Three kinds of fabric shoppers

As I’ve been here in Florida, helping in the store, getting some fabrics on the site and helping to continue the expansion of the Quilted Twins, it has been interesting to interact with quilters and fabric shoppers.

I thought I’d take a stab at categorizing them!

What I’ve seen in the little bit of time I’ve been here are primarily these three types.

Sally Serious

She is the quilter who brings her fabric and/or other started project. She needs backing, sashing or something like that and often walks around the store and searches for the perfect color to make exactly what she needs. We help our Sallys a lot. They often request help in deciding on colors or backing sizes. They mostly find what they need. We all feel extremely successful when they walk out of the shop having found exactly what they need!

Betty Browser

She is the quilter who is mostly just looking to see what we have. Often she is with a friend who is a Sally Serious. She doesn’t seem to need much. Often she sits in one of our chairs and waits for her fellow serious or creative shoppers! We are happy when she is content - whether she buys or a lot. These are not very needy shoppers. More often than now they want to be pointed in a certain direction and they are fine with finding things on their own.

Creative Cathy

She loves fabric and walks around the store checking out what we have that she wants to make up. These are the people who check out the displays and panels that are pinned to the walls. They see a fabric that makes them go “OOH” and they’ve got to have it. These people realize our prices are fantastic and tend to buy more than either Sally or Betty. They tend to buy more. Face it, at $4.99/yard for beautiful Hoffman or Kauffman fabric, why not? We are delighted when they walk away happy with their fantastic purchases at less than half the price of a regular quilt shop. We love helping the Creative Cathy stretch her dollars so she can be even more creative!

And so it goes. We sometimes have men, but not often. Most of the men who come in are with their wives, but not always. Not long ago a man showed me the quilt he was going to be quilting - it was a beautiful burgundy and cream Hunter’s Star pattern.

Having the store open to the public is hard work, though - it demands you give it your undivided attention. You are “on” - talking with people and interacting constantly. As you look at the pictures, though, remember that it was set up for ease in filling orders, hence the sideways bolts. We are first an on line shop, and secondly a local shop.

For now we are open to the public on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-12:30 and on Thursday afternoons from 12:30-5:30. If you stop by other times and we are here, we will open the doors for you, but we may be in the middle of filling orders. Of course we will be glad to sell to you!

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And that’s what I’ve been up to today here in Florida with my sister! Be sure to check out what we do have in the store!

You can order 24/7 on line!

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