all the time. I guess I'll keep him.
Sue

I agree totally!

Susan's was a great shop - will really miss it.