Celebrating Local Quilt Shop Day

Celebrating Local Quilt Shop Day

 

HAPPY LOCAL QUILT SHOP DAY!

Many people who are new to sewing and/or quilting are, understandably, only familiar with big-box stores like JoAnn. They certainly have their place within the craft world ecosystem, but today I want to talk a little bit about something that many say are a dying breed: the local quilt shop.

In San Francisco, there are very few fabric stores, and none of them are focused on quilting. (A roundup on the San Francisco fabric stores is forthcoming.) I’m told that there used to be a handful of them here, but they have all shuttered. The commercial retail landscape in this city is very competitive, so there are a lot of factors at play as to why there are no more quilt shops here, but I do know one thing: there are still a lot of quilters here, and even more who visit this city.

Local Quilt Shop Day falls on the fourth Saturday of January, and is one of those made-up but fun social media holidays designed to highlight local quilt shops and remind people that they are out there.

So, why shop at a local quilt shop?

QUALITY

Quilt shops carry fabrics that are at a higher level of quality than big-box stores. You can usually tell this in several ways:

  • By smell: often, there are chemicals added to lower-quality fabrics to help them feel sturdier than they really are.
  • By sight: hold the fabric up to the light and see which one is letting the light through. This means that the threads aren’t as tightly woven together, which can lead to a lot more frayed seams after a quilt has been put to use.  Additionally, lower quality dyes and printing on fabrics leads to one of two things: lower quality graphics (best case scenario, honestly), or dye bleeding (which is often only discovered after a quilt is finished). 
  • By feel: Run your hand over a bolt of fabric in a local quilt shop, and you are far less likely to find fabric that is woven unevenly or with snags in it!

I personally encourage quilters to use the best fabric they can afford, because you pour dozens, if not hundreds, of hours into making a quilt. It’s the worst feeling to see your quilt seams fail or holes go appear because you used low quality fabric! Many shops usually have rotating clearance sections, so you can still build up a stash of high-quality fabrics if you are on a budget.

SUPPORTS THE LOCAL ECONOMY

I’ve talked about the impact that shopping local and small has before - and the most compelling reason to me is that through no extra effort on your part, a higher portion of the money you spend will get re-circulated locally.

In the Bay Area, we have really seen the negative impact of companies that choose to leave the area in the last few years - the combination of companies moving/shuttering and the downturn in tourism resulted in a huge void in the entire downtown San Francisco area. Yet, we are seeing neighborhoods that were once viewed as sleepy now thriving, because people are choosing to spend their time and money more locally.

 

WISDOM

For many people, quilting is an outlet for them, a therapy of sorts. They turn to quilting when they are facing huge challenges in their lives, when they want to show someone else they care about them, and to commemorate milestones. Your quilt shop employees are there for you. 

If you’re stuck on a technique or just don’t know what fabric will go well with a print you just fell in love with, you can ask them and they are happy to tell you. Big box employees rarely have the time or expertise to do this. It’s not their fault - it’s the business model.

At my local big-box store, there are usually only 2 employees on the whole sales floor, which means that one is cutting fabric and the other is behind the register. They simply cannot help you decide what fabrics go best, and they certainly do not have the time to hear about what things are going on in your life. They do a great job of scanning coupons, but that’s about all they end up being able to do.

In contrast - at some of the local quilt shops I frequent, I actually look forward to catching up with people who feel like friends. We show off our latest creations, celebrate things like getting engaged or welcoming grandbabies and kids into our lives, and hold space for each other when we are faced with life’s challenges. For that reason alone, I am inclined to just pay what the local quilt shop is asking instead of trying to find a bajillion coupons and discounts. 

VARIETY

Since local quilt shops are not controlled by a huge “main office”, the people who run the shop are the fabric buyers. This results in no two shops ever having the exact same selection - so going into a local quilt shop feels like an exciting treasure hunt! 

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Did you know that one of my dreams is to open a quilt shop that specializes in Japanese fabrics? In the mean time, check out these lovely quilt shops in the Bay Area! I have personally been to all of these stores, but please let me know if there’s any others I need to check out!

East Bay

Peninsula

Silicon Valley

 

Further South 

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