About us
Karen opened Bless My Stitches Quilt Shop in November of 2005. It had been her long-time dream to open a quilt shop. So after a career in education as an elementary school teacher and an E.S.O.L. (English for Speakers of Other Languages) administrator for 22 years in the state of Florida, she was blessed to be able to realize that dream.
After 5 years the shop had out grown it's original location with 1500 square feet and moved in a beautifully renovated historic building with twice the space! We loved our second location, but after only 3 years there were serious growing pains again and the search was on for a new, even larger location. In October of 2013, they moved into the perfect space at 498 Hill Street!
The new shop is 6000 square foot and is full of the newest lines from Moda, Michael Miller, Westminster, Free Spirit, Marcus Brothers, Maywood Studios, Alexander Henry, Timeless Treasures, Quilting Treasures, Robert Kaufman, Elizabeth Studios, Paintbrush Studios, Windham and more. We carry latest from famous designers such as Tula Pink, Anna Marie Horner, Vanessa Christiansen, Kaffe Fassett, Sandy Gervais, Holly Taylor and French General just to name a few. We also have collections of Civil War Reproduction, Modern Fabrics, Solids, Black & Whites, Dots, Chevrons & Stripes, Batiks, 1930's feedback reproductions, homespuns and flannels.
With Karen's education background, classes are always an important part of the Bless My Stitches experience. There are usually 50 or more classes offered each quarter. There is sure to be one that will meet your needs and if not, talk to Karen and she will try to arrange one that you desire. Her teachers are friendly and encouraging, making sure you learn the "old fashioned" basics but are always up on the latest tools and techniques to make your quilting lesson fun and easy.
They say, "It takes a village to raise a child", well Karen says, "it takes a warm, wonderful, loving, caring, knowledgeable, creative staff to make a quilt shop and that is what I am blessed to have, I could not do this without them!"
After 5 years the shop had out grown it's original location with 1500 square feet and moved in a beautifully renovated historic building with twice the space! We loved our second location, but after only 3 years there were serious growing pains again and the search was on for a new, even larger location. In October of 2013, they moved into the perfect space at 498 Hill Street!
The new shop is 6000 square foot and is full of the newest lines from Moda, Michael Miller, Westminster, Free Spirit, Marcus Brothers, Maywood Studios, Alexander Henry, Timeless Treasures, Quilting Treasures, Robert Kaufman, Elizabeth Studios, Paintbrush Studios, Windham and more. We carry latest from famous designers such as Tula Pink, Anna Marie Horner, Vanessa Christiansen, Kaffe Fassett, Sandy Gervais, Holly Taylor and French General just to name a few. We also have collections of Civil War Reproduction, Modern Fabrics, Solids, Black & Whites, Dots, Chevrons & Stripes, Batiks, 1930's feedback reproductions, homespuns and flannels.
With Karen's education background, classes are always an important part of the Bless My Stitches experience. There are usually 50 or more classes offered each quarter. There is sure to be one that will meet your needs and if not, talk to Karen and she will try to arrange one that you desire. Her teachers are friendly and encouraging, making sure you learn the "old fashioned" basics but are always up on the latest tools and techniques to make your quilting lesson fun and easy.
They say, "It takes a village to raise a child", well Karen says, "it takes a warm, wonderful, loving, caring, knowledgeable, creative staff to make a quilt shop and that is what I am blessed to have, I could not do this without them!"
Karen
When Karen was eleven years old, her grandmother taught her to sew. Both her mother and grandmother were talented seamstresses, so she learned from the best. She was introduced to quilting in 1981 during a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Quilting soon became a passion she could not deny. Taking quilt classes, joining the local guild and attending every quilt show around with her very talented quilter, sister-in-law, Laurie. After making quilts from books and patterns, she branched out and started creating her own and was soon commissioned to make original quilts for others. After a career of teaching, in the summer of 2005, Karen made the move to the mountains so that she could open a quilt shop in the world's greatest town, Murphy, North Carolina.
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Ann
Ann and her husband Walter retired to the mountains of Western North Carolina in 2005. She is the mother of two grown children and has two adorable granddaughters. She learned to quilt by taking classes at the shop and soon got the "quilt fever". She is now a very talented teacher, specializing in T-shirt quilts, fabric bowl making and paper piecing. She is always up for a challenge and enjoys making many of the samples for the shop. Come by on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and you will see her hard at work, assisting customers with fabric choices, cutting fabric and working behind the register.
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Marlene
Marlene comes to us from upstate New York, when she and her husband retired. Before retiring she took a class but didn't really get into quilting until she moved to Murphy. Since then she has been bitten (hard) by the quilting bug and has made more than 100 quilts including many shop samples! She also enjoys kayaking, hiking and reading. You will see her smiling face in the shop every Friday and Saturday ready to help you find a perfect pattern, give you inspiration for your next quilt and find just the right fabric!
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Helen
Helen learned to sew in elementary school and it soon held a special place in her heart. She always made her children's clothing. Her son always appreciated it as he was very tall and she could make clothes just right for him. Her daughter often brought home new patterns for her to create. So needless to say, Helen's kids were the best dressed kids on the block. Much later, Helen was introduced to quilting through a friend that invited her to the Jacksonville Quilt Show. Seeing all the beautiful quilts and the hard work that went into them, she was hooked and now loves ever minute of quilting. Helen is an award winning quilt maker and teaches many classes at the shop including, hand and machine applique, garment making and machine quilting. She also keeps busy making shop samples and leading clubs.
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Margie
Bio coming soon |
Patty
Bio coming soon
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Roxanne
Roxanne first came to Bless My Stitches in 2005, while checking out the new shops in downtown Murphy. After getting to know Karen (the shop owner and only staff member), she decided to sign up for a class. Well, let's just say that the quilting world has never been the same (or run at the same speed). Roxanne has made well over 500 quilts for family, friends and various charities. Her kind spirit and gentle teaching skills turn non-sewers into quilt makers! She teaches Beginner Quilt Making every other Tuesday day and night classes.
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