I live in Southeast Iowa and I am always looking for new sources of tiny print cottons for my small stuff.
I would love to hear from anyone who has a great place to shop. I do buy mostly locally and would love to hear from anyone in Iowa but if you have a great place online to shop would love to hear about it.

Please tell us about your local stores also even if I can't shop there others can!

My favorite locally is the Stitch and Sew Cottage in Kalona. They always have stuff I don't see other places. I also go to a local Mennonite store and their sister store. They are like an old fashioned country store with boots and shoes for the country farmer and dishes and toys and bulk groceries and hand made products like windmills and toy wagons. They are great fun. They have great fabric that I can't find elsewhere and you can find fabric there from $2.99 to $5.99.
The Dutchman's store is in Cantril Iowa on the northern side of the border between Iowa and Missouri and the Rutledge store is in Rutledge Missouri
If you ever get a chance to go you oughta check them out. It is a fun place to go browse. Cantril has more to look at but Rutledge has more fabric!!

So what's your favorite hangout?

Mary Jo's Yea!

She is on line and has hundreds of small print fabrics, As a scrap quilter I use a lot of small prints, I never use much solids.

You'll will love the large selection.


www.maryjo's.com

There is a post going on right now here on board and you can read what some say after buying there!


Ninnie

Here, in the Omaha, NE area, it's hands-down the Country Sampler for me. In Lincoln, NE it's the Cosmic Cow.

If you're in Lincoln, Nebraska you MUST stop in and visit the International Quilt Museum. It is AMAZING and it rivals a Smithsonian musuem exhibit. Make it a day and visit the Cosmic Cow quilt shop, just two miles from the museum. I live in the Omaha area, which is 45 miles from Lincoln, and the Country Sampler has wonderful staff, the best fabric, and tons of wonderful classes.

Wouldn't it be great just to take a quilt shop trip?
You know, all the way cross country and back hitting as many as possible. I wonder how long it would take. Most of the good ones are on line now. so we could get all the addresses and directions....

Oh well, just a dream of min!

Ninnie

What post is it Ninnie?

It's under Main. Trip to Mary Jo's

I live about 1 1/2 hrs from there and my daughter lives 2 blocks from the store. I have been going for years. They have a virtual tour you can take on the web sit! I would say about 3/4 of my material come from there. All the material in the quilt I just posted this week.


Ninnie

There's a pretty decent one in Ames - The Quilting Connection. They have a wonderful assorment of just about everything and are always so friendly.

Honey Run Quilters in Chico. It is in one of those old Victorian houses on a tree-lined street and it is fun just to look at the building. Inside, of course, are a lot of connected little rooms and I like that each nook and cranny has something different to offer. They also have (or at least had) the coolest cat. He was such a good sales person. :D

Always bought more than I needed.

As far as favorites, any shop we are in at the moment beats none at all. Now we have some must stop ats. The Fabric Hut in Norfolk, Virginia has a great selection of fabric. They cater to quilters mostly. It depends on who is working as to how pleasant the experience will be. Joanns in Virginia Beach, really friendly people, decent Mexican eatery next door. We love The Quilt Shop in Huffman, Texas. we try to stop by any chance we are in the area. Friendly folks, great little shop. We stop in any quilt shop we pass. We carry a "Quilters Travel Companion" and if there is a shop within a few miles of our travels we will stop if we have time. We'll travel 50 or 60 miles if we are out and about, just to check out a quilt shop.

It's under Main. Trip to Mary Jo's

I live about 1 1/2 hrs from there and my daughter lives 2 blocks from the store. I have been going for years. They have a virtual tour you can take on the web sit! I would say about 3/4 of my material come from there. All the material in the quilt I just posted this week.


Ninnie[/quote]

Thanks Ninnie

I went to the site and found several I like. I started adding to my cart and got distracted with other stuff I need to do. Will have to go back when I have more time to look.

Thanks for the info!

Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop, Trenton Florida, great staff, wonderful fabrics, classes. Stephanie, the owner, remodeled an old coke cola bottling building for the shop and has just recently remodeled the ice house which is next door, for larger class rooms. Also, has a quaint cafe for a quick lunch.

My favorite here is in Rockford, IL. The quilters general store. It's in a farmhouse and has wonderful people. They also have a website.

I am so lucky I have 3 within a mile of my house,but I have to say I love Bella Quiltworks the best,she has alot of reproduction fabrics which I love

In Northern Virginia there are quite a few LQSs and the customer service and fabric styles vary widely.

