Located less than two miles from Interstate 70 between Dayton and Columbus, this two for one shop is well worth the detour to see it. It is a combination quilt shop and wood stove / fireplace shop, owned by Kathryn ad Bob Fowler. Mr. Bob takes care of the stoves; Miss Kathryn is in charge of machine repairs and sales and is the quilting expert.
This shop is the flannel lovers dream stop. There are over 2,000 bolts of fabric here, and around 600 of them are flannels, lined up down one wall. Add to that tone on tones, batiks, solids, blenders, lots of wonderful bright colors and prints, and you have real potential for getting lost for at least thirty minutes; forty-five is a better estimate. The shelving is pretty unique – four sided horizontal racks that allow storage of 80 bolts in an area about four feet square. This allows the shop to carry a LOT of fabric in a space that initially doesn’t look like it will hold it, without seeming a bit crowded. The bolts are sorted by colors, so matching to a print is quite simple.
Samples are available to tempt you on every wall. I was fortunate to meet the sample maker while I was in. She spends her days sewing samples and helping customers, so if you have any questions about any of the many patterns in the shop, she is sure to be able to answer them! Some of the patterns were designed in house and also available online. I absolutely loved this owl, my mother’s favorite bird, and he is busy keeping track of everything in the shop!
Creative Fires is a licensed Bernina dealer, but Mr. Bob services all brands. Make sure to check out the machines while you are in the shop, or call to see when your baby can be seen if you are having problems.
| Creative Fires, LLC | Hours: T-F 10-5 Sat 10-3 |
| 1525 Progress Dr. | Phone: 937-327-9420 |
| Springfield, OH 45505 | creativefires@sbcglobal.net |
| www.creativefires.net | Mail Order: Yes Fabric Online: Yes |
Stop back on Thursday and see where the North American Shop Hop is visiting next. I’m traveling west for a week or so…