Rolls of fashion fabric at Colorado Fabrics in Aurora, Colorado. The store announced yesterday that it’s closing.
It’s a rough environment out there for brick-and-mortar fabric shops. In October of last year, we saw Fabric Depot in Portland, Oregon shutter after 26 years in business and in 2016 The City Quilter in New York City closed after almost two decades. This week two more longtime fabric retailers announced they’ll be shutting their doors for good.
Colorado Fabrics sent a notice to its customers yesterday saying that the company is going out of business. “Colorado Fabrics has been the culmination of a dream for me and my family,” wrote the president and owner Nada Watt. “After months of diligent work and sincere thought, we have come to a place where we must say good-bye.”
The shop, which is located at 4042 South Parker Road in Aurora, Colorado, is one of the largest fabric stores in the state. At 40,000 square feet, it rivals the size of a big box store. Watt came to work at Colorado Fabrics in 1989 and bought the business when the previous owner retired in 2013. The store offers sewing classes, kids sewing lessons, and a community event space. They also offered longarm quilting services, sold and repaired sewing machines, and had scissor sharpening on the premises.
“I loved perusing their cut yardage,” says loyal customer Cathy Stamp about Colorado Fabrics. “There was always a hidden gem there.”
On the East Coast, another beloved fabric store announced its closure this week. Keepsake Quilting will be closing its retail location in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. The company’s catalog and online business will continue. In April 2018 Steelcity LLC acquired Keepsake Quilting from F+W Media less than a year before F+W declared bankruptcy.
Keepsake Quilting was founded as a quilt catalog business in 1986 by Judy and Russ Sabanek. They opened the retail shop in 1988. The couple sold the company to New Track Media in 2007. New Track was acquired by F+W Media in 2014.
Keepsake Quilting’s retail store is located in New Hampshire’s lake region, near Lake Winnipesaukee, a popular vacation destination. “Many people plan bus trips, vacations, annual summer sales drives just to come here, often making it a yearly pilgrimage,” said longtime customer GioVannia Giancanna about Keepsake Quilting’s retail location. “The tent sales in the summer are legendary, often selling out hotels for miles for quilt guilds and fabriholics. For people such as myself, whenever I needed the perfect fabric for a quilt, the newest pattern, or just some expert advice the ladies at KQ were who I called and they always came through, and again I am sad this new generation will not have this magical place to resort to.”
Interesting since pineapple fabrics just opened in the same location as keepsake and they’re owned by the same company . Will they be closing also ??
Yes according to the release I saw online the brick and mortar store is closing but the catalog and online are staying
That’s correct. Both Pineapple Fabrics and Keepsake Quilting will continue as catalog and online shops.
My daughter just moved to NH and was looking forward to taking a day trip to the shop……so sad.
Just my thoughts as I read this article.. not looking for a public discourse.
Once the quilt shop sells their shop to a company it seems they don’t know how to manage it afterwards, then the quality of customer service suffers. That’s a big deal.
So with the high cost of good quality cotton fabrics for fabric designers. What does the future hold in this digital age for quilt shops that sell sewing machines along with fabrics for quilters.
You have quilting companies like, Shabby Fabrics, Missouri Star Quilt Co, Fat Quarter Shop and others etc.. What are they doing that sets them apart from the shops that are closing. I think it’s that they have embraced the technology available to them. They have constant video tutorials etc.. keeping up with what is new and “how to do it” on their YouTube accounts . Every year to couple of years I see more and more quilt shops closing. It saddens me.
Admittedly, I really prefer to walk into a store and have the experience and community that comes with Thursday night meet ups and an instructor or two available to help you through a particular knitting pattern. The knitting local shops ( due to its portability of knitting needles) and the atmosphere of community with their round tables in the center of the store and good to great customer service.
Although some I have been disappointed- they tend to miss the mark on genuine customer service and not so enthusiastic of being their and not displaying the feel of welcomed atmosphere. Why? I will never understand. Hence good customer service.
Example that’s not quilt related. Indie dyers and designers keep the craft going with Ravelry website that helps subscribers connect world wide at no cost. With the ability of buying patterns by digitally downloading them from any designer worldwide.
But nothing beats the meet ups at these knitting shops it’s an escape from the world into a world to create. And thats how I feel about quilt shops that are slowly being less and less as the years go by. I miss walking in a quilt shop and having that experience. Also, some are just not that local anymore. So you end up going to big stores which is not the same. Hoping our new generations in quilting in late twenties and and thirties keep the quilting industry alive.
Last quilt shop seen was two hours away. Nothing in my new area but one 30 year old knitting shop. But noticed no knit meet ups. No one would show up. But I quickly noticed why. They don’t advertise as much. And not as diversified. As I asked a born and raised local resident sometime passed, they said “I never knew that such shop even existed – where is that shop? I was surprised with that answer as I was new to the community.
But the knit shop two hours away is hopping with two meet ups a week along with their great customer service and a dedicated employee or two at the ready to help anyone through a knitting pattern for a three hour knitting meetup.
Much is changing this we know. But the need to create along with the need of human connection never changes.
I hope I was not misunderstood in paying a well deserved tribute to Keepsake Quilting.
The Keepsake Quilting I spoke of is the one that existed before F+W Media purchased it.
Even when you got out of your car and started up the stars to that big white house, you could feel your Mastercard trying to escape from your wallet.
The smell of fabric, come on, you fabriholics know it, draws you in.
Once you get there, your done for.
That’s what KQ was like.
That’s why people and Quilt Guilds came from everywhere, to experience that high.
And that my friends happens in very few stores nowadays.
Now it’s filled with “Pineapples”.
I will miss this shop forever. So many fond memories. How can you buy fabric without touching? 😢
I am looking for the musical instrument stripe fabric. Hoping you have 3 yards.
Colorado fabrics had long arm quilting rental service. Is it located somewhere else? Did someone else take over that part of the business? I am interested in renting a long arm machine.