My absolute favorite is Circle Sewing Studio right down route 123 in Lake Ridge, with batiks, reproductions, blenders, thirties, etc. and some whimsy fabric. Parker is the owner, she has a great set-up with machines available for your use right there on the salesfloor. She and Cary are the best and always a great help. There is a great group of quilters who hang out which is fine because Parker loves to have people just drop by and sew awhile, remember it is the Circle Sewing Studio. I think she also has someone who does garment sewing and alterations as well.

My other favorite is a little farther out west in Warrenton, Kelly Ann's Quilting. Kelly Ann also has a varied fabric collection in her shop, great staff and service and a fun blog.

I know it is out of your way, being you are looking in Iowa, but thanks for letting me share.

Maribeth

p.s. For the online purchasing, I love whittlesfabrics.com, fatquarterworld.com, fatquartershop.com, homespunhearth.com and fabric.com for the low, low, prices and the service.

I don't mind that it is out of my way as I just wanted people to share their favorites. Even if I can't go maybe some other members can benefit from your info!! :D :D Quilting is sharing!!!!

Lancaster PA is the best place to shop. Go here to learn where to shop.

www.ehow.com/how_2171865_quilting-fabrics-lancaster-county-pa.html

http://www.aquiltedheart.net/

This is a store about 5 minutes away down the freeway. I just love it there! Such wonderful ladies!

Rosie's Calico Cupboard in LaMesa, CA, just outside of San Diego. She is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. And has thousands of bolts of fabric!! I would spend hours in there. For my anniversary, one year, my husband told me to buy whatever I wanted in there!!! Talk about a keeper!!! :D She has a website, too: rosiescalicocupboard.com

Rhonda, my son lived right down the highway from Kalona in a little town named Wellman. He has sinced moved to Burlington. I love going to Kalona. It is the cutest town & such nice shops. We'll be going back to Iowa in June & hope to go back to Kalona & will make sure I look at the fabric stores a little bit closer now that I am into more quilting.

Small world! We live about 30 min west of Burlington and my mom grew up there. It is as much my hometown as where I live now is. I grew up here in Salem but I drove a car for the first time in Burlington. My aunt let me drive hers. My grandparents lived there and I still have lots of aunts and uncles and cousins there. My mil lives there with my bil and my son and that bil have an electric business there.

I have been to Wellman. It is a little bitty town just like the one I live in.
Small world huh?

If you go to Kalona from Burlington you will pass about 12 miles north of us if you take US 34 to US218 which is what most people do.

Online for me!

I've just had fabric for kaleidoscopes from http://www.jandofabrics.com/categories.asp?id=4

It's great for this - they mostly tell you size of pattern repeats (which is important for Ks) and it got here to France in 5 days! Shipping was low - 13 dollars for 3 yards (mostly it's a lot higher). AND I got a 10 percent voucher for next time!

K x

I have the 'Quilter's Travel Companion' since Mother's Day...yea for me:)I see that in kalona you have 4 listed. Also, 1 in Mt Pleasant, 1 in West Burlington, 1 in Fairfield, etc. Since I am in the KC area, I have a great selection myself:)On both sides of my state line. Do have to say my local quilt store of preference is at: www.quiltersharvest.com and the other is Patches Place..both on the Missouri side of the world:)

Before this book when traveling, I would go to the chamber of commerce in the town we were traveling to or around. There you will find many listed (usually). There are some shops that do a bus tour package. You load up sometimes for the day or days and go around to all the shops in a area. I personally haven't done that for I just don't know if you would have time to really shop:)SKeat

Hi Jane - I have been to the fabric stores on the web site you listed. Great Fabric in all of them :D :D :D --We are going camping out there this weekend and I have been saving $$ for fabric shopping. I wish I could afford to take a year off and live on an Amish farm working and just quilting with the ladies. If you want to send me your e-mail address I will send info on other shops I found there with address and phone numbers.

The Stitiching Post in Washington, Indiana. It is fabric heaven. You can also get on line and order. Shipping is one fee no matter how much or where. They sell to all over the world. Here is there online catalog:

www.stitchingpostquilts.com

Walmart. I can't afford shops

Thanks Skeat I do go to several in Burlington but I was just listing my favorites. I find a few things at Sandi's Sewing Connection in W. Burlington but she is the highest one of all the shops I go to so I don't buy a lot there. I do go to Hobby Lobby and Joanne's in Burlington and I bought my computer program EQ5 from the Sew and Sew Shop but they rarely have much I can use as I have to have tiny print. They stock a lot of large florals and watercolors which I can't use.

