Welcome to the first week of Millstone Mondays!
Hoping to spread some holiday cheer with my quilt friends, I am doing a giveaway each Monday for the month of December! Millstone Quilts and Aurifil are helping me out.
Millstone Quilts is a local quilt shop here in Virginia. If you are ever nearby it is a must-stop quilt shop!
Their shop is in an actual old mill and has such a great atmosphere with a super friendly and helpful staff. On my last visit they kindly offered me some goodies to share!
Millstone Quilts
Those of you who have been visiting for a while already know about my new love for Aurifil thread!
After sharing with Aurifil how much I loved their product they sent me some goodies to share with you guys too. So for some extra holiday happiness…I am throwing in some of that!
Here is what we have today:
A charm pack in Snap Pop by Sandy Gervais and a 10 piece, 100% cotton, 50wt. thread set in Eat Your Fruits n’ Veggies by Pat Sloan.
Here’s how to enter:
Just leave a comment below telling me what the number one thing that makes you love(or not love) your local quilt shop!
Mine….no super skinny cuts! Please give me and inch or two extra for squaring up:)
Feel free to share this post on Facebook or if you have your own blog using the Millstone Mondays button on the right sidebar. Spread the quilty love!
Contest ends Sunday@12pm and is open internationally.
Keep it Sassy♥
You can find and follow TheSassyQuilter here on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or by email(form on right sidebar)!
I just love how helpful they are! And they love hearing about your projects and have such great ideas and inspiration! My LQS is like family. :)
I just love the way they display all the fabric… it makes me feel like I want to buy the entire shop ;) Thanks for the chance to win!
There are 5 LQS’s in my area. My favorite one is the furthest away, 1 hour and 15 minutes. They carry such beautiful fabrics. Millstone Quilts looks wonderful and I really like the old building and pretty scenery in that photo. Thank you for a great give away. What fabulous gifts.
Not being able to make quick or unplanned stops to either of the local shops. Lolly’s in Shipshewana and Erica’s in South Bend both 45 mins away, more with bad roads. My granddaughter would love a quilt made with Snap Pop. Thanks for the chance to win and wow the whole month!
Forgot to say why I like the shops. At both they are very kind and I love talking with the Amish ladies and seeing there work. Oh so beautiful!
She uses a ruler, rotary cutter and mat to cut everything you buy!
I like shops that offer classes. I can buy fabric online cheaper, but I like to take classes and learn new techniques.
Mine is the same as yours, I hate when they try to cut exactly at a 1/2 yard of yard. When you get it home its alway uneven and you end up with less then what you should have had. Drives me crazy ;-) Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!!
I love that they have Japanese prints and lots of modern prints. Plus they have a discounted section for end of bolt cuts. I always hit up that section.
My favorite shop is 1 1/2 hour away. They always make me feel so welcomed, give me generous cuts and order lines of fabric that our quilt guild had requested. They even put bolts under the counter for us when we are working on somthing special and need a certain fabric. The local shops, not so much. I especially dispise going to on. The owner is hateful and watches you like you are going to steal a bolt of fabric! Love your giveaway!
Haha, this made me laugh! A quilt grinch.
I don’t have one locally – so I guess I’m thankful for the shops that sell online!
I just did a cringe! A quilter without a shop…we gotta do something about that:) Online is pretty awesome though. I get in a lot of trouble spending that imaginary money;)
Fun giveaway. I love my local shop because they are so helpful. You can ask a question and they will help you to the best of their ability.
I love seeing the fabric and being able to match colors, etc. I also love seeing all the completed items on display that inspire me to sew more!
My LQS, while really small, offers great service, and knows me by name. I bought my machine there, and when I went there shopping for a tonal, she even offered to order a bolt if needed. That’s great service!
My local quilt shop has very friendly staff and fun classes!
My local shop has a great rewards program where you earn 10% of your total back for spending once you have shopped 10 times. My last one was $40!! I just wish they had more modern fabrics :(
I enjoy the feeling I get at the LQS it is sort of like coming home.
I love the fact that I even have a small one nearby but it is owned by 2 older ladies and I would like some fun and younger prints.
I love the personal service–mine is only a block away! If I run into an issue with a quilt I’m piecing (I’m a beginner), I can run over and get expert help!
Ooooo, that could be dangerous! But super helpful.
