New quilting shop opens on Sprague

Spokane Valley has a new quilt and fabric shop.

Hattie’s Quilt Shop recently opened near the corner of Evergreen Road and Sprague Avenue to give quilters and others another location to gather for sharing, learning and shopping.

“In this business, every shop has its own style,” said owner Phil Peard. “There are so many quilters around, so all the quilt shops can get along.”

Peard says his shop is a reflection of the quilting community – cooperation and friendship; and the fabric choices he sells reflect the personality of his life partner and avid quilter Cathy Block. Block was a member of a local craft co-op who was left with thousands of yards of fabric when that business closed earlier this year.

The fabric prompted the couple to open Hattie’s, named for Block’s grandmother. It is 1,750 square feet and includes a small entry from its strip mall frontage with a short open hall leading to a larger space lined with fabric and quilts with tables and chairs interspersed for fabric viewing and contemplation. Fabric brands available include Moda, PB Textiles, Benartex and B&B.

Peard and Harry Peard, his 91-year-old father from Canada, worked diligently through the summer to prepare for the shop’s September opening. They custom made the cutting table and created a separate classroom for classes and quilting get-togethers. There is no charge for quilters to use the room.

So while Peard is the businessman at the shop, customers will also find him behind the counter full-time. Block offers the artistic side that includes making fabric selections and sewing quilts. She also offers some of her own designs along with a variety of quilt patterns with pre-cut fabric, including some by local designers.

“I’ve had sewing in my background since I was a teenager and I’ve been a quilter for 10 years now,” says Block. “Now it is my passion and so is fabric.

“We are a small shop that wants to cater to our fellow quilters and their passions and accommodate them in any way we can.”