One-Stop Shop Hop

Demo with Rhea Yoder

The Quilter's World booth

I recently attended the One-Stop Shop Hop in Lima, Ohio. It was my first. I have participated in shop hops before through my quilt shop, and I have gone on hops that required you to travel from shop to shop, but this is the first time I attended a hop where 20 shops came together under one roof.

I had my reservations about this kind of one-stop shop hop when I accepted the invitation to come and represent Quilter's World. As a shop owner also, I really wondered what the appeal would be for the shops. More competition generally means fewer sales. I was pleasantly surprised at how well organized the hop was, and how well the shops seemed to be doing. It was a win-win situation.

I think the shops were much more aware of what they chose to bring, knowing the competition would be tough and the quilters seemed to really enjoy and appreciate comparing each shop's wares. I was not there to sell or really to shop, so my viewpoint was different than usual. I could see the advantages for both shop owners and consumers. It was a very pleasant experience. As an added value, demos where given for special rulers, tools and techniques, which I found to be a wonderful addition.

I love to talk to fellow quilters and find out how we are doing as a magazine. Most loved Quilter's World and the direction we are taking. I was pleased that the changes we have been making were noticed and appreciated. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by that; after all, quilters are very detail-oriented.

I want to extend a big thank you to Rebecca Barber, the organizer of the event. She was a great host and emcee. She added a friendly feeling to the event. I hope to attend again next year.

So, the next time you hear about a one-stop shop hop, you may want to check it out. There are some perks to having many shops under one roof. For one, it's a real time-saver if you are searching for something in particular. The money you save in gas will leave you more to spend on fabric and you will definitely have much more time to quilt!