Left a very good first impression. There was not a whole lot in terms of selection for what I was looking for, but they still have a lot of variety of things that aren't common repetitive big chain things which still made the trip worth it. They had a huge variety of thread colors. But the woman working the register was so lovely and helpful. It's nice feeling genuinely greeted when shopping somewhere new. Makes you feel more comfortable looking around. read more

Was having issues threading my server. They got up and running in no time and gave me some great tips so it will be easier next time. Also took the time to answer my questions on making rag quilts. So very nice and very helpful. Definitely will be back. read more

Love Blue Willow quilt shop... Been a loyal customer for many years . I've purchased multiple machines from this shop. Seth is extremely knowledgable about all the machines. Their staff is very helpful, a nice relaxing atmosphere to browse in. I am so excited they are moving 10 minutes from me read more

This was for an online order: The order was handled without a hitch and they shipped immediately. Five stars for that. However, online orders only let you purchase in whole yards, which seems odd given that they carry so much quilting cotton and quilters live for small cuts (hello, fat quarters!). I don't usually buy whole yards of quilt fabric since I'm probably mixing a bunch of prints and I don't want to spend a lot of extra money and then end up with a lot of fabric that I don't need. So . . . I might buy from them again if I need big pieces of something but probably won't for most of my quilt projects unless they start offering half- and quarter-yard increments. read more

Great service, beautiful fabric!! Mike is the best machine repair bar none! Long-arming this store has it all!

Truly I cannot not say enough about how much I love this store! I have always received the warmest and most helpful assistance when I there... and even when I'm not sometimes... I just called and Seth or Pat are alway so willing to answer my questions... no matter how silly. lol Don't miss out go and see for yourself! Kellie Rose Sewake read more

I totally slept on getting some embroidery done for Christmas. Blue Willow turned two blankets around in about an hour and a half. The blankets look great and they rescued Christmas! Will go there again. read more

I bought a janome online and was having some issues and decided to bring it in thinking it needed servicing. Mike their repair technician was kind enough to show me I had the bobbin threaded wrong and helped me out by showing me a few things and suggesting fil-tec glide thread and a small spool cap. Im so very grateful he took the time to show me what he did, as I was very nervous and embarrassed about my issues. The store has many different fabrics and all sorts of different sewing notions. Go check them out! read more

Blue Willow Mercantile - Fabric Stores Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

Love how friendly and helpful the staff are! They have a goid slection and along with a good value. read more

Everyone at Blue Willow is friendly and helpful. I was recently having a problem with a machine I did not purchase at Blue Willow. Seth went out of his way to listen to the problem and suggest solutions. I had stopped in shortly before closing time, but he stayed after closing to offer solutions and told me they would be happy to service the machine for me. He's always been extremely helpful and customer focused. The next machine I purchase will be from Blue Willow. read more

I stopped in for some thread. The woman behind the cutting table was super friendly and willing to answer questions. They have a nice selection of batiks and some traditional fabrics. I wish the store was bigger so they could carry some other designers, like Kaffe Fassett or Tula. They had some lovely quilts on display and some sewing machines, as well as a long arm. read more

I'm a quilter and was hoping to find some new fabrics at Blue Willow Mercantile. Unfortunately, they only carry Moda fabrics. No Ruby Star, no Liberty, no Rifle, nothing small batch, woven, hand dyed, no shot cottons. I was disappointed! read more

I was under a time crunch to get my quilt quilted. Teresa was great. She guided me through choosing a pantogram design & thread options. Seth completed the quilting process in1 day! Their longarm services are very competitively priced. I will definitely be a repeat customer. Also, the shop is bright and cheery. Everyone working is welcoming and helpful. Fabric lines are current and they have lots of selection. This is a great shop. read more

Liz personalized a jacket for my daughter. It came out wonderful!! The embroidery was just as I wanted!

Very happy with the quilting done on my quilt. Superb staff to work with! I'll be back with more quilt tops in the future.

