Quilt shops don’t get anything near the recognition they deserve for the vital role they play in supplying all of the supplies craftspeople need for making quilts. Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day aims to change all that by bringing people together, in their local quilt shop, to celebrate all things quilty.
Let’s face it, a quilt shop is so much more than just a shop for buying sewing materials, thread and notions. It also functions as a place to hang out, have a cup of coffee, make new friends, and share in delightful conversations about everyone’s favorite topic in common – quilts.
And while Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day may feel rather niche, it is perfectly acceptable for fabric shops of any kind to take part too, widening the scope of the day even further.
History of Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day
Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day was established through The Fabric Shop Network. This network, headquartered in the state of Washington, USA, acts as the trade association for over 5,000 independent fabric and quilt shop retailers. The purpose is to unite these independent shops as they encourage people in their communities to shop locally.
One of the ways that The Fabric Shop Network seeks to support and encourage local business owners is by building into and promoting events, including Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day.
The day got its start in 2011 and has grown in scope each year. In fact, ten years after its first observance, many state governors have shown their support for the industry and the day by offering official recognition, including Washington, Michigan, Colorado, South Carolina and a few others. This is a great time to get connected and enjoy this hobby while celebrating Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day!
How to Celebrate Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day
Have some fun on Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day by celebrating with some of these ideas:
Visit a Local Quilt Shop
Anyone who loves quilting probably doesn’t need to use this day as an excuse to visit their local quilt shop, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. For those who have never made a quilt, and surely that applies to one or two readers, then maybe this is the time to start quilting. Why not head on out to that local quilt shop and find out how it’s done? And those who don’t have a local quilt shop can certainly visit someone else’s – they won’t mind! After all, it’s all in honor of Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day!
Sign Up for a Quilting Class
One of the amazing things about Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day is that it is not only an opportunity to show up and do some shopping, it also can act as an invitation into a community. Quilt shops often offer classes, from beginner to advanced, where folks can come to learn while they connect with others who have a common interest. Join in on the quilting fun, get to know some new friends and learn a new skill!
Learn More About Quilting
One way to celebrate Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day might be to show some appreciation for the history of quilting by learning more about it. For instance, some people don’t realize that the practice of patchwork and quilting can be traced all the way back to 3400 BC, probably created out of necessity by using scraps to make larger fabrics.
Check out and share some of these other fun facts related to quilting in celebration of the day:
The earliest-known quilt made in the US was in 1704.
Most quilts are made from squares, but they can also use all sorts of other shapes including rectangles, hexagons, triangles and more.
During Victorian times, the crazy quilt was introduced where women would use expensive silks or velvets to create quilts with brightly colored threads.
Each year, the quilting industry brings in more than $3 billion in revenue in the United States.
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