I have 2 favorites. One store I really love their fabric selection and how they have the stop decorated. She doesn’t have a huge selection of fabric, but what she has I typically don’t find at other shops (including her own new fabric line). The other shop has everything! That store is packed to the brim with fabric, notions, hanging quilts. She has fabrics upstairs, downstairs, in the other room, and in the other room too. Her staff is wonderfully helpful, fun, and very inviting!
Thanks for the chance to win!
The girls at my LQS are always friendly and happy to help me. They also have a variety of different ideas .
we just learned how do do wool applique. her classes are so much fun.
My quilt shop always has nice fabric in their clearance bin and the staff is always helpful, friendly and curious about my quilt projects. Thanks for the giveaway!!
I love being able to touch/pet the fabrics before buying them, unlike with online shopping! Would love to visit YOUR shop! Thanks so much for the chance to win! :-)
I love online shopping, but you are right…nothing beats touching it:)
I love that I can go in and ask for help. As a beginning quilter, they are so helpful & never make me feel stupid.
dana.cargill@gmail.com
I think that is so important! One thing I love about quilters is how nice they are:)
I travel 30 minutes to visit my favorite quilt store. It has a great friendly staff, wonderful sale area and a wide variety of lovely fabrics.
I love my local quilt shop in Wayne, Ohio! She is friendly, helpful, informative, and SMILES!!!!
My local quilt shop has a very clique feel to it. And she doesn’t carry fabrics that I like. I don’t think she carries many if the main fun lines and she is more expensive. She is also only open about 20 hours in a week so it’s difficult to get there(or remember the hourse) at those times
I go there when I have to get something.
But I love going to a shop about 35 minutes from me. They are so helpful, friendly, competitive, sell and service machines, and just are great to visit even if it’s a very small shop!
Same here Debbie! I have a few shops to pick from and one is just like this.
My favorite thing is I can bring in a partially completed top or a set of blocks and say I need something to make it work, and they can instantly put their fingers on 5 different bolts to audition and most work very, very well making it hard to choose. The fact that they know their inventory and know exactly where the green stripe bolt is (hiding under the cutting table or over in the solids … )
So true Paul! I love that too.
I would love my local quilt shop carries all kind of bundles, and not just for the meter bolts.
My favorite shop is about 90 Miles from here so I don’t get there as often as I would like. But when I walk in the door she greets me by name and makes me feel so welcome. She has a lovely shop with a wonderful selection and is always anxious to see what you are working on.
I love the lower prices per yard and yet a great variety of fabrics! (In Lancaster County,PA)
Susie
legato1958@aol.com
Love the staff, classes and so much variety at my LQS.
I love my local shop as they know your name when you walk in the door, are always helpful but not over your shoulder all the time. They let you look and pat the fabric and other goodies as long as you like. They also sell machines, accessories, templates, thread, and many other sewing related items, including fun jewelry. With a great staff, classes, chocolate free at the counter, and fabric everywhere you look. Whats not to love. Thanks for the great giveaway. Jackie
Unfortunately my ‘not love’ is that they do not stock bundles, you can buy by the quarter but I like to buy bundles already sorted by design/colour…
I also like it when they give you a little extra for squaring up. I also like a shop with a good selection of newer fabric lines. Thanks for the chance to win.
I love how personable they all are at my LQS!!
Because they are like Cheers. Everyone knows your name.
Well, our local quilt store also employs me, so that’s my favorite thing. Number two has to be the owner’s fabulous sense of style. We’re known for contemporary designer fabric, so there’s always something tempting that prevents me from taking home much of a paycheck!
Unfortunately my local quilt shop closed, but what I did love about them was that they carried local fabric designers, and supported other small businesses in the community, Sad it closed, sigh. Happy holidays!
Don’t like it when they don’t square up the fabric before cutting what you need. Then I have to square and lose fabric .
I don’t have an actual local quilt shop. The nearest thing to me (40 minutes away) is a Hancock fabrics, but they are super nice and helpful, and are very careful about giving you your full yardage, and cutting straight/square. I do wish they carried Aurifil thread though.
I really like that my local quilt shop has a great selection of new and modern fabrics! Makes it really easy to find something I “need”. :)
My LQS, Cary Quilting Company, gives away fabric every Wednesday! At the checkout you pick a card from the deck and get that number of free inches of your choice of fabric – face cards get you a free fat quarter. Plus I love the friendly personal service from the knowledgeable ladies there.
I love the friendly service, wonderful selection and great prices!