Mike and everyone at Blue Willow Quilt shop are so helpful and nice. I enjoy shopping at their new store location. It's a bit far for me to drive, but the knowledge they have about machines, fabric and classes is so worth the drive. read more

I just love this shop! Seth is the most wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. He runs this shop so well. There is such a wide selection of fabrics, threads etc. Mike is so great with all his knowledge of fixing all kinds of machines. Really all that work there are friendly and so helpful. I do wish though they would carry Kimberbell quilts, products, classes etc. I would rather give them my money then other shops. read more

I am new to sewing. I can not thank the people here enough in helping me get started. I came in knowing almost nothing. Mike helped me figure out which machine would be best for me. He took the time to help me learn how to use the machine and showed me what it could do. BWM treats everyone with kindness. Sometimes I am embarrassed to ask my questions but they don't judge and will help you match fabrics and threads perfectly and give suggestions to help with your projects. Whether you are a seasoned quilter of more than 50 years, or novice like me, you receive the same care and attention. Check them out! It will be worth your while. read more

This is a very elegant quilting store with very nice product!!! I have been visiting quilting stores to discover good design fabric for awhile and this is definitely one of my favorite. Another fantastic shop is the quilters quest at Woodridge. This place has very nice layout in the store. Clean, organized, and artistic. They place their fabric by the patterns so it's excellent when you look for fabric for specific projects. They carry some very nice Japanese design that is not colorful or vivid as others but it's beautiful in its simplistic ways. The staff is always helpful and friendly. I love this store! read more

Blue Willow Mercantile - Fabric Stores Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

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I am a quilting junkie and finding new quilt stores is part of my addiction. This cozy store I discovered by poking around the Modern Quilters Guild website as they host a suburban meeting once a month. Part of my reason for visiting the store was to test drive the route, would I be able to attend a six o clock meeting here in a timely manner? Sad answer to that for me seems to be no but the store itself is a big yes. I love all the Aurifil thread they stock here. I bought three spools one of which I already had at home, that's how excited I was. It's probably the best inventory I have seen in the Chicago suburbs. Thread lovers are excited now! They also have a decent selection of solids, nice variety of Riley Blake, good amount of baby fabrics, choices of colors and organic hipster cottons. Yay for having something of almost everything! There is also a room for classes/meetings, super friendly staff and the cutest Horn sewing cabinet for a little girl in your life. On sale. I had to steel myself to not succumb as the little girl in my life is only six months old, a tad too young. If you like fresh, colorful and bright modern fabrics you will love this store. read more

It's that time of year again, when I need to get small gifts for my wife's stocking. You might think this sounds easy enough but I have standards. I am not going to stuff it full of sale candy bars and a carnival won stuffed animal. (Well, I would but "we" have agreed to try harder this year.) I looked over her favorite Quilt stores and made my way up here. The staff here really helped me out. They remembered my wife and made fabulous suggestions for what to give her that she will really enjoy. I will be back because birthdays and yearly stockings will need to be celebrated. But I have no more fears, I know where to go and who will help me. See you soon Gentler Times. read more

There's a location in st Charles the lady was so kind and helpful store was clean prices were reasonable! and they have fireman and police print!! read more

Blue Willow Mercantile - Fire truck print love it - Fabric Stores Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

I am completely new to sewing and quilt making so I thought I would come in and look for fabric. Great fabric selection had me drooling and the helpful staff could not have been more accomodating. They were beyond patient with me as I oohed and ahed over each. They spoke with me about what I wanted to do and my experience. I picked out two gorgeous fabrics and a new respect for quilters. I may end up having my Mom make the quilt for me but I hope I can do it myself. Then I will be able to come back here and shop some more! read more

One last piece was to be sewn onto the back of my mother's quilt by Seth at the St. Charles Blue Mercantile. It was completed off centered and at an angle. Was told that because there were different fabrics sewn together to make it large enough due to being "frugal" that it made the project more challenging. I can understand that it could have made it challenging, but all the more reason to maintain a service of excellence. Seth offered to redo but only if my mother would take out all the stitching that they had just sewn on with their long arm machine. No refunds. Customer service is lacking. read more

Love this store. The staff has always been very helpful and patient with my questions. I have been in lots of quilting stores and this is by far the most organized and easy to shop in. read more

