Grandma’s Thimble Quilt Shop is a Bucket List achievement for owner Pat Herbison. Located about 25 miles north of I96 between Lansing and Grand Rapids, this shop is worth the side trip.
The shop is named after the owner’s grandmother, who was the daughter of a lamplighter in the Netherlands. As was common in that time, her grandmother was apprenticed to a tailor after the family came to the United States. Miss Pat still has two of her grandmother’s thimbles on display in the store – make sure to check them out while you are there!
Grandma’s Thimble has a unique approach to the classic Row X Row. It is done similar to a Block of the Month – except it is a row of the month, and each row is designed to teach a different block or technique. The class doesn’t start in January, so the five rows shown are not January through May; they are the five months the class has been running this season. By the end of the series each student will have mastered multiple blocks and techniques.
Have you ever seen or felt Stof Fabric from Denmark? This is a line of blenders imported by Blank Quilting, and they have a wonderful hand. They are solids with an overtone of heather, and this shop stocks a full range of colors. These look like wool – but they are cotton. Bring your prints to match and check these out, or buy a selection for an all solids quilt.
There is also a selection of aboriginal prints from Australia. These vibrant fabrics have so many possible uses! There are also samples on display around the shop, as well as a nice selection of wool fabric and yarns for embroidery. Take time to admire the stitching on the Tumbling Block Quilt. I took a close up so you could get an idea, and the pillows in the window are delightful. They may have given way to Christmas by now!
What I found truly impressive was how well Pat knows her competitors fabrics, and that she will service her customers by sending them to a competitor if necessary. Someone stopped in looking for a particular fabric while I was there, and Grandma’s Thimble did not have it. With over 2000 bolts on hand, this is unusual – but Pat immediately told them who did, and sent them there to get it. This is community at it’s best!
| Grandma’s Thimble Quilt Shop | Hours: M-F 9:30 -5:30, Sat 9:30-3:30 Closed Sunday |
| 117 W. Main Street | Phone: 989-831-0590 |
| Stanton, MI 48888 | E-mail: PM on Facebook |
| Website: Facebook | Mail Order: No Fabric Online: No |
Stop back on Monday and see where the North American Shop Hop is headed next!