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Date: 6/14/2022
WALES/BRIMFIELD – Quilting is a craft that has been around for decades. There are distinctive styles of quilts, stitching techniques and artistry tools.
Meeting House Fabric in Wales has been in business for 12 years. It is a quilt shop that sells various kinds of fabrics for quilting, sewing and crafting. Last year, they were featured in Better Homes & Gardens Quilt Sampling Magazine as one of the top 10 shops in the United States.
“We specialize in traditional reproduction fabrics for quilting,” said Owner Sheila Mae Chabot. “We design our own patterns and produce kits that include the pattern and all the fabrics to make a quilt or project. We sell them in the shop on Etsy and on our website.”
She continued, “We will run many “block of the month” programs where people can sign up and make a quilt over a period of nine months to 12 months.”
Chabot started the company because she always loved retail, fabric, and quilts. She ran a retail store in Palmer called Andrea’s Isle, selling Indian jewelry and artifacts. Chabot wanted to open a new store that would sell fabric and trim. The building was the former St. Monica’s Mission Church built in 1901 by Timothy J. Hynes of Wales. When the church decommissioned the building in 2007, Chabot bought it in 2009 and opened Meeting House Fabric in 2010.
Meeting House Fabric hosts classes for beginners, intermediate quilters and advanced-level quilters and sewers taught by Leslie Addicks and Lisa Marie Mikkola.
Addicks is a renowned quilter, who has won several awards for her quilts. She started teaching at the shop this past year; specializing in traditional/reproduction quilting, selecting fabrics that are by designers that specialize in reproducing 1700 and 1800s fabrics. Presently, Addicks is hosting a Quilters book club and an in-shop Log Cabin Club that explores the history of the block and dozens of ways to use it to create extraordinary patterns for quilts.
Mikkola is currently hosting several different classes at Meeting House Fabric – one called “Teach Me to Make My First Quilt” teaches first time quilters all the basics they need to start making handmade quilts and projects. She also runs the shop’s “Block of the Month” programs which are projects broken up into several months and participants are able to create a finished project by the end of the program.
Chabot’s sister, Kathy Bodzioch, has worked beside her since the beginning. She is an avid quilter and runs a group on the shop’s Facebook page called “Meeting House Fabric Links You” that leads customers to links for free patterns, tutorials, what is trending and what is new.
Janet McDonald hosts their “SewAway” retreats. These are three-day retreats that take place at the local American Legion in Sturbridge each month to help support programs offered by the post. Lucie Satkowski is the shop’s machine quilter, and she offers a drop off and pick up service to quilters that need machine finishing on their quilts.
Lastly Patti Flannery hosts events at the shop and is their go-to woman for small sewing projects.
“I love designing it’s my favorite thing,” Chabot responded. “I like that I can design a new quilt and watch my team create it. I love the entire process and I’m proud of the accomplishments that we’ve all made in this process.”
Meeting House Fabric is located on 83 Main St. in Wales. Their hours are Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. To sign up for classes, go to www.meetinghousefabric.com. For any questions, call 245-1235.
Carolyn’s Creations is a home-based quilt shop selling cotton fabrics for quilting. Owner Carolyn Koska has been quilting for over 20 years. Initially, it was a sewing room that she rebuilt and turned it into a shop.
Koska teaches classes in her shop on how to make quilts.
“I just love quilting,” Koska shared. “People would come and want to know different stuff, so I decided to put it to work. I love to get people to learn how to quilt.”
Carolyn’s Creations is located at 149 East Hill Rd. in Brimfield and is open daily 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Those interested in signing up for classes call at 245-3662.