I cheated on my LQS
08-16-2012, 06:17 AM
#71
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 38
I don't know what you consider a reasonable price for fabric at LQS. They have to make a living or close their doors. If you shop on line, consider the loss of sales for your community if the online shop is out of state. This hurts our local economies. We live in a small town and at one time had 3 LQS. One also has an online business. They go out of their way to be hateful. Many people would come to shop there and would be so disgusted with the treatment they would go to the other stores where the owners and staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Sadly, one closed because of the bad economy. The other is still in business and she is doing everything she can to attract and keep customers. She always has a 50% off group of LQS fabric. How many online stores help our local groups? She donates to many local charities by giving us a place to get together for various sewing projects such as the million pillowcase project. Have no idea how many pillowcases we've donated to area nursing homes, crisis centers and others in need. We have been doing this for several years. We are now also working on hats for cancer patients who lose their hair from chemo treatments. Most of us bring fabric from our own stash so she's not making a lot of money. Can't say enough good things about this store, owner and staff. Will do what I can to help her stay in business. There is another LQS about 20 miles away and the owner and staff are great. She carries an entirely different line of fabrics so I shop there when I need something different. I buy in these stores, even if I have to buy less fabric because I want them to stay in business and to help our local economies.
08-16-2012, 06:19 AM
#72
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 204
I agree...we need to support local business. I see nothing wrong with shopping LQS, Joanns, online -- all businesses give jobs to someone. I do admit I am getting a little frustrated when I see the majority of fabrics are from China -- now that is shipping jobs overseas.
We have a couple of LQS shops in the area, one of the shops is very uncomfortable to go to. The clerk follows you all over the store and you can almost feel her breathing down your neck. Now that is a definite turn off for me.
We have a couple of LQS shops in the area, one of the shops is very uncomfortable to go to. The clerk follows you all over the store and you can almost feel her breathing down your neck. Now that is a definite turn off for me.
08-16-2012, 06:23 AM
#73
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 38
I left out the word tax in my previous post. Our communities need tax revenue to keep needed services. Buying from online sellers does not contribute to local sales taxes. I know tax is a bad word but I like my streets kept up and all the other services sales taxes provide
08-16-2012, 06:46 AM
#75
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Northfield, MN
Posts: 339
I like what you wrote, Jeanne. I have a lovely shop owner that isn't 45 miles away (only 14) but it is far enough. Her business is also taking a dive because of the prices she has to charge for fabric. I love the shop. They go out of their way to help. Like you said, they help me pull together fabric for quilts, help with calculations, and just about anything else I can think of. I have talked to the woman that does long arm quilting, and have gotten a better deal. I can get 1/8 cuts, and have gotten a 5" square of something when I ran out of that much fabric.
I buy some from online sources and do watch eBay for real deals. However, I drive the 14 miles for more than fabric--I drive for the camaraderie and the help. Thank you, Lisa. You are a true gem.
I buy some from online sources and do watch eBay for real deals. However, I drive the 14 miles for more than fabric--I drive for the camaraderie and the help. Thank you, Lisa. You are a true gem.
08-16-2012, 07:14 AM
#76
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: GREAT STATE OF TEXAS
Posts: 1,415
We had a LQS here that closed a couple of yrs ago, it SHOULD have done well ... but it had an absentee owner and the staff she had was so UNfriendly and UNhelpful that everyone I knew wouldn't go back. They would stand around chatting and IF you were lucky, one might FINALLY ask if you needed something. They were never actually busy ... wonder why??
I gave them one (3rd) last try when my DD was visiting, and it was still the same old thing. As we left (without any purchases) I asked the "manager" if they always acted that way towards customers ?? She had a blank look on her face and then quietly said she was sorry. I told her "I am too, because this shop will be out of business soon!"
I heard the owner hired all new staff soon after that, but within a year she closed. The damage was done ...
I gave them one (3rd) last try when my DD was visiting, and it was still the same old thing. As we left (without any purchases) I asked the "manager" if they always acted that way towards customers ?? She had a blank look on her face and then quietly said she was sorry. I told her "I am too, because this shop will be out of business soon!"
I heard the owner hired all new staff soon after that, but within a year she closed. The damage was done ...
Last edited by TexasGurl; 08-16-2012 at 07:30 AM.
08-16-2012, 07:19 AM
#77
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 7
I Understand but.....
There is a very nice quilt shop here in Northern Wisconsin that also has an on site store. My experience was this. I bought $50.55 in fabric. I had cash in my wallet and gave her exactly $55.50, I did not have a nickel in my wallet. I thought she would just let it go but she didn't. I told her that I might have a nickel in my truck. I had to go down two flights of stairs, go to my truck, walk up two flights of steps with a nickel. I have not been back since. If I have a need for a new fabric I'll go to the local Ben Franklin because they carry some Moda fabric.
