Some of you know I’ve been in Montreal with my husband, while he attended a scientific meeting.  While there, I (of course) had to do some fabric hunting.  I Googled “quilt shop.”  Nothing, or nothing that I could get to.  I read several Canadian quilters’ blogs and it got me wondering: how do they do it?

Then, after my button popped off my raincoat, I typed in “sewing supplies” and came up with Fabricville.  Bingo.

However, it’s NOT the entire building.  It’s the basement.  Here’s a shot through the window on the way down the stairs.  I wander around, find the button thread, some needles, then keep wandering as I think I see quilting cottons.

Yep.

They have their own line, but even on sale for 25% off, it’s still really pricey. Original price per meter is 14.99 Canadian dollars.  I admire those Canadian quilters even more!

The American Le Poulet line is $16.99 per meter. This is what I used to find when we went to Europe.  I’d hunt up a quilting shop (always supporting the independents, even when I travel), but because of import duties, shipping, and the terrible American dollar exchange rate, I’d choke when it came time to purchase fabric at the equivalent of 20 dollars per meter.  So I’d usually buy a pattern, or a stitchery/embroidery kit.

The exception was when we went to Japan, where I went to a shop with multiple floors, and there were lots and lots of things to choose from.  So, even though we’ve all paused a little at the price of cottons now, we are so fortunate to have access to an amazing variety here in the United States. I marvel at what else I can buy at the click of a mouse button–those hard-to-obtain Japanese fabrics are in multiple places, European fabrics can be bought here in the US.

What I want to know is where is that shop that will sell me more hours in my day?

Yesterday my friend and I went to LA to see the fabric district, and also went to the far side of LA to visit a new shop in town: Sew Modern Quilt Shop. It has clean, modern vibe to it and we found the fabric lines to be plentiful and very current.  Overall, we’d go there again in a minute if we lived closer (it took us an hour and half to get home), but I overheard the owner say to a friend that they were readying their online shopping presence.

Lots of fabrics and with the large windows out front, everything is well-lit and fun to browse.

This seating area is in the front.  Love the modern quilts hanging around the shop–good inspiration.

While we were there, a man came in on an errand from his wife.  He’d brought a scrap of fabric that she needed to match and they found it, cut it, and sent him on his way.  I got the sense that this shop does customer service really well.

There’s an “easiness” to this shop that encourages looking and discovering new fabric lines.  I saw Tula Pink’s new line, Horner’s Loulouthi and lots of other fresh, modern fabric lines.  Oh yes, I indulged, and came home with some brights.  The plan is to make some grocery shopping bags with the vibrant colors.

I enjoyed their clothing samples–both women and children–with some good ideas to branch out past the typical quilt construction and use these fabrics in our wardrobes.

They were hosting a Sewing Day Camp for a group of very lively children, who were enthusiastically working on all their projects.  I liked the energy level that they brought to the store, and really liked that Sew Modern was teaching the next generation and instilling in them a love of creativity and working with their hands.

Overall it was a terrific day in LA, capped off by this visit.  Thanks to Lauren Hawley, the owner, for allowing me to take photos of a place I’ll be visiting again.