Thank you to all who entered our giveaway and gave us so many wonderful ideas on how to make our new shop a success! So who's the lucky winner ........ #17 Margie C! Congrats, Margie! We will be in touch shortly.
Even though the giveaway is now closed, we'd love to hear more suggestions. Our goal is to make Lola Pink Fabrics fabulous and we could use your help! The comments received so far have been great and are definitely making us think about how we want the shop set up. Keep them coming!!
I cannot believe we are finally able to make our announcement!! It has been a LONG few months for us filled with stress, worry, excitement, fear, hopefulness, you name it .. we've probably felt it. And now the deal is done, papers have been signed, money paid ... oh my ... did we really just do this?? What in the world were we thinking?? I think I might throw up ........ OK ... don't pass out ... still have the announcement to make .......
To enter our Sugar & Spice giveaway, just comment below and we'd love if you'd share a bit of advice or tell us what you love most about your local fabric shop. A winner will be chosen Tuesday, April 5th around 8pm. (One entry per person please.)
So that's it ... our big announcement.Whew! Thank you to all our kind friends who offered up support during the trying and often comical process that led us to this point. We will be working hard to make our Lola Pink shop a place that people love and hope you all can come visit us!
Much love and big thanks!
72 comments:
Yahooooooo! Heartfelt congratulations on this next chapter of Lola Pink's journey! May your energy be boundless over the next few weeks (and beyond)! hi-five ladies!!
Oh, this is so exciting! Congratulations to you two, and I'm sure you're going to have a wonderful time, even amidst all the hard work, getting your shop ready to go!
Congratulations girls!! I am so very excited and happy for you!!! Hopefully I can stop in and visit someday. So awesome to see your dreams coming true!! hugs and love, Nicole
Congratulations! That must be really, really exciting for you!! And a bit scary, too!
I am so excited for you guys, and the location is GREAT! I can't wait to stop by and visit (and buy fabric!)
What do I love the most about a local fabric shop? I don't know...I've never been to a good real one!
Congrats! What I like about the 2 quilting shops by me is the classes, I love classes.
Excellent, and best of luck to you! My fave quilt shop has great PR skills! Friendly and always willing to help. It's not a real pretty place to visit, in an old mill building, but I get treated with respect and friendliness!
Congratulations and thanks for the chance to win!
My advice - greet and help everyone who walks in, not just buddies. My local shop doesn't do that and I find it harder and harder to go back. I'm sure you won't have that problem, though. :)
Congrats, Congrats, Congrats!!! :) I will tell you this; I would love it if my LQS had more trendy fabrics like you do online!!! I may have to make the drive from Houston to come and visit your fun store when you are up and running! congrats again!
sally AT sallysangelworks DOT com
I know you must be so excited! I'm excited for you! I like it when a quilt shops makes an "opening day" event out of a new class schedule: meet the teachers, present the projects, little snacks etc. It provides a fun community.
Carry lots of bundles and precuts in your shop! That's what I find the most lacking in lqs nearby... And good luck!
Congrats!!! I don't like my LQS because they are not friendly people at all - I am surprised they are still in business. However my other LQS which is 100 miles away I love because they are super friendly and helpful
Congratulations! Love the fabrics you carry!
Congratulations! What I love most about my LQS is that they have lots of "Daylight" bulbs, so that you can see the true color of the fabric. It's wonderful! Also, I'm obsessed with the great deals I can get in the remnant bin! Can't wait to see pictures of the shop!
Congratulations! I wish you tons of success in your new space!
Congrats!! I like being able to touch & feel and classes!!
Congratulations to you! How exciting!
When I visit my local shop, I love the secret stash bin they have in the back. scraps galore! Heaven shopping :)
Good luck with your new adventure!
hugs, margie
Congratulations on the new store! I like that one local store has all the fat quarters placed on top of the shelves holding the bolts. Makes it very easy to find if I only need a fat quarter.
Congrats!! Hope to be able to come visit!! I wish my LQS carried more modern fabrics and pre-cuts.
