I'm ashamed to say that up until recently, I hadn't shopped for fabric anywhere but Joanns. But…read morefinally, enough was enough, and as I commit to sewing more and delving into the world of quilting, I decided to source all my fabric from places other than Joanns, opting instead to explore the small fabric stores in my area, and what a great decision that was! I was able to discover so many new favorites, 2nd Street Quilt Shop being one of them, and source so many gorgeous, fresh & new designs I had never seen before! It has truly renewed my interest in sewing, and I'm truly excited to embark on this new quest in quilting!
When I saw a store named "Ann Arbor Sewing & Quilting Center," I knew I had to visit! Their hours are a bit wonky, so I had to take off work a little bit early on a Friday to drive the hour out here just to make it in time to peruse, but I'm really glad I did so because holy guacamole this space is incredible! First of all, this building is huge, which as a default means it contains so many goodies inside that I wish I had had way more time on hand to properly explore, but that just means I'll have to come back again the next time I'm in Ann Arbor and the store is open! Second of all, I love the way the store is structured! There's so many levels to it, so many different sections depending on the type of tools or fabric. It was just a dream to walk through and my head was just swinging every which way trying to get the lay of the land everywhere!
But finally, I entered the fabric section I was looking for and it felt like Christmas morning! Fabric as far as the eye could see! All color coordinated and also arranged by brand/fabric type groupings as well. I learned so much about different types of fabric that day and was just generally overwhelmed in the best way possible, I didn't even manage to take any photos! I just immediately set to work and started scanning all the fabrics and pulling out anything that caught my eye. I truly love it here and had the best experience! Because their space is so large too, they have more than one cutting table, which is something I hadn't found at any other fabric store I went to, which made this place feel even more legit. I'm jealous of everyone who lives in Ann Arbor and can stop by here on a whim easily! It's a trek for me, but definitely worth the trek, and I can't wait to come back soon! :)