I love being able to get advice on what would match a quilt top I’ve made. I have a hard time deciding so an extra opinion from a pro is always good. I also love getting inspiration from samples that are made! mrscwatson81@hotmail.com
I love the wonderful variety at my LQS. I always find new things to tempt me!
I really haven’t found another LQS that I use. I always used to go to Ruth’s Stitchery, but I live in the Denver area now and am still looking for one. I have been buying fabric from an on-line fabric store and love staying in with all the below freezing weather we are having. Thanks for the great giveaway!
My LQS is owned by the sweetest 87 year old lady and I try to shop there when ever possible, but…..she has the WORST selection! Either really dated or really cheaply made. Hard to find much there :(
What I dislike…being retired to Mexico, there are no quilt shops!!!!!! And the few fabric stores that i have found don’t even carry any 100% cotton material. So be grateful if you have a shop (you save alot on shipping)
I get wonderful help putting fabrics together, and a comfortable room to work in. It’s my favorite “hang out.”
I don’t have a store that’s specifically a quilting store that’s super close to me, so that’s a thing I don’t love. We have a fabric/yarn store pretty close though that gets a lot of unique prints, so I’m in there pretty much every week to browse :).
I like the family that owns the shop. They are very friendly, helpful and nice people. They have great quilting classes.
All the people who work in The Little Red Hen are so helpful. They go out of their way to help no matter how long it takes or how much work. I truly appreciate them and Wish Them All a Merry Christmas!
I like that the clerks don’t mind if you pull out several bolts to find just the right shade to match something you already have.
Mine has a fairly good variety of classes to take.
I would love to have a LQS to love. Have to usually drive 80 to 100 miles to visit a LQS. So, with that being said my LQS has to be my computer which gives me a world of shops to work with. But as quilters we know there is no limit on how far we will travel to get that perfect fabric.
I hate how far they are away from my house!
Awesome giveaway!! I love my LQS because they love my son :) Some shops I have been to in the past give me dirty looks because I bring him with me.
They are located on the other side of the bay and there is always too much traffic to go there! We used to have some wonderful stores here in the city but they all closed. :(
We don’t have any quilt shops in our town. All we have is a Joanns and I like them because i can go there to get notions and fabric. Thank you for an awesome giveaway. Joanns dosn’t sell aurifil thread!!
I love it when there is/time to look around. It is great to spend time in a Quiltshop! Thanks for the chance!
I love that the staff are all quilters and have often tried the same techniques or patterns that I’m working on. I can always get advice. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
The fabric of course! But also the laid back friendly atmosphere where you can chat, sew and learn over a cuppa.
Ilove the way they display all the fabric and quilts.It`s more or less 120km away from where I live so isn´t too local.That ´s count?
I love a LQS with FRIENDLY people behind the counters! I have never understood why some people decide to open quilt shops and then are so grumpy and silent when quilters actually enter their shops. I love the friendly LQS that make you instantly feel like part of the family! Thanks for the chance to win.
I only have one quilt shop within 30 miles from my house and I really don’t like it so I do most of my fabric shopping online. I don’t like the fact that they don’t sell any modern fun fabrics, it all looks like it’s over 100 years old, it’s very dusty and all the women in there are dull just like the fabric.
I know that comes off mean but I really don’t mean it like that, I’m just speaking the truth!
Thanks for the chance, Jessica
juceyj03@gmail.com
I have several LQS in the vicinity. My favorite one has a country feel. The funny thing is that I love the bright modern fabrics the most. This shop just makes you feel welcome. They give great service, and have good teachers for their classes.
Great customer service is what I expect from my LQS. I usually need some kind of help/advice when I visit, so it’s great that the staff is so knowledgeable. I just wish it was closer. Thanks.
They always have time to talk and give suggestions if you want them. And they don’t mind if you just want to pet the fabric ;)
The one thing that really bothers me is when I wak in and no one acknowledges me. All I need is for someone to say hi. Otherwise I don’t feel like they care if I am in their store or not,. This isn’t just for quilt stores, it’s for every store. Customer service has really gone down hill in some stores.
I love that mine will cut a fat quarter from anything. I also enjoy looking at fabric in person. Thanks for the giveaway, girl!
Love the good attitude and hate when you have to take your kids to buy fabric with you and the people from the store starred at you like they never were kids…
Our local quilt shop cuts me fat quarters as fast as I can stack up the bolts on the table.
