Monday, June 22, 2009

My favorite Local Quilt Stores

So we moved into our new home this weekend! Yay!!! Now for all of the unpacking. :-P My quilting room will hopefully be semi-unpacked by the end of the week. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite quilt stores since I don't have any quilting progress to blog about because of the move...

Quilters Way - Concord, MA
This is probably my favorite local quilt shop. It holds a special spot in my quilting heart because it's where I really learned to quilt. I took my first quilting class here 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, I've taken probably another half dozen classes here. They always have a great selection of fabric, with much more of a contemporary feel and less of a traditional feel. That's totally me (if you haven't noticed). The people here are wonderful. I've always had a great experience here. I love their New Years sale and always stock up on some great goodies then. They make their own jelly rolls and jelly roll patterns here too. So much fun! I'd highly recommend a visit here if you're heading to MA.

Emma's Quilt Cupboard - Franklin, MA
I discovered this store about a year ago because it's close to my work. It's a pretty big store with lots of great fabrics. This is where I went for the Mark Lapinski visit that I blogged about a few months ago. They do a great job of displaying fabrics here. They also have a pretty big selection of batiks and novelty fabrics. They have lots of classes here, although I've never taken one. I've been so busy since I learned about this store between the wedding and our move that I haven't had the time. They have a passport program where you pay a flat fee and you can attend any participating class during that session period (3 months I think). It's a great deal if you attend more than one class. Another quilt store worth a visit when you come to MA.

Wayside Sewing - Marlborough, MA
This store opened about 3 miles from my old apartment. It was deadly to have a quilt store so close. At first, I found their fabrics to be too traditional, but lately I've found that they're breaking out into more modern fabrics. They also don't carry a lot of pre-cuts or fat quarters. The best thing about this store is the staff though. They do a great job of helping plan out a quilt top if you'd like. I was stumped on picking out some fabric for a blooming nine patch I'm going to make for my cousin's wedding next year, and a fresh set of eyes really helped. They're very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a lot of nice Asian fabrics and a TON of notions.

Bits 'n Pieces - Pelham, NH
I bring this quilt shop up because it's the first place where I used a long arm. The best thing about this store is that you can rent time on their HQ and quilt your own quilt yourself for a very reasonable price. I quilted a top that was probably a full size there, and for instructions on how to use the machine, thread, and usage of the machine, they charged me $40. I couldn't believe it only cost that much. They have a ton of fabrics and some great sales, but it's a fairly cluttered store. They just moved into a bigger location, and I haven't been to the new store yet, so I can't comment on if it's neater now. If you're ever in the area and want to try using a long arm to quilt one of your quilts, I'd definitely recommend heading here to give it a try.

2 comments:

  1. Jen, Thank you so much for these links and reviews of these shops. Because I live in CT and often go up to Boston or just Mass in general, I will now have some places to stop.

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  2. CONGRATS ON THE BIG MOVE!!! SO PROUD OF YOU!!
    -Kate

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