Let’s assume you are from France, and are in the United States for a time. You develop a friendship with the owners of your favorite quilt shop, but then you return to France. Later on, you are looking for a change of scenery – what to do? You hear your favorite shop is now for sale, as the owner’s want to retire. Obvious solution – move back to the United States and buy the quilt shop!
That is the story behind owner Valerie Langue’s acquiring of this delightful shop. The Quilt Merchant is located in the Prairie Trail Shopping Center just eight miles from Interstate 355 due west of Chicago. If you are visiting or passing through Chicago, be sure to stop in and check it out. Look for antique quilts on display – Ms. Langue collects these and re-purposes them. Just for fun, see how many you can find. She is also a pattern designer and long arm quilter.
Enjoy the samples available for inspiration. Many are patterns designed by Miss Valerie, and if you’s like to purchase a kit for them, they are available and assembled in the shop. There are around 1000 bolts of fabric to choose from in the shop, including prints, batiks, blenders, Civil War, and Kaffe Fassette lines.
Did you know Kaffe rhymes with “safe”, not “coffee”? I had always heard it pronounced more like coffee; the owner has heard this designer speak and he is very clear as to how his name is to be pronounced. You never know what you are going to learn in a quilt shop!
Most shops have at least some wool these days. This shop is unique in that it has both the wool and a Wool Bird of the Month Club. Aren’t these little guys adorable? Patterns are available.
The shop hosts several Quilting Bees, Quilt Guilds, and a Featherweight Group. There is also a Gammill Long Arm System that can be rented, or you can have your quilts done by the shop personnel. Call for more information if you are interested in doing this.
| The Quilt Merchant, LLC | Hours: M, T, W, F 10-5 Th 10-8 Sat 10-4 Sun Closed |
| 27W209 Geneva Rd | Phone: 630-480-3000 |
| Winfield, IL 60190 | Email: Quiltmerchant@gmail.com |
| www.thequiltmerchant.com | Mail Order: Yes Fabric Online: Yes |
Stop back on Wednesday and see where the North American Shop Hop is visiting next!
Those birds are cute.
New project idea.
Jean you find and hilight some of the neat stuff available to quilters.