We're excited to share our Q&A series featuring exemplary quilt and fabric shops all around the country that sell Shannon Fabrics products. To nominate a shop in your area, please let us know in the comment section below. #shoplocal
What do you do when you can’t find the fabric you need? For Liz Schedeler, the obvious answer was simply to open up her own fabric shop!
She started humbly, with only 500 bolts of fabric, but her shop has grown to now offer the largest selection of fabric in the entire state of New Hampshire. Her staff of 12 people lives and breathes all things sewing and fabric, and loves inspiring their customers to try new things and learn new skills.
This spring, our National Educator Teresa Coates (and Hawke, of course) will be stopping by for the final episode of Season 9 of Sew Together Tuesday to broadcast LIVE from the Bits ‘n Pieces Quilt Shop floor (she’ll be teaching a couple workshops, too)! Click here for more details and information about our Sew Together Tuesday series.
To learn more about and see the latest from Bits ‘N Pieces Quilt Shop, visit their website, stop by their shop in Pelham, NH, give them a call at 603-635-9705 or email owner Liz Schedeler at liz@bnpquilts.com.
SF: What is the history of your shop?
BNP: We opened the shop in September of 2002. There were no fabric shops in the area and I saw a need to fill this gap. I wanted to find moose fabric to make a quilt and could not find any, so I decided to open a store so I could provide fabric to the locals to make quilts and stuff.
SF: How has your shop evolved over the years? What caused the evolution?
BNP: Our shop has gone from carrying just over 500 bolts with three employees, to carrying over 12,000 bolts and 12 employees. We are the largest quilt shop in New Hampshire.
SF: Tell us one thing people might not know about your shop.
BNP: We carry a lot of Shannon Fabrics Cuddle®.
SF: What’s your shop’s motto or tagline?
BNP: If you can’t find it here, you can't find it anywhere!
SF: Describe your shop’s aesthetic in five words or less.
BNP: Warm and welcoming!
SF: What’s unique about your shop?
BNP: Our team of great employees who take pride in their work and love to help customers.
SF: What is your best-selling Shannon Fabrics product?
BNP: Cuddle® 3 solids!
SF: Do you sell online? If so, how long have you been selling online and what have you learned?
BNP: We’ve sold online at least 13 years, and we have learned to ship quickly and communicate well with our online customers.
SF: What top projects are on the “must make” list right now in your shop?
BNP: New Cuddle® self-binding blankets, new infinity scarf colors, finished samples.
SF: What do you love most about creating (or seeing customers create) DIY projects with the fabrics you sell?
BNP: Getting the customer excited about new samples projects that we have made.
SF: What current quilting, sewing or crafting trends inspires you? Where do you get your inspiration?
BNP: We get our inspiration from trade magazines, online blogs and ebooks with fabric, the newsletter from Shannon Fabrics, trade shows and newsletters.
SF: What’s next for your shop?
BNP: More classes in store and online, more demo techniques online and more of the online social selling via comment sold.
SF: Is there anything else you would like us to know or share about you or your business?
BNP: We love our customers and we love Shannon Fabrics Cuddle® — we want our customers to love Cuddle® as much as we do!
If you have any questions about Cuddle® minky plush fabrics or any of our Cuddle® Kits, feel free to contact our friendly, no-pressure customer service team at 866-624-5252.
Ready to start creating with Cuddle® minky fabric? Use our store locator to find a selection of Cuddle® minky fabric online or near you.