08-16-2012, 08:00 AM
#79
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Any place I can sew
Posts: 434
Originally Posted by jcrow
I love my LQS and the owner. We are good friends. I have to drive 45 minutes to her shop and she gives me 15% off. Well, I've been buying online now and again and a few days ago I went into her shop and noticed that her inventory is down quite a bit. She has a building behind her store with lots of long tables for classes and she keeps it open for anyone to come sew anytime they want. The day I went I could hardly find a place to shop because all the gals were sewing in the shop out back. They were having a great time together. Dawn says they do that all the time. I use to only shop from her and her shop was loaded with fabric and kits. Not so anymore. I think many people are shopping online now, getting better prices and more selection, and Dawn's shop is affected. I feel just horrible. I went there to pick up my quilt that her LAer quilted. Well, I bought a layer cake, but I needed a charm pack really, so she cut the layer cake into 5" squares for me while I waited. What a nice human being she is. And I bought more fabric from her that I didn't need but felt that I owed her. I had a king quilt and she squared it up for me for free, as usual. We visited for an hour. One person came in during that time. Not like the old days. I know prices are high at quilt shops, but she isn't trying to rip anyone off. She is making a business.
She goes out of her way for me all the time. I call her whenever I have a problem sewing and need some math and she helps me. She knows I'm not good at picking out fabric, so she makes me kits out of fabric I like. I told her I was in a funk and needed to take a quilt class to get back into quilting and she asked me which teacher I wanted and then showed me a couple of patterns that I could choose from and then she wrote up a class. Just because I needed it. She is the greatest. And I've been cheating on her. If I would have spent my money in her shop, she would have more fabric, I guarantee it. I spend a lot of money on fabric. I think a lot of us are shopping on line now to get better deals and more selection and we are hurting our LQSs.
I am going to stop online shopping for now. I know she doesn't have a lot of fabric I want, but she has the best eye for blending fabrics together. So, I will for now pick out a piece of fabric from her shop and have her make me a kit again. I need to be loyal. You know, she sells me 2" of fabric, if I need only that. She is all about the customer. She is everyone's best friend. She let me pick the teacher and the pattern and made a class just to get me back into sewing again. You can't find that online. She's the one who bound my last quilt because I don't like binding quilts and the gal that does it for her was unavailable. She cut all the 2 1/2" strips and sewed them together. She did it all. And charged me very reasonable. I bought fabric for the backing of a quilt I brought over and she took the backing fabric home and sewed it together...she even threw in a strip of another fabric to jazz it up...all for free. What online shop would even care about that?
I think we all need to think about buying online and at stores that aren't quilt shops. What are we going to do if they all go out of business???? I rely on her so much. She helps me pick out what quilt pattern to use on my quilt. She teaches me the short cuts. She tells me which books to buy and which aren't worth my money. I take my quilt to be quilted to her and she sends it out and when she gets it back, she pays the LAer out of her till and holds on to my quilt until my payday until I can pay her. She ever said I could take my quilt and write a post dated check. What online store would do that?
I say we celebrate our local quilt stores again. They got us quilting. Let's keep them in business!!!! We don't even know who the online store owners are. Could be big companies who don't quilt and maybe not even a woman in sight.
She has my back. And she wants me to succeed. And I want her to succeed. I think we all need to support our local quilt stores and quit complaining about the extra money. She's not getting rich at her shop.
She goes out of her way for me all the time. I call her whenever I have a problem sewing and need some math and she helps me. She knows I'm not good at picking out fabric, so she makes me kits out of fabric I like. I told her I was in a funk and needed to take a quilt class to get back into quilting and she asked me which teacher I wanted and then showed me a couple of patterns that I could choose from and then she wrote up a class. Just because I needed it. She is the greatest. And I've been cheating on her. If I would have spent my money in her shop, she would have more fabric, I guarantee it. I spend a lot of money on fabric. I think a lot of us are shopping on line now to get better deals and more selection and we are hurting our LQSs.
I am going to stop online shopping for now. I know she doesn't have a lot of fabric I want, but she has the best eye for blending fabrics together. So, I will for now pick out a piece of fabric from her shop and have her make me a kit again. I need to be loyal. You know, she sells me 2" of fabric, if I need only that. She is all about the customer. She is everyone's best friend. She let me pick the teacher and the pattern and made a class just to get me back into sewing again. You can't find that online. She's the one who bound my last quilt because I don't like binding quilts and the gal that does it for her was unavailable. She cut all the 2 1/2" strips and sewed them together. She did it all. And charged me very reasonable. I bought fabric for the backing of a quilt I brought over and she took the backing fabric home and sewed it together...she even threw in a strip of another fabric to jazz it up...all for free. What online shop would even care about that?
I think we all need to think about buying online and at stores that aren't quilt shops. What are we going to do if they all go out of business???? I rely on her so much. She helps me pick out what quilt pattern to use on my quilt. She teaches me the short cuts. She tells me which books to buy and which aren't worth my money. I take my quilt to be quilted to her and she sends it out and when she gets it back, she pays the LAer out of her till and holds on to my quilt until my payday until I can pay her. She ever said I could take my quilt and write a post dated check. What online store would do that?
I say we celebrate our local quilt stores again. They got us quilting. Let's keep them in business!!!! We don't even know who the online store owners are. Could be big companies who don't quilt and maybe not even a woman in sight.
She has my back. And she wants me to succeed. And I want her to succeed. I think we all need to support our local quilt stores and quit complaining about the extra money. She's not getting rich at her shop.
08-16-2012, 08:03 AM
#80
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Independence, MO
Posts: 3,560
Well said, Jeanne. If you are lucky enough to have a LQS, you should support it. My favorite "LQS" is over an hour away. I love to shop there in person when I can, but in between visits, I buy online---from the same quilt shop. Not all online businesses are large corporations. You just need to know who you are buying from.
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