Stop 1: Bittersweet Quilt Shop

It’s now been just over a year since JoAnn Fabrics went bankrupt and closed down. The Lamentations have been loud and prolonged. It’s certainly true that the death of that enormous chain has left a hole in the landscape.

If I am to be entirely honest, however, I can’t say that I miss it all that much. As one of the employees there once said to me, “You’re looking for genuine dressmakers supplies. JoAnn is now the Dollar Store of fabrics. You’re not the target market.”

What I do lament, however, is the loss over a much longer time frame of the smaller, more focused fabric stores that used to dot the landscape. Williamston Fabrics, that carried high end tailoring fabrics. Silks, genuine cotton shirings, wool suitings, and even English cotton net. Davison Fabrics and Victoria’s, in Port Huron, which both focused on heirloom sewing supplies like fine cotton lawns, French laces, and Swiss embroideries. These and many others faded away, squeezed out of the market by a combination of megachains like JoAnn, specialty quilt shops, and a general decline in home garment sewing. Even the old, smaller chains like House of Fabrics and Frank’s Nursery and Crafts have fallen by the wayside.

Most of the people mourning the loss of JoAnn are bereft of a place to find inexpensive fabrics and a profusion of notions and supplies of similar quality. Which is to say, fairly low. I miss being able to lay hands on and assess the drape of fabrics to make items that will last, rather than supplies for a booth at the next craft show and sale. At the same time, my craft plans have also changed. They’ve gotten even more obscure, I will admit. The internet, sadly, is often my only option.

But not always. There are still a few things I can find, if not locally, at least via a road trip. Wandering around the countryside, I’ve happened across the occasional gem of a shop that carries a few supplies that would never have graced the shelves at JoAnn. I invite you to come along with me, as I explore what I have dubbed The Michigan Heritage Craft Trail. At the moment, it’s not so much a trail as it is a few dots on a map. I’ll share them with you, and maybe we can put together a map when we’re done. Although the “path” will be dependent on where you’re planning to start, and to finish.

This weekend, I decided to buy a guide to the All Michigan Quilt Shop Hop. I have no intention of trying to finish the Hop, itself. Or even one of the regions. But the book is a useful guide to all the quilt shops in Michigan. That book led me to shop number one on the list:

Bittersweet Quilt Shop

Pinconning, MI

This darling little shop is housed in an old church. (Sidenote: The Michigan Heritage Craft Trail is likely to include some sidetrips to actual historic sites. This one is a two-fer.) It’s charming, and quite a bit larger inside than you might expect. The entry way has a couple little sections devoted to wide backings, Maileg mice, and another for all things Tilda.

I freely admit that part of why this shop caught my heart is that the fabric selections run very much in line with my tastes. It’s not hyper-modern, as a lot of shops are these days, especially if you’re nearer an urban center. Nor is it “kittens and cabbage roses.” Instead, the shelves are stocked with lots of Lori Holt, Laundry Basket, and other collections that manage to take traditional patterns and sophisticated color palettes and put a fresh spin on them.

There are also offerings that I don’t see in many places: a smattering of Poppie Cotton, Lewis and Irene, and Lumin. There are lots of models to inspire, and too many notions, trims, and accessories to take in during a single visit.

I did find, among the rows of bolts, “Alice’s Country Diary Quilt,” —the book, templates, papers, and a fabric kit. The kit was not the Liberty fabrics in the book, but a shop-curated set of fabrics that was really lovely. I was tempted, but hadn’t really budgeted for that sort of spontaneous purchase. I did get the book.

I also came home with a couple other small tidbits. And discovered that Bittersweet has a fun program. Since I’d made a purchase over $25, I got a free Charm of the Month for a scissors fob. Naturally, I also bought the Charm fob. And the charms from May and June, since they had a few left. Now I’m debating about planning a return trip for August’s.

All of which makes this an excellent quilt shop. But what earned Bittersweet’s spot on my Michigan Heritage Craft Trail was the section of the store devoted to much less common materials. To whit: wool fabrics, Valdani threads, wool applique patterns, and a tiny area of punch needle supplies. These goodies are less common to start with, and since Pressing Matters in Holland is gone and Attic Windows has contracted it’s offerings, even harder to find.

Trust me, it’s a wealth of rich colors—the corner was a little dark, so my camera washed them out just a bit.

I’d have spent more time (and money), but I did have my youngest daughter in tow. She was being reasonable, but developmental disabilities are what they are and her patience isn’t infinite. I did hear a snippet of conversation among the shop staff and other patrons about teachers, Autsim, and its challenges. Thank you, ladies, for your patience.

There you have it: Stop 1 –

Bittersweet Quilt Shop
624 West Fifth Street
Pinconning, MI 48650

As a brief aside, since I was in the general area, I also stopped at Frankenmuth Woolen Mill. While a charming store, their selection of “quilting” supplies is a small corner of fabric. They did not have wool quilt batts, at least not on display. Nor larger quantities of wool for felting. It’s maybe worth a visit if you’re doing the Frankenmuth tourist thing, but not a special trip.