Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza Picks Statesville for it's Venue
December 24, Statesville, NC.
The Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza will be held Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10 at the Statesville Civic Center, 300 South Center St., Statesville, NC 28677. The hours are 11 am - 5 pm on Friday and 9 am - 5 pm on Saturday. Admission is $3.00. The Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza features 24 shops under one roof that will interest any quilter, knitter, or fiber craftsperson. The show is organized by The Quilter's Gallery which is owned by Cindy Page and Patti Cline, sisters that operated their quilt shop in Charlotte for over 25 years. The purpose of the show is to help small needlework shops work together to promote business. The Page sisters chose Statesville as their location because of the easy access from
December 24, Statesville, NC.
The Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza will be held Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10 at the Statesville Civic Center, 300 South Center St., Statesville, NC 28677. The hours are 11 am - 5 pm on Friday and 9 am - 5 pm on Saturday. Admission is $3.00. The Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza features 24 shops under one roof that will interest any quilter, knitter, or fiber craftsperson. The show is organized by The Quilter's Gallery which is owned by Cindy Page and Patti Cline, sisters that operated their quilt shop in Charlotte for over 25 years. The purpose of the show is to help small needlework shops work together to promote business. The Page sisters chose Statesville as their location because of the easy access from
I-77 and 1-40. Knowing that many customers don't like the traffic in Charlotte, or even Mooresville, they chose to bring shops from Charlotte, Winston Salem, and Mooresville to the Statesville Civic Center. Several local shops will participate as well. With easy access and plenty of parking, the QNAE will pull customers from Asheville to Greensboro, and from the Virginia border to Rock Hill, SC. Customer can enjoy "green shopping" by saving gas and time, since all their favorite shops are in one accessible location.
Shoppers will find lots of fabric, both cottons and wools, as well as quilting supplies at the QNAE. Several dealers with sewing machines, embroidery machines and long arm quilting machines will be there as well. Knitters will find yarns and a variety of fibers. Shaker boxes, thimbles and buttons will round out the variety of merchandise. Some shops will have shop samples, quilt tops and quilts for sale.
As the economy slows down, small shops are the first to feel the pinch. Small entrepreneurs don't have a corporate pocketbook to carry them through tough times. A "shop hop" format provides small shops a focused, affordable retail event. "There is enough business for all of us, but we have to help each other, not compete with each other." says Shirley Bailey, co-owner of Sew Original, a Bernina sewing machine dealer, with shops in Winston Salem and Boone. "Having all the shops in one location helps make it more convenient for shoppers to see how each shop has it's own individual character. My philosophy is that if one of our customers is looking for an item that I don't carry we will direct them to another shop where we know they will find it. The more quilt shops we have, the better it is for the quilting community. When we're united, it's free advertising for each other." says Aimee Griffin, owner of Overall Quilter in Indian Trail, NC. "January is when quilters start a new project. The frenzy of the holidays is over, and we want to have something fun and creative to do inside. Sewers and knitters can't sit still. They need a project to be happy." says Brenda Arrowood, owner of Schoolhouse Quilts in Forest City, NC. Some of the shops have been around a while, but for some shops like Needle and Thread from Statesville, NC, this is their first experience at a retail trade show. They hope that exposure from this show will keep their doors open during this economic slowdown.
The Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza will offer shoppers a variety of merchandise. Quilters, knitters, jewelry makers, doll makers, smockers, and sewers will find something to entice them. Easy access makes this the perfect venue for some shoppers that have limited mobility, or are intimidated by metro area traffic.
Shoppers will find lots of fabric, both cottons and wools, as well as quilting supplies at the QNAE. Several dealers with sewing machines, embroidery machines and long arm quilting machines will be there as well. Knitters will find yarns and a variety of fibers. Shaker boxes, thimbles and buttons will round out the variety of merchandise. Some shops will have shop samples, quilt tops and quilts for sale.
As the economy slows down, small shops are the first to feel the pinch. Small entrepreneurs don't have a corporate pocketbook to carry them through tough times. A "shop hop" format provides small shops a focused, affordable retail event. "There is enough business for all of us, but we have to help each other, not compete with each other." says Shirley Bailey, co-owner of Sew Original, a Bernina sewing machine dealer, with shops in Winston Salem and Boone. "Having all the shops in one location helps make it more convenient for shoppers to see how each shop has it's own individual character. My philosophy is that if one of our customers is looking for an item that I don't carry we will direct them to another shop where we know they will find it. The more quilt shops we have, the better it is for the quilting community. When we're united, it's free advertising for each other." says Aimee Griffin, owner of Overall Quilter in Indian Trail, NC. "January is when quilters start a new project. The frenzy of the holidays is over, and we want to have something fun and creative to do inside. Sewers and knitters can't sit still. They need a project to be happy." says Brenda Arrowood, owner of Schoolhouse Quilts in Forest City, NC. Some of the shops have been around a while, but for some shops like Needle and Thread from Statesville, NC, this is their first experience at a retail trade show. They hope that exposure from this show will keep their doors open during this economic slowdown.
The Quilting and Needle Art Extravaganza will offer shoppers a variety of merchandise. Quilters, knitters, jewelry makers, doll makers, smockers, and sewers will find something to entice them. Easy access makes this the perfect venue for some shoppers that have limited mobility, or are intimidated by metro area traffic.
The Statesville Civic Center is located at the intersection of Front and Center Streets in downtown Statesville.
From Northbound I-77, take exit 49A and turn left on highway 70 to highway 115/21 (Center St.). Turn right and the Civic Center is on the left.
From Southbound I-77, take exit 50 and turn right on East Broad Street. Go straight into town and turn left on South Tradd Street then right on E. Front Street. At the light turn left and the Civic Center is on the right.
From I-40, take exit 150 and drive south on highways 115/21 (Also, known as Center St.). Travel one and a half miles and the civic center is on the right.
Sew Original is going to be one of the venders.