This is my favorite sewing machine & quilting store. Seth, Mike and Justin are the best and go out of their way to make customers happy. Seth makes sure you understand how to use your machine purchase and is always willing to help. His knowledge is the best I have ever seen. He also offers quilting services that will never disappoint, I have been extremely happy with Everything he and Justin quilts. Best machine service in the area. read more

Friendly, helpful and clean! I needed an attachment for my Janome machine. They replied to my email promptly, and the owner even brought the part from the Wheaton to the St. Charles store so it would be more convenient for me to pickup. read more

I've been going to this store for a couple of years now. Each time for something different, and they amaze me every time with their willingness to be helpful. They have certainly gone the extra mile no matter what my needs are. The technician they have working on the machines is amazing, and the young gentleman, courteous and very attentive to customers needs. Keep up the excellent work. read more

I was in the middle of a sewing project when my sewing machine had a problem. I called Blue Willow up to see if they were open. It was one of our Chicago Blizzard days. They were open and promptly fixed my problem so I could go back to sewing. The machine runs better than it has for awhile. They took the time to make sure I knew what needed to be fixed and why. While waiting I looked over the beautiful fabric and assortment of machines for sale. GPS will have you turn into a subdivision on the wrong side of the road. It is on the north side in strip mall. read more

Saturday afternoon, 1-1/2 hours before closing. Two male employees/owners in store, one of which was on the phone with a sewing machine customer with issues, also a lady looking at the fabric. The second employee wasn't in evidence until I had been there a half hour, shopping for fabric for a quilt. Beautiful fabric! I piled up the first 16 fabrics on the cutting table, and went to get the other two bolts. The second employee came out of the woodwork and asked the other customer if those were her fabrics. I claimed them. He asked how much to cut. I separated out the first 15 for the fat quarters the quilt pattern called for. The other three bolts were for greater yardage adding up to a total of 12 yards. So, in addition to not being greeted into the store, virtually empty for the entire time I was there, and only getting one question about whose fabric and how much, the only other words coming out of anyone's mouth to me was, "We don't cut fat quarters." OK, pass up over $100 in sales on a very slow Saturday afternoon. I couldn't stay in business if I passed up that kind of a purchase in a quilt shop, which I own myself! The score of one star is the least I can give. Their fabric was different and nice. There customer-focused service/attitude - nonexistent. It is nice to order online and get a smiley-faced receipt in the package. Not so nice being ignored when there was nothing else for the guys to be doing but taking care of an out-of-town customer who cared enough about them to seek them out and spend time in their shop. Let's see, where do I think the next fabric store is that I will actually go into and patronize? Not in Naperville! read more

I went to see about buying a quilting machine from this shop, and it was a lovely experience. They have a lot of machines to try, and I was encouraged to spend as much time as I wanted exploring, and didn't feel any kind of pressure to buy. The owners are very low-key, and not at all aggressive, which I appreciate. I ended up purchasing a quilting machine, and Seth delivered it to my house and set it up, and spent a few hours teaching me how to use it. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. I would buy a machine from him again. read more

I can't imagine this place will be in business much longer with how little business sense the owner has. First, a few weeks ago I priced out a new high end sewing machine. I was told one thing on the phone about the price and trade in offer, so I made an appointment to come in. The owner was completely distracted, so it was a huge waste of my time; but, the problem came with the written offer. It was completely different and I had to correct him at least 5 times. (Too many to really count.) The end offer was decent, but the experience was terrible. The owner must have said 10 times that he couldn't give me a better trade-in offer or he'd be out of business. It was annoying, to say the least. Second, on a different trip I bought 3 yards of fabric that looked completely different once I got home. I've never had that happen before. I checked my receipt and it did NOT say anything about returning cut fabric. I assumed it would be fine since it mentioned all other types of items that were not returnable. Apparently the register is cutting that line off the bottom of receipts. They admitted it was their mistake, but would not return the fabric. I would have taken a store credit, or made an exchange for Aurifil thread--I was going to buy 4 spools anyway, but was never given those options. I was just told how they would lose money. I have a new high end Bernina (that I ended up buying elsewhere after the above mentioned experience) and will want to get new feet and other attachments; I always need thread, and I now have time for classes. I love shopping for quilting patterns and books, and I usually ask for gift cards as gifts. Guess where I will say NOT to shop for me ever again? Yes, the owner may have lost $50 in a fabric return that he says he cannot ever sell (that's not true, BTW) but he lost hundreds, if not thousands (serger?), more with his incredibly poor business sense and terrible customer service. Perhaps he's completely clueless about two very good, much larger and nicer, quilting stores nearby? Again, it shows his inept business skills. read more