Can't wait to see pics as the process unfolds.
(Iamsweetteamom)
Yay, congrats!! As a non-local, very excited that you will have an even wider range of items in stock. One of the best things I like for a local quilt shop is to have lots of fat quarters already cut... Oh, and a comfy waiting area for the husbands :)
wow...that is awesome!!!
I really love the mix of things in my local shop- clothing, accessories, quilts, tyoys..just makes my mojo go into overdirive
don't worry..you'll still have me online!
Be welcoming! The worst thing about some quilt shops is when I get treated poorly for whatever reason. That's when I take my money elsewhere. I'm sure, though, you'll have the happiest darn staff- I'd have a sore face from smiling if I worked for you!
Well Congratulations and best of luck. My local fabric shop is actually a craft shop. What Kim lacks in fabric she makes up with helpfulness. She can tell you how much fabric you need for a border, a back or just an accent in just seconds. She is such a good person I would love to do all my business there but she just doesn't have enough fabric :) Good luck to all in the giveaway too. k.bugbee@att.net
Great Customer Service with a big smile is always key! :)
Congratulations and best of luck to you!!!
Congrats and best of luck! How exciting for you!
My local fabric shop is owned by a friend, I like that she's very friendly and helpful whether she knows you or not. She makes people feel at home. I do wish that she had a few more contemporary fabrics,some are a little too traditional for me.
wow! great news ... there i nothing like seeing fabric live!
Congratulations... Wish you opened up in Sweden instead...lol.. Really long for a shop to shop in... So I still hope you will continue the online shopping ... And remember to start your day with a smile ... It will make your customers HAPPY!!!
Good luck!!
Can't wait to visit when I am in town visiting family. So
Strange that I just happened yon your site looking for a pattern and now to
Find out you will have a store deep in the heart of Cajun country. Very excited
Congratulations, but oh so jealous of those of you that live in Louisiana! Might definitely be worth a road trip!
Congratulations!! Oh how I wish I lived close, I would LOVE to have a family run fabric shop I could go to, not some impersonal chain. Good luck to you this sounds like an awesome adventure!
How exciting! At my LQS I love all of the samples with names of the patterns used next to them!
Congratulations! So exciting!
I don't actually have a local quilt shop but wish I had one so that I could see the fabrics before having to buy them :)
Other then that, great customer service is always appreciated! I have one wool fabric store nearby and one of the ladies is quite rude, another one is always following me around the store, so that I make sure to only be there when the third lady is in. It sounds totall imature but otherwise I feel like an intruder...
That's so exciting ~ CONGRATS! Our local store does a "Quilt till you Wilt" once a month on a Friday from 6pm-midnight for $10. You bring your own machine and projects, use their cutting tables, and get a drink and pizza dinner. And you can take a break at any time to shop :)
All the best as you prepare for your opening!
ourbusylittlebunch(at)hotmail(dot)com
Congratulations! What an exciting time for you!
Im fortunate enough to have several LQS and the one that gets my business is friendly and interested in me/my projects. The ones that dont are unfortunately biased against modern quilters and treat younger customers rudely. I think its important to strike a balance between both. Good luck!
amy(at)accidentalcrafter(dot)com
So exciting! Congratulations!
Many congrats! What an exciting opportunity!
I love just being able to appreciate fabrics first hand in our local quilt store- something about seeing (and touching!) in person inspires so many projects than just seeing online. I really wish our local shop had a sort of comfortable feel- maybe a loungy, coffee drinking area to peruse sewing books and magazines (not the ones for sell). I tend to feel a bit rushed & pressured, when really I just want to relax and soak up all the fabric goodness :)
best of luck to you!
J + J!! So happy for you guys - what an adventure! As small business owners ourselves, my hubby and I know ALL of the emotions you're feeling. So proud of you to have taken the risk - it takes guts to do this!
My favorite LQS is actually one that's very heavy on traditional fabrics, but I love to go in and look at pattern books and notions and chat with the older ladies (and men) who hang out there. They are incredibly friendly and supportive of everyone's style and skill level and make you feel like you're the only person in the world they want to talk to. It's a warm fuzzy I don't get anywhere else.
