Maximizing Your Quilt Shop Visit
Ah, bliss…I went fabric shopping the other night for the first time since early spring. My stash is so large that I have a hard time justifying buying fabric, but a new nephew merited the purchase of some cute little boy fabric!
Now, for me, with a toddler in the house and a baby due in 5 weeks, any solo trip out of the house is a pleasure. But for those of you that are more discerning about your quilt-related errands, it got me thinking…what steps can quilters take to make their fabric shopping as pleasurable as possible. So without further ado…
Top 10 Ways to Make Your Quilt Shop Trip Successful
1. Take inventory before you leave home.
There’s nothing more frustrating than returning to your sewing room, excited about starting a project, and realizing that you’re running low on basic supplies. Do you need needles? Matching thread? Fusible web? Batting? Avoid roadblocks; make sure you get everything you need before you leave the quilt shop.
2. Frequent a quilt shop with friendly staff.
Quilting is a social activity, and everyone at the shop is likely a kindred spirit. All things being equal, it’s more fun to be browsing fabric somewhere with an interactive, chatty staff—we all love talking about fabric and quilt ideas!
3. Take a friend along.
This can serve two purposes: First, it’s always good to have a second opinion when you can’t decide if a fabric works for your project. Second, your friend can pull you back from the edge of the abyss if you get carried away and plan to buy too much!
4. Give yourself plenty of time.
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you have to hurry while picking out fabric. I try to have at least an hour when I go to a quilt shop. And along those lines, if you can help it, try not to walk into a quilt shop half an hour before they close. You’ll feel rushed, as well the staff cutting for you as the shop closes (nice as the staff likely is, they want to get home too!).
5. Take time to wander.
Even when I head into a shop with an agenda in mind (like baby fabric shopping the other night), I start out by wandering through the entire store, checking out all the fabrics, the patterns, and the shop samples. You never know what you might find for a future project, or what unlikely inspiration might hit for your current task at hand.
6. Use the staff’s expertise.
Not sure about a fabric combo? Need help calculating yardage for a backing, or choosing a quilting design? Ask the quilt shop staff. They’ve seen it all; they’re good at what they do. Tap into them as a resource.
7. Don’t worry about being too matchy-matchy.
Yes, the beauty of fabric collections is that everything coordinates perfectly. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t add a little flavor to your choices by bringing in fabrics from outside a collection. When I first started quilting, I made fabric choices more freely. Now, working for a quilt magazine and being surrounded by collections, I tend to lean that way. The other night I forced myself to choose unrelated fabrics—so much fun!
8. Be prepared.
When you go up to the cutting table, make sure you know how much you need of each fabric. The staff (and the people in line behind you) will appreciate your efforts toward efficiency.
9. It’s okay to buy more fabric than you need.
Like any quilter actually needs permission for this! There used to be sign in my favorite quilt shop that said something to the effect of, ”if you like something, buy it today because it probably won’t be here when you come back.” That’s true—bolts of fabric can move quickly, so even if you don’t have plans for something, buy it today so you don’t have to go hunting the Internet for it. (Case in point, I went in to buy fabric for one baby quilt. I came home with fabric for two baby quilts, plus another 2 yards of the Little Critters fabric I wrote about recently to make more bibs and burpcloths.)
10. Take pleasure in surrounding yourself with creativity.
There’s a simple joy to browsing fabric and quilt designs, much like being in a garden. Colors and patterns offer up inspiration, and creating, actually making something, elicits fulfillment. Enjoy the ride!
p.s. Here are the fabrics I bought the other night—the ones I referred to throughout this blog. Aren’t they cute?!
Lisa Swenson Ruble
About the Author: Lisa Swenson Ruble
I made my first quilt when I graduated from college and realized that I needed a hobby to fill all those hours that used to be dedicated to homework! Eleven years later, I'm completely addicted to quilting and thrilled that my day job as the managing editor for Quilt, Simple Quilts & Sewing and Quilt Almanac allows me to "play" with quilts and the friendly world of quilters!
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