A superior inventory, hard-to-find services and outstanding customer care make Quilter’s Square a one-of-a-kind, one-stop quilting shop. For decades, this family-owned store has provided quilters of all ages, genders and experience everything they need to enjoy this traditional craft.
First opened in 1982, Quilter’s Square was later purchased by Allen and Mary Charles, a husband-and-wife duo who owned the shop for more than 20 years. In 2014, they sold the business to their daughter, Chana Charles, and granddaughter, Kayla Weathers.
“My grandparents were ready to retire … they could’ve just closed the shop; they could’ve sold to somebody else,” Weathers said. “But we both feel very attached to our customers. We’re like family, and we didn’t want to lose that community.”
Since taking over the business nearly 10 years ago, Charles and Weathers have refreshed their inventory, added a digital store and social media pages, and opened a new storefront in 2021.
Rachel Crick
Chana Charles, right, and daughter Kayla Weathers have owned and operated Quilter’s Square since 2014. The shop has been in business since 1982.
The mother and daughter team uses their multigenerational skillset to their advantage. Both have a hand in various parts of quilt construction, teaching classes and interacting with customers, but Weathers describes Charles as the face of the business. She does most of the business’ administrative work and provides key services like sewing machine maintenance, repair and quilt construction. She often operates on a long waitlist as many of her services, especially repair, are difficult to find.
Weathers, who worked in the store as a teenager and became an owner at just 21, is responsible for machine quilting, running the online store and website, marketing and keeping up with the store’s social media. She has handled the digital side of the business since becoming an owner.
“I’ve learned all the stuff I know about social media and marketing from doing this,” Weathers said.
Both Charles and Weathers have been involved in quilting for much of their lives and enjoy it as a creative outlet and shared hobby. Charles made her first quilt in 1993, while Weathers started making her first quilt when she was 7.
In addition to quilting and embroidery materials and tools, Quilter’s Square also offers quilt repair, quilt-making classes and custom quilts for clients.
“We have a hand in every step for people, whether helping them pick out the fabrics or making [quilts] for them,” said Weathers.
Quilting is a hobby increasingly enjoyed by men and women of all ages, and the shop’s clientele reflects this. Weathers also noted the store’s online traffic tends to skew younger, which she credits to the shop’s social media presence.
Weathers said the shop prioritizes answering customer questions without judgment and that Charles “is the best at helping anyone with those things.”
“We are accepting of everybody who comes in,” Charles said. “That’s one thing that helps with having my daughter who is much younger than me, because we can relate to different people.”
Charles and Weathers have several goals for their business. They’d like to create a more spacious classroom and increase class attendance at their storefront. They also plan to create more content, such as YouTube videos, to extend their online presence.
According to Weathers, many quilt shops have successfully moved their businesses entirely online, but while increasing online sales is one of their goals, closing the storefront isn’t an option. That’s because of the loyal base of customers who enjoy Quilter’s Square as a safe space to practice quilting as a hobby.
“I want to have the best of both worlds,” Weathers said.