Best wishes for oodles of success, ladies!
Well, good for you! I wish you great success.
My favorite quilt shop has oodles of samples with great color options, lots of classes where I learn all kinds of cool tricks to improve on the pattern designers' explanations, and fun opportunities to meet other quilters, like the Easy as Pie class that meets quarterly from 6 pm -midnight, with door prizes, pizza, and show and tell.
Leslie S. in MN
esclante at comcast dot net
oops, I forgot to say what I like about my fave local shop, I was so excited, lol. Well, obviously creative display melts my butter, which I know you ladies will have no problem with, and my fave local shop does fun monthly sales...sometimes by color, i.e.-10% off anything with yellow in it, and they always put your name in a drawing for a monthly prize/giveaway if you opt to not use a plastic bag at checkout, and either carry your stuff out, or use your own reusable bag. xoxo
I like friendliness of my LQS and of course the selection ;)
Congratulations on your new venture, I hope it's a big success!
I like the section of the fabric store that sells big remnants by weight - I love a bargain. It doesn't sell modern quilting fabrics though so I buy them online.
Service with a smile and helpful people who know what they're talking about would get my return business :)
Thanks for the lovely giveaway!
Congratulations! I love the fabric you stock online, I have a commitment to only buy fabric from online stores that only have actual store fronts. I will be placing orders soon!
Congrats on your new store! Best of luck to you :)
My only advice would be, make your customers feel welcome. Quilters come in all ages & genders, as well as abilities. Have a shop that makes everyone feel welcome, & you'll have a booming trade in no time!
Congratulations! What a scary but exciting time for you! Love that pink and green colorway, so cute! I'm all about unique selections in a local shop, even better if there are things that I won't be able to find other places (of course I'm terribly biased that they are the best if they carry my ceramic buttons!)
Congratulations!! How exciting! I only wish I lived closer. :) My favorite part about my local quilt shop is the variety of classes offered. And there is something so wonderful about strolling through rows of fabric that an online store can't give you. Still, I'll be stopping here for those fabrics that my local store doesn't get in! :D
Congratulations! And what beautiful fabrics!
Unfortunately there is no quilt shop in my city, there used to be one that was so nice. The smell of fresh tea and the beautiful colors... Good memories :o)
So exciting! I love being able to take a variety of classes, I miss my favorite local quilt shop that closed 3 months ago.
Congratulations - how exciting for you! I love the red colorway. I love the friendly, non-pushy salespeople at my local fabric store.
Félicitation Mesdames and merci for the giveaway!!!
Maybe someday we will meet in flesh and bones in your shop (but with 3 young kids I can say that it is not for tomorow...)!
It's always a pleasure buying at Lola Pink Fabrics!
Congratulations! I've never been to my local LQS, but I LOVE my regional LQS because it has an amazing selection of fabric and equally amazing prices.
Best of luck to you! Retail is a hard way to make a living, but if you love the product you sell and people, it can be very rewarding.
We have 4 quilt shops within driving distance of where I live--only one offers much of a choice of more contemporary fabrics. One thing that makes me want to visit is a friendly open atmosphere---there is one shop where the staff seems to have a little inside conversation going on every time I visit and I almost feel like I am interrupting. My two favorite shops always greet me and offer help, but let me look --without "stalking" me--and if I make a purchase, seem intersted in what my project is.
I buy a lot online and my favorite shops now seem to remember me, and always seem to know what I have purchased and seem to almost have a personal interest in what I am making.
Good luck to you! I hope that you find it is all you hope for!
I was much in love with 2 local quilt shops, but my loyalty was swayed to one in particular for a couple reasons. First, they offer a monthly block class before the shop opens, and if you are part of the class, you get an hour to shop before the shop opens, and they make sure to speak one-on-one with every person who was there for the class. This is wonderful for a "newer" quilter like me who needs LOTS of encouragement. Second, they offer open needle nights - where you can go and sew with other quilters for no fee, and chat and drink tea, and be without kids... for a couple hours on a friday nigth. PRICELESS! And it's FREE Which means I can do it even when I am feeling really poor, and can take that $10 I would have spent to sew at the other shop and buy some little goody like a fat quarter or 2!
