My local quilt shop: Quilts on Broadway

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I’ve been so excited to share this post with you because it’s about one of my favorite quilting people, Barb Erickson.  Barb is the owner of my local quilt shop, Quilts on Broadway,  in Foley, MN.  When we moved to Foley 10 years ago, one of the first things I did in my new town was check out the local quilt shop.  I remember that day vividly, and I recall going home and telling my husband, “YES!  There is a great little quilt shop in town and the owner was so nice!”  Any of you who have moved will know what I mean.  Finding a quilt shop in a new town ranks right up there with finding the new doctor, dentist and grocery store!

My relationship with Barb has grown over the years and I feel so fortunate to call her my quilting friend.  She is knowledgeable, talented, experienced and professional.  Barb’s primary focus is on her customers, to the degree that I wonder if she ever finds the time to sew for fun! 

A Foley Native

Barb is a native of Foley and is a respiratory therapist by trade.  She graduated in 1993 from Northwest Technical College and worked in hospitals and home care settings for several years. Barb and her husband Fred have two sons, Ben and Jeff, and two spoiled cats, Wilma and Pebbles. After several rewarding years in the healthcare field, Barb decided that it was time to change gears professionally.

Sewing at an early age

Barb has been sewing since she was a child and was taught by her mom, Thelma.  She made her first quilt when she was 11 years old.  It was a 4-H project that won a purple ribbon at the county fair.  Barb describes it as “a simple queen sized quilt made of 3” squares.  They were not all cotton and the seams didn’t match.”  But it really is a treasure!  It was so much fun to look at this fabulous quilt with Barb.  (We both felt a major 1970s vibe hitting us!)  The young Barb used scraps of every kind to make this quilt, including corduroy and even drapery fabric.  


The first garment Barb sewed was a wrap dress, the kind with three armholes which some of you may recall making.  By fourth grade she was able to sew in collars and cuffs, sleeves and buttonholes.  With that wealth of experience and her love of sewing, it is no wonder she pursued the dream of owning her own quilt shop and opened Quilts on Broadway in Foley in January of 2006.  I met Barb in July of that year.

Quilts on Broadway: Open for Business

Those precuts Barb worried would never sell
have become a nice part of her sales.
The quilt shop I walked into 10 years ago was Barb’s first location for Quilts on Broadway.  That shop was a whopping 750 square feet and Barb thinks she had maybe 250 bolts of fabric.  Moda and RJR were her primary fabric distributors at the time, but she did a lot of research and listened to her customers and her offerings grew over the years.  She recalls that when charm packs first came out, she thought they were priced too high and customers would never buy them. 😉

Making a move to double square footage

In 2010 Barb moved a few blocks south to a larger location in downtown Foley, doubling her square footage.  In the spring of that year she added a Gammill longarm so that she could offer longarm quilting services.  That business grew substantially over the years.  I asked Barb to do a count of how many quilts (large and small) she has done for me since 2010, but I’m thinking it’s better if I don’t know the answer to that . . . especially if my husband reads this post!

Today\’s home of Quilts on Broadway

As the longarm quilting business grew, Barb once again found herself without enough space.  So in January of this year, she moved two blocks west to a much larger historic building on Dewey Street in downtown Foley. Over the decades, this brick building had been home to several types of businesses, including a livery, a garage, a doctor’s office, a mercantile and a car dealership. After much hard work and extensive renovations in January and February, Quilts on Broadway reopened in a space that now boasts a large classroom, new rest rooms, a sitting room, and an office area . . . all in addition to the fabric shop area and the longarm room.  Barb’s son Jeff did a lion\’s share of the physical work, but her helpful husband Fred, parents Thelma and Don, and several good friends pitched in with the renovations and the inventory move, which included over 1,200 bolts of fabric and hundreds of books, patterns, notions and so much more!

A lovely place for your \”driver\” to wait while you shop!
The new building has allowed her to schedule several new class offerings, an open sew time, a Saturday morning social hour and a block of the month club.  She also has a group of people doing a quilt along using Jen Kingwell’s “My Small World” pattern.