My local quilt shop is my computer. I pretty much do all of my shopping online. I’m living in Switzerland and the few stores there are here (not local to me) don’t carry the ranges I like and if they do they only carry very selected prints and at twice or three times the price I can buy them for online. As a result I have a few favourite online stores that are my locals. They have great choice, great value and above all great friendly staff.
shops are few but I love seeing all the fabrics on display, I am in a we when visiting could easily spend a fortune!
I don’t really have a local shop – there is a lot of fabric stores near me, but they mostly focus on either fabrics for clothes or fabrics for home decor. I’ve been to a few of the shops in my city (they’re all an hour + travel time by transit, so I pretty nearly never, ever go) and my favourite of the ones I’ve been to is Traditional Pastimes, which sells a lot more solids than any of the others. I feel like solid fabrics should be more popular (in stores) than they seem to be around here!
I love the samples made up. It is inspiring. I love that they have patterns hanging beside the samples.
What a pleasant surprise to pop over to your blog and see my friend Regina’s shop. Her shop is so stinkin’ cute and her personality matches perfectly! Supporting your LQS is so important because if you don’t we won’t be around and then the world would be a sadder place.
If they don’t have what I need they order it for me.
I love the warm feeling I get when I walk into my LQS. They call me by name and always ready to help me find what I am looking for.
I love their help choosing the right colors.
I like when they greet me as a friend. Happy to see me in their shop. Thank you for sharing on Mondays in December!
What I do not love at any fabric shop is tearing the fabric! What I do love at my favorite shops is the batik wall. So much luscious fabric, all begging to come home with me!
I love the friendliness of the staff at QG in Rockford. The classes are fun!
Living in the country, a road trip is in order to visit a quilt shop. So I have several favorite “local quilt shops”, depending on which direction I’m driving. But there are a couple of real favorites. Walking into a quilt shop and having the feeling of walking into a family reunion is the best feeling. Everyone is so happy to see you and they love to talk about new projects, fabrics, notions, etc. Recently went into a quilt shop in Iowa and felt right at home!
My local quilt shop closed but I do love a shop with clever displays and lots of samples.
I have a couple of LQSs rather near by, but I like to go to Warrenton to KAQ because they just “get” my aesthetic there. And they’re cool. And they put up with me. Win, win, win!
I love the other quilters I get to know at classes.
What I don’t love about my local quilt shop is that they closed and now I don’t have an LQS. :-(
The thing i loved about the shop was the people. The shop was a meeting place for all the quilters. The owner loved to have people just stop in to chat, as it gave her the chance to show off what was new and to keep up with all the quilty and family news. Too bad she had to close due to health issues.
I love that our shop is there! We didn’t have a local fabric/quilt shop for a long time and now we have a really nice one. Helpful staff and beautiful fabric!
I love my local shop. They are nice and friendly and always willing to help.
The thing I like the most is the fact that all the staff are so friendly and helpful. My only problem is, I live a distance from there so I don’t get to visit as often as I would like.
Love the quality of fabrics, and large selection! I am just getting into using Aurifil threads…thx for chance to win!
I’ve actually been to Millstone Quilts! I am not in Virginia often, but every few years I attend Applique Academy, so I was there in the dead of winter…it’s even more beautiful with icicles hanging off the eaves and snow all around!
What keeps me coming back to a quilt shop, again and again, is when they make me feel welcome and valued as a customer…this is something so few of them do well, sadly. I have at least a dozen shops in/near my area, and I frequent 2-3 because they make me feel that they really care that I choose to come to their shop. And, I rarely shop at the couple that are closest to my house!
I love that they greet me when I come in the door and call me by my name!
I am fortunate to work at my LQS! Only one day a week, but I love being able to help people find what they need and what to create whatever they see in their dreams!
All quilt shops are at least 1 hour away. So I don’t really have a “local” shop. The one I go to most frequently (looking for The One) is very friendly, but small. Not a lot of selection.
I love my LQS because they don’t get upset if you just come in to pet the fabric.
I love the fact that the quilt shop I most go to have a zillion bolts! That’s alot of fabric.
I like the personnel of our store – always friendly and helpful. Or, if you just need a minute to breathe, they just understand if you come in for 15 minutes of “me” time.
HELLO,love my LQS,it is friendly+helpful and stocks a wide variety of items+fabrics!
Thanks for sharing!
One of our local quilt shops has friendly and helpful clerks, and an owner knowledgeable about the machines she sells.