Just walked out 20 minutes ago and, wow, what an experience. I'd been meaning to check out this store for a couple weeks, because the window displays are attractive and it's bee a while wince we had a nice yarn shop in downtown Naperville (they tend to shutter quickly!) Walked in the woman working (teal dress) said, "Hi, can I help you?" I said "Just browsing, thanks." Dropped two balls of yarn by accident, picked them up to fix the shelf, then heard her snicker to the three other women at the table, "Why does that baby slut think I have anything in here for her?" and laughed hard. Really.... This "baby slut" is actually an international runway designer with several knit and sewn haute couture collections, and she definitely won't be getting my business. Little does she know. With customer service like this, I give her luck staying open. Aside from this.... Decent selection, if a bit overpriced - I'm sticking with Knitsche, Loopy Yarns and Windy Knitty, though - nevermind my being an unwelcome "baby slut." Would give zero stars and a thumbs down, if Yelp would let me. As for their name, what a laugh - I guess I actually expected good customer service! (lol). read more

Great selection and service! I know nothing..... nothing about any of this stuff. Walked in and both Seth & Mike were great! Helped me get pick out two great machines for my mom and aunt. They were blown away at Christmas. I'm very happy with customer service! Seth delivered and set up both machines. I didn't think that kind of service existed?! I'm WOWED...... read more

This place was fantastic. I went in today to get coordinating fabric for my first quilt - I had lots of questions. The woman who assisted me was incredibly helpful but not overbearing at all and I ended up getting some gorgeous fabrics and in the right sizes. Their selection is well-curated and interesting, and reasonably priced for the high quality fabrics they have in stock. While I do buy a lot of my fabric online and figure out a lot from youtube, there are just some things you can't do on your own. This is the place to go when you want to find fabric you'll definitely like and get it from a real person who knows what they're talking about. Gentler Times is a win. read more

I went to the store and the person in charge, Michael convinced me to buy a refurbished machine, for $190, and assured me that the original price for the same model (brand new is $400 ("which was a lie") so I told him to lower the price since the machine is not new so he agreed to reduce the price to $160 w/o taxes. I went home and what was my surprise to find out that the real price for a brand new machine is around $270 maximum $280 at Amazon. So I called Mike and explained him about my finding and he totally refused to accept my explanation he did not want to lower the price, so I decided to ask for my money back and he said that they have a policy of not returning money, which I think it is total rip-off . He did not warn me that the policy is printed on the receipt and he just wait for me to sing it. I have to say these people are very dishonest. Now the credit card company has the last word. read more

I went in for a machine repair. Mike who does the repairs has about 25 years in the business, excellent communicator. The owner, Seth is amazing. He showed me several machines. He was patient, I had a million questions, knowledgeable, courteous and a pleasure to work with. My new favorite shop! read more

Seth is a quilting wiz! So helpful, so encouraging. Really a wonderful experience learning from him. If you have a chance to let your creative energy flow- this is the place to do it. Whether you are a novice or expert seamster, quilter or knitter, you can definitely get what you need @ Gentler Times/Bernina! read more

I've been doing business with Blue Willow Mercantile for almost a year and they are the absolute best ever. Seth Justin and Mike are extremely knowledgeable talented and friendly! I can't say enough great things about all of them. They make you feel like a friend the second you walk in the door!! Love the fabric and everything in the store You have my business forever. Thanks Judy N. read more

This is the first time that I took one of my quilts to the Blue Willow to have it quilted for my church. When I saw what was being done to the quilt I took it back. Material on the front of the quilt was folded over and sewn down that way. If I could rate it lower, it would be at 0. There was no refund for the unfinished portion, since I had to pay before the work was done. No other quilt shop in the area makes you pay before the work is done. I do have a picture of the mistakes, but couldn't attach it. read more