Stitching Nook

A few weeks ago, we asked readers to nominate their favorite quilt shop in conjunction with "Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day." We really enjoyed about everyone's favorite fabric haunts! Today, we're featuring the randomly selected winner, Stitching Nook, a quilt shop and Husqvarna Viking service and sales dealer in Richmond, Indiana, nominated by Myra B.

Here's what Myra had to say about her favorite quilt shop: 

My favorite quilt shop is the Stitching Nook in Richmond, Indiana. There are many classes to choose from and they are always willing to try class suggestions made by the customers. The Stitching Nook is part of several shop hops. They also sell sewing, embroidery, and serging machines and make sure if a machine is purchased that the customer knows how to use it through demonstrations and classes. Customers taking a class get 20% off all material and supplies used for that class and also get 20% off of all purchases on birthdays.

Diana Bruns, owner of the Stitching Nook, graciously answered our questions and sent a few pictures.

Q. How did you get into the quilt shop business?

Diana: I'm now going into my 31^st year. A friend and I started it because there were no quilt shops in our area. We'd sewed together, taken tailoring classes, got started taking quilt classes. Her kids were all in school. I was in a job I didn't like. It sounded like a good idea. That's how we got started. Back then we sold fabric for $4 a yard!

Q. Talk to us about your fabric offerings.

Diana: I wouldn't say we have one particular style—more a bit of everything. We like traditional stuff, the newer looks. We have a lot of batiks. We also having sewing machines, and we do a lot with sewing machine techniques and embroidery.

Q. What are the perks of your location?

Diana: We're only a mile off the Interstate (about an hour east of Indianapolis). Women tend to travel in groups and plan their shopping trips around where they're going to eat, and we have plenty of choices nearby. There is every imaginable restaurant around, plus a sporting goods store next door, a bookstore, tractor supply store. It's really a nice mix for guys and wives.

Q. What is your favorite part of owning a quilt shop?

Diana: My favorite part is the people. I love teaching the classes. I think it's fun to have somebody brand new. When they complete a project they get all excited about it. It's just fun. After you do it for a while, you forgot the excitement of being new, how things work. It's always fun to have someone new, getting the pleasure out of it.

Q. What types of classes does your shop offer?

Diana: A lot of machine technique—embroidery. We always try to have a couple of beginner quilt classes. We do one callaed Quilt Express that is a wonderful introduction to quilting. You make an 18'' table topper. Learn to rotary cut, piece, machine quilt, and then bind from the back. We also usually try to do a demonstration of traditional binding as well. We are scheduling some paper piecing classes. We do 2-3 block of the month classes, purse/tote bag classes, and table runners and placemats. Sometimes it's a one-day class, sometimes an all-day workshop where they walk out with a finished project.

Q. What sets your shop apart from others?

Diana: We're not a huge shop, so there's plenty of personal attention. We are always glad to help customers pick out fabric. Before we're done everyone in the shop kind of gets in on it. For the sewing machine side, we keep on top of what's going on—repairs, technical issues, working on machine techniques, ways for people to get the most use out of their machine.

But overall? Personal service, I would say. I think that's what everyone who works here likes most about their jobs—the interaction with the customers.

Sounds like a great place to visit! If you're ever near Richmond, Indiana, swing by and tell Diana we said hello!