I haven't been to the one in Fairfield maybe sometime soon I will check it out.
When I was growing up my mom used to love to go ( and drag me along) to Fairfield and spend the whole day shopping. I am not a shopper!! I know what I want and I get it and am done. I don't spend all day going to clothes shops and trying on clothes- it isn't in my blood!!!!

But fabric is another story!!!!!

I have a Ben Franklin near me that has a wonderful selection of fabrics and helpful staff. There is an independently owned one called "Our Gathering Place" that is even better! And the sales people take an interest in your project, providing newbies like me with helpful input which boosts my confidence.
It is interesting that you mentioned a quilting trip. My husband and I are
flying to California in June to see our youngest daughter and her husband off to New Zealand (2 years for grad school for her), then we are driving
the car back across the country. We will be in LA, San Francisco, then Albuquerque, Amarillo, Az, and so on over to Memphis and then up to Paducah, KY, then home. I bought The Quilters Companion and plan to
visit as many quilt shops as I can. I plan to get some fabric from each
state and then eventually use it to make a block that is symbolic of that
state and put them all in a quilt.
Any of you familiar with any great shops along that route? I think we will be following Interstate 40 for a lot of your trip.
Thanks for any suggestiongs.

Check out Bear Paw Quilt Co. on line as they have tons of calico prints at $3.99/yd. I order a lot of fabric from them and have been pleased so far. Also might try Thousands Of Bolts for another source on line.

My favorite quilt shop is The City Quilter on W25th St in NYC. The staff there are wonderful. Also the Cozy Quilt Shoppe in Riveredge NJ is just as wonderful. For all of you in Arizona....Sun Valley Quilts in Sun City is just great!

I was there this past Saturday. Found a wonderful quilt fabric shop right across the street from Kitchen Kettle Village.

I just arranged for a four day trip to Mary Jo's in Sept. for my ASG. I've never been there but some of the girls think it is one step below heaven. We also plan to go to Faust's and Long Creek Mills. Is there any place else we should see?

What state are Mary Jo's and Long Creek Mills?

I live in Orlando, Florida and our quilt pickings are rather slim. For me, it depends on what I want to quilt and for whom. Will it get lots of wear (grandkids) or be a treasure? I often buy from Luann Rubin on line cause she has such a selection. Locally, I buy from the quilt shops, which are few, and expensive, if I want really quality fabric. I buy a lot of fabric at Walmart's cause it's cheap. I seldom buy fabric for a sprecial project. I tend to buy fabric when I see it and have a good idea as to the use. I've been sewing for years and by now have a pretty good idea as to quality and hand. I've gotten some really good buys at Walmart.

Unfortunately, many of our quilt shops are closing now. Even Walmart has taken fabric out of most of their stores. We also do a lot of fabric exchange in our guild.

Gastonia, North Carolina. About 50 miles west of Charlotte.

I'm not finding that 'Luann Rubin ' website...can you send that addy to me..thanks ..Skeat:)

I think the site you are looking for is equilter.com

Hope that helps.

I live on Long Island, NY & have at least 6 quilt shops within an hours drive. How lucky am I?
Question:
We will be going to Hawaii in January 2010. First stop Maui - don't know which other islands yet but it's easy to fly from one to another.
Where are the quilt shops?
Many thanks.

My favorite place to shop online is equilters.com. They have a
huge selection of fabrics. They have frequent sales and ship
reasonably quick. Off line I hit a couple of local shops that carry
Kona Bay fabrics (which I absolutely adore).
Catlady

I live near the Fabric Shack in Waynesville, Ohio. I love to shop online; my favorite is www.desperatequilters.com
they also send a bag of my favorite tea with each purchase.

Hello, I am also in Iowa (north-central), I am very familiar with Cantril as my mom lives in the southeastern side of Iowa. There are several quilt shops that I like to venture to and one is in Ames (Quilting Connection) another is a shop in Goldfield (The Honey Barn). I recently did a project from the Kalona shop you mentioned. To be honest there are not too many shops that I don't enjoy going into as my stash will testify to that!

Happy Quilting! jkraft21