KM Tartar Pwpi—, Saturday, March 14, IM7
The Quit Shop Offers Customers Abundant Stock Of Craft Supplies
BY SHARON SCHUSTER
Maryland Correspondent
UTTLESTOWN - In 1979, Kitty
Hillard cooked up a good idea in
the 11-by-15 summer kitchen of her
Uttlestown, Pa. home. It was the
start of Hie Quilt Patch, which is
now regarded as one of the best
sources of quilting supplies and
unique gifts in the area.
At Brat, Kitty sold fabric gifts
exclusively. In 1982, the business
outgrew the summer kitchen, and
her husband, Lewis, built an 18-by
-24 addition. With about 35 bolts of
calico fabric, The Quilt Patch was
really cookin’.
But that was five years ago. In
1985, the business was growing so
fast that it was bursting at the
seams, and Lew constructed a 30-
by-60 bank bam to house their
successful enterprise.
“This was just supposed to be
something to keep me out of
trouble,” said Kitty. “It has really
mushroomed.”
Now about 700 bolts of calico
fabric fill the upper level of the
bam while the lower level boasts
handcrafted gifts from all over the
country and from Europe. Kitty
said the shop is frequented by “a
lot of do-it yourselfers.” At the
Kitty Hillard .play; - q
she holds the Lancaster County rose design. On the rack in
front is the Momosa Tea Leaf. To the left is the Double
Wedding Ring. A Spring Flower quilt is partially visible at right.
Lew Hillard admires the Dickens Village made of porcelain. He runs the gift shop area
in a barn which he built.
Quilt Patch customers can view
quilts, pillows, and other items on
the lower level, then purchase the
materials to make the very same
items from the supplies upstairs.
The lower level of the shop is a
treat for those looking for fine
country crafts. “We are both from
Lancaster County,” explained
Lew. “We both graduated from
Upper Leacock High School. We
have an advantage having lived in
Lancaster County,” be said.
Specifically, Lew was referring to
their contacts with the Amish
community and other fine craft
smen from the area.
The focal point of the gift shop
area is the display of quilts that are
for sale. It is perhaps best
described by one customer who
exclaimed, “I have died and gone
to heaven!” The exquisite covers
are beautiful in every detail.
Patterns range from floral designs
to geometric patterns to Gran
dma’s patchwork quilt, and the
colors are taken right from the
rainbow.
The quilts are “sought out” by
the Hillards on their trips through
Pennsylvania. “A good many
come from Lancaster County,”
said Kitty. “Guy and Edythe
Martin from Goodville, who are
well-known in quilting circles,
make some of the quilt tops,” she
explained.
Some of the designs that were on
display are Double Wedding Ring,
Log Cabin, Lancaster County
Rose, Distlefink, Spring Flowers,
Grandma’s Fan, Mimosa Tea
Leaf, and Lone Star. While there is
a great selection of quilts at the
shop, custom orders for design,
colors, and size will be taken. The
cost of the completed quilts starts
ats37s. -
For those who wish to enjoy the
beauty of a quilt, but don’t want to
actually sleep on it, wall hangings
may be the answer. The quilted
hangings feature one full block of a
particular quilt pattern, and the
cost, at $135, is considerably less
than a full sized quilt.
Difficult as it is to leave the quilt
corner of the shop, other display
areas demand equal time for
viewing unique handcrafted items.
Lew singled out the perpetual
calendars as one of the most
popular items in the shop. “They
are all hand done. They will last
you a lifetime,” he said. Kitty said
the potpourri and potpourri bur
ners are a year round favorite also.
It pays to walk around the shop
very slowly in order to take in all
the details. Most of the outside wall
is covered with framed prints and
pictures. Look carefully at the
Lew and Kitty Hillard and ‘Pal’ pose in the gift shop area
Amish dolls she holds on her lad.
collection of small color prints
near the picture window. Each
picture has a quilt worked into the
theme in some way. The intricate
designs of the scherenschnitte
(paper cutting) designs stand out
from their backgrounds to form
ornate silhouettes. Of the various
designs offered, Lew said “Life is a
Patch is very popular.”
Reaching over to the barn door
chimes. Lew gently lifted the three
balls suspended on each guitar-like
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instrument and let them drop
against the strings. The sound they
made was a delightful chime, each
one different from the other.
“Can’t find this anyplace else,”
said Lew of the pictures formed
from tobacco laths from Leola, Pa.
The wooden strips that were once
used to dry tobacco leaves are
placed together within a frame and
painted, to make a simple bar
nyard design. Stuffed Amish dolls
(Turn to Page B 4)
items, including the