Happy New Year!
Best wishes for God’s blessings on you and yours in 2020!
If you are anywhere near Chicago, Illinois, make a detour to see Roberts Sewing Shop. It is about 8 miles from Interstate 355, and your GPS may show Joliet as the city rather than Crest Hill. Originally started in 1930 by owner Ken Roberts’ father, this shop is called “A Quilter’s Paradise” for good reason.
The shop carries any type of machine you may want or need. They are registered dealers for Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking, as well as picking up used industrial machines to be refurbished and sold. If you are like my sister and spent some time sewing professionally, home machines seem really slow. The answer is to buy an industrial machine for home use and fly at will! These are not always available, so call and check if that is what you are after. There are also embroidery machines, including 10 needle systems, and Pfaff Power Quilter Long Arms systems. There is also a service center for the machines in the store. The shop will recommend local Long Arm services if you are in need of this.
Looking from baby prints? Check out what is in the crib!
This is a two story shop, complete with a balcony around three sides so you can get an idea of the size of the shop, and get an unobstructed view of all of the samples hanging for inspiration. There is an elevator to get to the second floor is stairs are an issue for you. Classrooms are upstairs, where there is more room for them.
Spend some time looking through the remnant closet. These are less than full price, and if you are a fan of scrappy quilts, there are some great bargains to be found here. It gets straightened daily, but it does get sorted by a lot of customers!
Don’t miss the notions, threads, and patterns available here. There are jelly rolls, charm packs and layer cakes, too. This shop carries Christmas and Halloween fabric year round, so if you are looking for material to get a project started “out of season,” this is the place to go shopping. There are kits available as well, and most of these are cut and assembled in house. There is also a room full of Civil War prints.
Solids and blenders are grouped together for easy selection. There are a lot of Moda Marbles, and some Grunge, as well as true solids. Bring what you need to match and enjoy yourself! New fabrics are interspersed with existing fabrics so they are easily matched, but they are identified with a “NEW” tag.
Would you like some neutrals? I don’t think I’ve seen a collection this large very often. With 7,000 bolts of fabric in the store, it’s nice to have color families grouped together in alcoves. They are gradually getting everything down to three shelves tall – that fourth shelf is just too tall for most folks. However, it does make a lovely display space!
Roberts also hosts several guilds and Bee’s. A Quilting Bee is a group of friends that meets and quilts together; Guilds are much more formal and generally require dues. The local Quilts of Valor group also meets here. The shop is also a collection point for the Linus Project and has a free class to sew for Ryan’s Case for Smiles, a group that donated pillow cases for children undergoing cancer treatments. Check online for class dates and times.
| Roberts Sewing Center | Hours: Mon – Sat 9:30 -5:30 |
| 201 S. Weber Road | Phone: 812-729-1600 |
| Joliet / Crest Hill, IL 60403 | Email: Ken121650@aol.com |
| www.robertssewingcenter.com | Mail Order: Yes Fabric Online: Some & Kits |
Stop back on Friday to see where the North American Shop Hop is heading next!