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Where Quilters Create – Creations at Kerrville

I had visited Creations several years ago as part of a brief tour when I was teaching nearby.  With only a short while to visit the shop, I had little idea what I missed.  Now, however, I was right across the parking lot for 4 full days.  Four wonderful days in which to explore and create!  After all that’s what Creations, owned by Julie Milam and Kathy Thompson, is all about. They established the shop in 1978 and have specialized in fabric for quilters and sewing enthusiasts for the past 36 years!  And, what a job they do!  It must be Heaven in a Quilted World!

Creations at Kerrville

Creations at Kerrville

Kathy and Julie remodeled a Victorian House right on Main Street in Kerrville, TX, about 60 miles outside of San Antonio.  With 20,000 residents, one might wonder how they manage to make it.  Stay tuned and you will see!  It is wonderment from the very second one steps inside the doors and is immediately greeted by a smiling and helpful staff member.  Then, there is the FABRIC!  OH, so much FABRIC!

Kaffe Fasset Fabrics

Kaffe Fassett Fabrics

Each room in the Victorian House is filled with treasures, and each room has a style all its own.  This particular room held a selection of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, which are nice.  But what you should notice are the tiny little Fat Quarter shelves at each end row of bolts.  All throughout the store, each fabric section has its very own stack of Fat Quarters. And the Fat Quarters are of the same fabrics that are available on the bolts, not end cuts of fabrics no longer available.  What a huge difference that made!  My students and I could sample all the fabrics by pulling a selection of Fat Quarters!  Oh, my!  This was looking dangerous.

More Cottons and More Fat Quarters

More Cottons and More Fat Quarters

Everywhere there were bolts, there were Fat Quarters.  My students and I walked back and forth across that parking lot many times each day, each time finding more treasures. Sometimes most of my students were in the shop and not in the classroom!   I learned that every single time a new bolt of fabric arrives, the staff cuts Fat Quarters for the mini-shelves.  Thus, all the Fat Quarters have mates that are in full bolt mode.

More Cool Fat Quarter Arrangements

More Cool Fat Quarter Arrangements

And, the staff, many of whom have been there 20 years or more, were especially helpful!  While we were perusing the bolts, our sales assistant made this nice arrangement of Fat Quarters to match!  Definitely Dangerous Territory!

Student, Kate Premeaux buys Fat Quarters

Student, Kate Premeaux, buys Fat Quarters

Kate Premeaux found this terrific purple and lime green geometric print (in the background) and wanted fabrics to complement it.  Look what we found – a whole rainbow run in Fat Quarters.  By the way, in case you were wondering, Creations was packed with customers all day, every day.  The license plates of the cars in the parking lot read like a Who’s Who of different state, ranging from Florida to Oregon!  It is clear that Creations is a Destination Quilt Shop.

Rainbow Run on Counter

Rainbow Run on Counter

I got this great idea to make a Rainbow Run for myself, not to sew with, but to use in my Color and Contrast in Quilting class.  What fun I had pulling fat quarters! All of the cutting tables were full with crowds around each one, so there wasn’t anywhere to spread out and colorize my array of Fat Quarters, except for the counter in front of the cash registers!  I arrayed.

Making the Rainbow Run

Making the Rainbow Run

Because there is such a wide selection, I was able to have a lot of fun playing.  Gail Barnett, another student, wandered over to take a photo of the Rainbow Run.  And then .  . .

Mine All Mine

Mine All Mine

Susie Moore, another student, wandered through the door.  She said, “Oh, my!  Did you do that?  OHHHHHH!”  I asked if she’d like to have one of the Rainbow Runs and, of course, one went home with her.  If you are in my Color Class at Quilt Festival in Houston this year, we will practice working the Rainbow Run with the Fat Quarters I brought home.

And Creations?  Well, they are probably busy cutting more Fat Quarters because they were darned near out by the time we left!!!! If you are anywhere near this shop, be sure to stop by to play with their Fat Quarters .  .  . and more!

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