Niche Notions Quilt Shops on Off the Wall Friday

 So now that JoAnn's is no longer, where does one shop?  So glad you asked!!  I've always liked technology... although for the record...my favorite saying is "Technology is the new Alchemy" 

(because I really think its a mysterious magic). Anyways...  I've been shopping online since pretty much the beginning. I'm not one to buy from the big-name online quilt shops but more enjoy searching for the smaller niches of notions.  I remember back in 1997, when I found this thread distributor who sold mostly to commercial customers but would put up their odds and ends to anybody for cheapie. I was never quite sure what I was buying but I was happy to give it a try.  

Before I start this, I want to say as a disclaimer that lately I haven't bought much because I tend to buy things I love in bulk and then they last for a long time.  Looking at inflated prices, I'm thinking that was a wise move.  But these are my favorite places that are still in business....

Colonial Needle Company...I'm fussy, I mean really fussy about my needles.  I like what I like.  As the years have gone on it's gotten harder and harder to find my favorite hand sewing needles.  That's when I found Colonial needle and started buying them in bulk.  This turned out to be good idea since I believe they have since discontinued my beloved Size 10 Large Eye Sharp.  I've found a ton of good needles there for my foray into big stitch quilting.  

Red Rock Threads....I really have been buying from them for at least 20 years.  They have
always had the best prices and the service is great.  I tend to buy cones of aurfil 50 wt for piecing and in years past bought a ton of Mettler Poly sheen.  

TestFabrics - Pretty much all of my PFD fabric has come from here.  I just noticed they did a big upgrade to their web page and LORD I could do some damage there quick.  This is a company that is set up to provide fabric for research and testing to commercial customers but is versed in selling to fiber artists as well.  In the past, I've bought 50 meters of seconds fabric cheaper since I was going dye it anyways and it came on big rolls.  Plus being here in Pennsylvania the shipping was that much cheaper.  

The Fabric Shack ... If I have bought commercial cotton fabric in recent years, it's been from this site.  The prices have been super fair and the shipping cheapie.  They have a nice mix of traditional and artsy fabric.  It is one of the few places that I still get their regular emails.  

Hmmm those are just off the top of my head....

One place I want to try is WAWAK.... has anybody shopped there?  What did you think?

Where are Your favorite Places to Shop Online?

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Miller's Dry Goods on Off the Wall Friday

 I've made no secret that one of my favorite getaways is to Central Ohio.  Not only is it close by (about

2 hrs) but it consists of some of my favorite things gorgeous rural scenery and plenty of quilt shops and antique barns.  This year we decided to do a three-day stay to thoroughly explore all of Holmes County.  Holmes County with half of its population consisting of Amish has become a popular tourist destination. There are several "villages" (Berlin, Charm, Mt Hope, Walnut Creek, Baltic,) in the county that are fairly close together with Millersburg being the county seat. It has a ton of small businesses, antique and crafts shops, and restaurants where home-style cooking is featured.  It's a slow pace kind of place where most businesses close by 5:30 or 6 and nothing is open on Sundays.  But really with all the browsing and exploring each day, I was ready to relax back at the hotel by then!

One of my favorite stops on the trip was Miller's Dry Goods in Charm, Ohio.  It was two shops in one location.  One shop sells gifts, homemade items, toweling, and assorted fabric.  While the other is a nice two-story quilt shop filled with 8000 bolts of fabric, patterns, notions, and kits.  

As I walked into the quilt shop I noticed immediately that there were bolts of fabric everywhere.  It has a nice assortment of traditional and novelty prints while also adding some batiks and more "artsy" lines.  I did like there were plenty of "blender" fabrics because it seems like they are always the most useful in any quilter stash!  As I was pulling out a couple of bolts of yellows (I mean who doesn't need a good yellow - I swear they are the hardest to find!), along with a couple bolts of Marcia Derse's line Spotted Graffiti, I heard the words, "I'm going downstairs."  My ears perked up!!!  There's a downstairs?

YES!!  Downstairs houses flat folds for $7/yd along with several racks of bolts for $8/yd.  Now, what quilter doesn't like a bargain right?  BUT really I like to browse clearance bolts just to find fabric that might already be out of print.  It's always fun to buy a print that you were dying to have but never could find anywhere!  So of course, I found a few yards downstairs too!

There is a third room upstairs that houses fat quarters, notions, patterns, kits etc.  It's always fun to browse through the latest gadgets!

I found the staff super friendly and helpful.  I truly like the shop itself.  It was airy with a lot of natural light plus it is not too big or small.  There was a nice collection of the latest prints with plenty of things on sale.  The front of the two buildings which sit side by side has comfy rocking chairs for husbands to sit and commiserate while they wait.  For that matter, my husband found Keim's Homecenter right there in Charm which is a woodworker's paradise.  How smart were they to put a quilt shop and a woodworking center within walking distance?

After such a nice visit, Miller's has become a must go shop when I'm in the area.  It was fun to make the short drive over to Charm (did I mention how gorgeous the countryside is?).  But the shop itself was what won me over.  Central Ohio has no shortage of fabric/quilt shops but this one fit me to the "T".  

Now for the particulars 

• located in Charm, Ohio, 4500 State Route 557 Millersburg, OH 44654
• Hrs are M-F 8-5, Sat 8-3
• Webpage/online shopping available 

So What Have Been Up to Creatively?

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