Imagine an entire town focused on quilting. As you walk down the street, storefronts are filled with quilting inspiration, and every store focuses on different types of fabrics or quilting tools. The best part is that you don’t have to imagine this glorious place because it already exists!
Missouri Star Quilt Co. is tucked outside Kansas City in downtown Hamilton, Missouri (Quilt Town, USA). This town is a quilter’s dream, and I was lucky to stop and shop there during my summer road trip.
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Walking through town, you will notice this historic town has received a major facelift. The facades of each building have been treated differently to reflect the theme of the items within. You’ll also encounter murals honoring quilting and the town’s history. There is even music piped into the street, adding to the lighthearted atmosphere of the area as a whole.
The Stores that Make Up Missouri Star Quilt Co.
During my stop in Hamilton, I visited over a dozen shops, picking up many fabrics, supplies, and inspiration. I can’t wait to share a bit about all the shops I visited and some tips for planning a Missouri Star Quilt Co. trip of your own.
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The Main Building of Missouri Star Quilt Co.
I drove into town a few minutes after the shops opened and stopped at the main shop first, and I’m glad this is where I started.
The shop offers a wide selection of specialty merchandise, including Missouri Star-themed T-shirts, tumblers, and sewing notions. Small sections of the store provide an overview of each shop in town. Once you start going from place to place, knowing what fabrics and sewing materials you will find in each shop is fun and helpful.
Santa’s Sewing Shop
Once I finished looking around the main store, I walked out and went to my right to start my serious shopping! I walked past the retreat center (how fun does that sound?!) and went to Santa’s Sewing Shop.
The facade of each shop captures the aesthetic within the building, and I particularly enjoyed the green and white half-square triangles welcoming you into the space.
Rows of Christmas fabrics from various designers line the walls with kits to make ornaments and themed home decor. There are also many ready-to-use decorations to prepare your home for the Christmas season.
Quilted Home
I quickly realized that many shops in town are connected inside, making the shopping experience even more accessible. Quilted Home connects to Santa’s Sewing Shop and features items to decorate and enhance a quilt-loving home.
Accessories & Such
When planning my trip, I knew Accessories & Such was a must on my list. I need to make a new purse, and this shop is packed with patterns, hardware, and the cork, vinyl, and leather required to complete many stellar projects.
Typically, I am not a kit person, but the bag and purse kits were highly tempting. Ultimately, I selected a pattern and picked up all my materials during my visit.
Penney’s Quilt Shop
Next, it was time to cross the street and head into Penney’s Quilt Shop. Hamilton was the boyhood home to the founder of J.C. Penney, and this shop was named in his honor.
This space is dedicated to solid fabrics and fabrics that read as solids or near-solids. It also has many cuddle fabrics and larger notions, such as Oliso irons and Accuquilt products.
Kids and Baby
Next, I headed upstairs to check out the shops on the second floor. All upstairs shops are connected and accessible by stairs or an elevator. First, I came across the kids and baby shop, which was filled with fabrics and gifts suitable for babies and young children.
Modern
The second shop I visited was dedicated to Modern fabrics, and I spent the most money there! I found the perfect fabrics for the bag pattern I purchased at Accessories & Such, as well as several other fabrics I hadn’t seen before and had to add to my stash.
Backing & Trims
Backings and trims had a wide selection of backings, making it one of my top picks for shops carrying wideback fabrics. Wideback fabrics are a luxury that I never regret using!
Precuts
During my visit, the final section of the upstairs was dedicated to precuts, but on the map, the space is listed as having a new store coming soon…
Licensed to Sew
I headed downstairs using the same stairs I had come up to avoid missing a thing and went into Licensed to Sew.
This shop is dedicated to licensed fabrics, including cartoon characters, sports teams, etc. I don’t use many licensed fabrics, but I did pick up a bit of Barbie fabric that will be perfect for a pouch accent at some point!
Machine Shed
If you aren’t in the market for a new sewing machine, it may be tempting to skip the machine shed, but it is so much more than machines.
When you first come in, take a moment to admire the vintage sewing machines in the window. Part of what I loved about my visit to Hamilton is how the town recognizes the past while keeping up with contemporary techniques and trends.
The Machine Shed is filled with various rulers, tools, and notions. I believe in choosing notions to fit our quilting practices; this shop has something for everyone!
Batik Boutique
Batik Boutique focuses on batik fabrics of all styles. Many assume I don’t use many batiks as a primarily Modern quilter. However, if you look carefully, batiks appear in nearly every scrappy project I have done. While I only purchased a little here, I found some pieces to enhance my stash.
I was very excited to see an educational section in the back of the store explaining the techniques and tools used to create batik fabrics.
One Big Happy Yarn Co.
In recent years, I haven’t done much knitting or crocheting, but I did make a brief stop at One Big Happy Yarn Co., and I’m glad I did. They have tons of gorgeous yarns, but I was excited to see tiny skeins of cotton yarn that will be perfect for some couching I have in mind.
Missouri Star Merchantile
It was time to return to the last couple of shops across the street, starting with Missouri Star Merchantile.
This shop is filled with reproduction fabrics, particularly those from the early 20th century. It also has patterns, projects, and kits with a vintage aesthetic.
Florals
My final shop was Florals, and I love that pink facade!
Florals has many floral fabrics (no surprise!), as well as many Kaffe Fassett fabrics and fabrics by other designers that frequently use floral motifs.
Tips for Your Visit to Missouri Star Quilt Co.
There is a lot to take in during your visit to Missouri Star Quilt Co., and here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Visit every shop! There is a lot to take in, so you may be tempted to only shop at the stores with your favorite themes, but there are treasures in every shop that may not directly fit the theme. For instance, I discovered a fantastic stripe in the Florals Shop.
- Bring a list. Do you need fabric for a specific quilt? You may have quilt tops that need backing. Or does your stash need building in certain areas? Having a list can help you start when a lot is happening around you.
- Go off-list when you get inspired. Part of the point of a destination shopping quilt is to get your creative juices flowing. Be bold and pick up a new project or two when you see something that looks fun!
- Check out the travel tips from the Missouri Star website before you go. This page has travel info, lodging suggestions, a current listing of shops, a map, and more!
- Pace yourself. The best part of having so many shops this close together is that you can return to any shop you want to! When I went to Accessories & Such the first time, I bought a pattern for a bag and the hardware I liked, but I needed to decide which vinyl or cork I would want to use. After finding the fabric I loved, it was easy to return to locate the material that would complement the rest of the bag.
- Bring a friend! I had a great time alone, but I suspect shopping with a friend or group would have been even more fun.
- Plan your lodging as far ahead of time as possible. There are few hotels near Hamilton, but some bed and breakfasts and house rentals are in town. My travel dates were fluid during that portion of my road trip, so when I was ready to book, there was nothing directly in town available, so I ended up in a hotel a little over ten miles away. This location was an easy drive from Hamilton, but if any significant events are happening at Missouri Star, book your rooms even earlier because you could stay much further away.
- Enjoy the town. Eat in the local restaurants, and visit the Missouri Quilt Museum, blocks from these fantastic quilt shops!
Are you excited to shop?
Click the link below to get 20% off nearly everything at Missouri Star Quilt Co.!
1 Comment
Fran
August 9, 2024 at 2:58 pmI visited there once, briefly, on a cross country journey. It was over 100 degrees that day so I only visited the main store. I’m so glad I got the chance to go there. Maybe someday I’ll get back there and be able to spend a little more time. Looks like you had a great time.