Good luck on your new venture! Although I am in NH, my sister-in-law in near you, and I will have her on the watch for your openning.
Marcy - marcy_ort@hotmail.com
Contests and thanks for the giveaway!
What I love most about my local fabric shop is the small play area they have for kids. I can go in, drop my girls by the toys and then keep an ear out for them as I browse. I get to shop a little longer and with a clearer head than I would if they were squirming in the stroller. simplybeu@gmail.com
congrats, what a wonderful adventure to go on. What I love about my local fabric store is that the owner will lend me just about anything I have had need for.
Thanks so much for the giveaway!! These fabrics are beautiful! My closest LQS (quiltsbyphyllis.blogspot.com) is awesome. It's like going to quilt club almost. There's always a bunch of friendly quilters around, usually workign on something, with a longarm in the back. The aisles are nice and wide with lots of lighting. Plenty of pre-cuts and Fat Quarters to choose form as well! They also carry stuff that I used to have to order online . . they just rock in general.
What I love about my LQS Tiny Stitches (www.tinystitches.com) is the people! Sure, the fabrics are nice, but you can find nice fabrics on the internet. It's harder to get person-to-person advice and conversations, so that's what I appreciate about local shopping.
Aside from the aisles and aisles of delicious fabrics? My favorite thing about my LQS is chatting it up with the ladies that work there about the projects we're working on and trading ideas. :)
Congratulations on your new shop!!
Congratulations on your marvellous shop!!!!
Too bad I'm living in the Netherlands, so I'll never be able to visit you :-(
I know how exciting opening a new shop is, as we just opened our own: www.kekkekoter.nl
(you've seen my coat in monaluna Bird fabric!)
Oooooooh my goodness! That is sooo exciting :D Congratualtions! Yay you!!
I loooove your fabric <3
~Amanda
Such beautiful fabric! Love love your selections. Congrats on the new shop!
Christine
I just barely made the cutoff! My local shop is a big box store that doesn't have near the fabulousness you do! So excited for you...if I haven't said it enough! :)
Oh I love this fabric so much! Im in Australia and my local fabric shop isnt well it isnt you! Love all your fabrics!!! And the service is fantastic
How exciting...I may be coming through there in June and would love to stop by. I love a colorful well lit shop. One of the shops here is so dark I cannot tell what the true colors of the fabric are.
CONGRATS!!!!!
Wow congratulations. Thats some piece of news. If I had a decent local quilt shop I could tell you what I like most about it. But alas I don't and buy practically everything online.
Congratulations again, and thanks for the great giveaway. I shall be holding my breath.
Patti xxx
This is just fantastic! Congratulations on ur new adventure! I'm so happy for u and so totally jealous! Lol... is there space in ur shop for a snack bar or at least a hot chocolate stand?? - that probably wouldn't work... fabric and food don't mix... I'd say just have a large variety of different things plus stores of all the classics... am I talking too much??? Lol
Congratulations! That is one fab store front! Red or blue for me please!
The people are what make me want to continue going to my local quilt shop...their eagerness to share their knowledge and skills, plus the appreciation of your quest for greater understanding....
Woo Hoo! Thank you so very much!!!
Congrats again! and good luck with the grand opening :)
hugs, margie
YeS! I will be knocking down the door! What i like best about our local quilt shops...Welll the fabric.. We need a better shop and i think you guys will bring it to us. Just one request-- a kids corner!!! Every stay at home mom i know sews and i never have enough time to make my choices before my kids get bored nothing fancy just a spot to sit.
p.s. i am going to go peek in the window later it's killing me to see what you guys have done with the space, its a perfect spot for the shop!
I'd love to win the sugar and spice giveaway. My local fabric store is itty bitty. But the people are nice!
zucchinisummer (at) gmail (dot) com
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