Being able to touch the fabrics and the variety!!
My local is slowly getting more modern fabrics in which is awesome. The only bad thing is the selection of fat quarters leaves a lot to be desired!
So I have two fairly local quilt shops and I like them both. They have wide selections of fabric and all. They do not disturb you, but if you need help they are accomodating. Thanks for the give away.
I live in your area and love Millstone, too. The thing I love about my LQS’s is the three I frequent carry different fabrics. Plus they all have great samples hanging in their shops for inspiration.
I love the friendly service!
I love how they are involved in what you are doing…demonstrating new products and patterns, help with LAQ and classes. I am happy to follow you on Bloglovin. Merry Christmas. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com
I love my local quilt shop because they are always very helpful and give me tons of old-school quilting wisdom that I cannot find anywhere else. Being a newbie quilter, I always have tons of questions and they are always so willing to guide me every step of the way.
Love going into a shop and feeling welcomed. Thanks a bunch for the chance to win your awesome giveaway! ☺
I love my local shop because they always greet me with a smile and make me feel like we are best friends. Very homey place. I was so excited to see this because I was in your shop a couple of years ago and loved it. As I live on the other side of the country, I can only visit when I’m at Applique Academy. Sweet shop.
They don’t skimp cutting fabric, they are super friendly – they remember my name…and they stock great fabric!!
I love that I can get guttermann thread right down the road. Thanks!
I love that they are so helpful on items that you sometimes need help on.
Awesome giveaway! Millstone Quilts looks lovely! We have several quilt shops in my area, four of which I visit the most. It’s important to me that the staff is helpful and friendly. All of the shops know me by name.
Thank you for a super giveaway and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
Well for me being a new quilter, a patient and helpful staff is a must. Help picking fabrics and answering questions made me feel comfortable the first time in a shop and so I returned, again and again, lol. Millstone Quilts looks beautiful! Thanks for the chance to win a wonderful giveaway!
missmoozie(at)gmail(dot)com
I love my local quilt shop because they love me back and care when I visit them even if it is only for a half a yard of fabric!
I don’t have a “local” quilt shop as I live on a farm in the country, but when I do go to the nearest city (3 hours) away every few months, the lovely shop assistants recognize me immediately and all rush to help. Thank you for a chance to win some gorgeous fabric and thread that I don’t have to travel miles to buy!
My LQS just opened-Pink Castle Fabric and I love it. Everyone is so nice and they carry a bunch of fabrics.
I only have 1 LQS in my area—they carry a variety of fabrics, but she has a HUGE selection of Minky and Cuddle fabric which I love! :) Thanks for the giveaway!
It’s too far away for me to visit often enough!! And they are running such great specials for the 12 days before Christmas, which is a time that I am SO LOW on $$$ :(
I just moved and haven’t found a great local quilt shop yet. I am going back to visit family over the holidays and bringing an extra suitcase so I can visit the quilt shop there and stock up on some goodies.
My local quilt shop is in a very old house, it is very small, but they have SO many fabrics! I love just to walk around looking at all the beautiful colors!
jachelno(at)gmail(dot)com
we no longer have a quilt shop but when we did I’d spend my remaining lunch time there as stress relief!
My LQS are so friendly and helpful – but I wish they had longer opening hours!
They let me touch all the fabrics!!!
Oooh, good giveaway! My local quilt shops carries Riley Blake for $7.95. My other LQS takes 40% off coupons!
I love all the choices. They have so much to choose from, all the latest stuff I want.
LeeAnna Paylor
leeannaquilts@gmail.com
My LQS is also great about cutting generously. I live up in the mountains, 10 minutes away from the nearest store, so for me – location is important. Location and selection.
My LQS owner looked at me strangely when I entered the shop for the first time. Like they had never seen anybody this “young” in there. ( quilting is a hobby here for retired ladies ) LOL! She even asked if I was at the right place. I wish they offered more modern fabrics and special rulers. Maybe a bit cheaper fabrics too. 1 meter is 18 to 24 dollars per yard here in Europe.
Esther
As a new quilter, I like the suggestions they give in selecting fabric and encouraging the choices I have made. They offer classes as well (I have taken one which I really enjoyed). Their fabric selection is both traditional and modern, which I like. They also do charitable giving and make it easy to participate in it.
I’m lucky to have several nearby. I appreciate that they are all friendly and so I try to visit each one (it’s a tough job but somebody has to do it lol!!)