Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Three-and-a-half years after first opening its doors, Deb Ann’s Fabrics in Hillsboro has expanded its business – in square footage and products.
To celebrate the completion of the expansion, owner Deb Ann Walker held an open house Friday and Saturday.
Walker opened the business in 2011 when she saw a need in the community for quilting and sewing supplies.
“I got tired of having to travel every time I needed to finish something I was sewing, so I decided we needed a place close to get supplies,” Walker said.
In the beginning, she just sewed, but being around the quilting supplies and skilled quilters of Pocahontas County led Walker to join the crowd.
“I didn’t quilt until I started this,” she said. “I thought it was a lot harder than it is, as far as cutting out all the pieces and everything. I’ve learned different types of things and styles.”
Along with selling fabric, designs and notions, the shop has an accuquilt cutter which uses dies to cut patterns.
“You can cut a lot of stuff at one time,” she said. “It’s a lot easier to cut out a quilt. We can cut out a quilt for people in about forty-five minutes. It can cut through ten pieces of fabric at once.”
The shop has also started a Quilt Block of the Month Club.
“It’s $25 for the first month – that gives you your first two blocks and the instructions for all of them,” Walker explained. “Then you come back every month and get two new blocks and I give you quick instructions, and you take them home. You get them completely cut out in the colors that we have. When you’re finished, you have twelve blocks that coordinate so you can put them together in a quilt.”
During the open house, Artcents owner Diana Beverage, of Edray, and Bonnie McLaughlin, of Droop, discussed the styles of quilts they make.
Beverage designs her own quilts and uses a machine to make intricate details, while McLaughlin was taught by her mother and grandmother to hand quilt – a skill she has honed for the past 30 years.
Members of the Yellow Creek Quilters were on hand with scissor sharpeners and sewing machine cleaning supplies.
There was also a drawing for several door prizes. Winners were: Cheryl Dean, Bonnie McLaughlin, Brenda Mann, Suzanne Stewart, Josh Barkley, Cheri Hawkins and Sue Hollandsworth. The grand prize winner was Shirley Hutchison. Hutchison won $50 off a quilt from the Yellow Creek Quilters in Calhoun County.
Deb Ann’s Fabrics is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located just off Rt. 219 in Hillsboro and is part of Burton Enterprises.