The classroom is set up to run several sewing machines and irons simultaneously,
and includes a counter bar for coffee and snacks.
Quilts on Broadway is a brick and mortar shop, with no online sales at the moment.  If you are in central Minnesota, I hope you will visit Barb’s shop.  You will be so glad you did!  And if your husband is tagging along, he can hang out in the sitting area and watch TV!  Barb will be updating her website soon, but the building renovations, move-in, and opening for her customers had to take priority.  I hope you enjoy the photos of her new space posted here today.

 
Barb has been so generous with me over the years, sharing her ideas and knowledge of the quilting industry.  Last summer I shared one of my favorite quilting experiences, in which Barb played a large part . . . My 8-month Aloha Girl Journey. I received a very nice Christmas gift certificate to Quilts on Broadway from my husband so that I could purchase a WHOLE LOT of Aloha Girl fabric (Fig Tree & Company).  Barb even let me sit in on her meeting with her Moda Rep just so I could see this beautiful fabric in person before it was released ~ what a thrill!

After making several Aloha Girl projects, I have finally used the last bit of that fabric and made a quilt for myself, which of course Barb quilted.  I love everything about this quilt, mostly because it was built on so many lovely moments!

To close, Barb and I would like to share some loveliness with you as well.  We are offering a give-away of an Aloha Girl charm pack and two mini charms.  All you need to do is leave a comment below and you\’ll be entered. (Please include your email address.) Comments are open through 5:00 pm (CST) on Monday, April 11.  At that time, I will do a random drawing and announce the winner.   *Only one comment per person/per email address.  Email me if you are having trouble leaving a comment and I will leave a comment on your behalf. (carriedawayquilting@gmail.com)


Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today.  Hats off to all our local quilt shop owners who provide such a rich boost to our lives and communities!

~Taunja


100 thoughts on “My local quilt shop: Quilts on Broadway”

  5. There's nothing I like better than strolling through a quilt shop drinking in all the pretty fabric! There's just something about getting to look and touch to help dream up a new project! Thanks for the chance! Vanessa Swedie61@gmail.com

    Reply

  6. What a lovely post about your dear friend Barb. Let's give a shout out to all of our wonderful local quilt shop owners! koaks2000 at yahoo dot com

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  13. I love fig tree fabrics, your quilt is gorgeous. You are right, it is important to have a good quilt shop wherever you live!

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  15. Wonderful article about the owner, Barb and her lovely quilt shop/business. It is obvious that she is dear to you and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. Thanks for sharing this today. Would love ANY Fig Tree fabric!

    Reply

  17. I love your post about your LQS. Living in South Dakota, my LQS is an hour away and I would be so sad if I didn't have dear Tina at Dutch Rose in Sioux Falls for all the newest fabrics on display, great ideas and wonderful encouragement to try something new. Our LQS should always be our first place to shop. cotall@alliancecom.net

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  19. The Aloha Girl fabric is lovely. And I love the organization of the shop! So tidy and full of beautiful fabrics. Thanks for sharing!

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  20. HELLO, what a sweet giveaway!Thanks for your post! Thank You!msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  31. Your quilt is beautiful and once again you used fabrics that speak my language!!!! ��Pretty fabrics make such lovely quilts!���� thanks for the chance to sew with these beauties!! Chris @ Chris.odorisio@gmail. Com

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  32. Thank you for sharing your LQS! What fun to have such a great resource in your town! I love your comments about pre-cuts…I just love charm squares and layer cakes…Not to mention jelly rolls….!!Anita.Sharp@Gmail.com. What a great giveaway! Thanks!!

    Reply

  33. What a great article. Love barb to pieces. When I wondered into her first shop all by myself after losing my quilting buddy to brain cancer she instantly took me in and found many good Foley friends for me even though I was from Sauk Rapids. I owe my quilting growth to her.

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  44. So nice to hear of a wonderful quilt shop prospering and growing! Congratulations! And your quilt is so beautiful which it can't help but be with the wonderful Fig Tree fabrics ❤️ I've been a fan for awhile myself.

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  49. I love Aloha Girl and your quilts! It 's so nice that you showcased your local quilt shop. I love my quilt shop, Quilts Plus in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I took my first quilt class there ! They are gems!

    Reply

  50. What a nice shop and your quilt is just lovely. I think we all fall in love with a particular fabric collection at times!amyork13atgmaildotcom

    Reply

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