Quilt Mercantile

The Celeste, Texas, building that houses Quilt Mercantile was once a Model T dealership. Now it's a flourishing quilt shop that takes uses the building's high ceilings and exposed rafters to display countless quilt samples and a wide selection of fabric and patterns.

Seated, from left: Jennifer Tenney (co-owner) and Vickey Dees (co-owner); standing: Bettie Hammock, Nancy Nall, Jackie Brown, Lynda Gatliff, Sarah Francis, Lynda Lindstrom, and Alice Wilhoit.

Quilt Mercantile shoppers enjoy classes lead by experienced teachers. They also now can benefit from a 4,700-square-foot retreat center with space for 24 quilters to sew, sleep, and enjoy each other's company. Shop owners Jennifer Tenney and Vickey Dees, a mother-daughter team, had the new building constructed right next door to the shop.

Quilt Mercantile celebrates Christmas year-round. With an entire room devoted to the winter holiday, including projects such as Lone Star Quick Kit from Quiltsmart, shop owners Jennifer and Vickey encourage quilters to stay festive no matter the month.

Quilt Mercantile owners Vickey Dees and Jennifer Tenney designed Fresh Air for Quilt Sampler® Spring/Summer 2011 magazine.

Jackie Brown machine-quilted the center of each Snowball block in Fresh Air with a feathered circle around a center grid. In each Nine-Patch block she stitched a grid in the center square and pairs of straight lines in the remaining squares to create movement. In the outer border, she used rickrack as the spine of machine-quilted feathers, with piano-key-style stitching in the background.

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke Fabrics used a combination of red, white, and blue prints to create a patriotic version of Fresh Air. She reduced the number of Snowball and Nine-Patch blocks and simplified the borders by omitting the yo-yo flowers and rickrack. Fabrics are from the American Valor collection for Timeless Treasures Fabrics.

When you're visiting Quilt Mercantile, take the time to check out these other local attractions.

Ernie's Pit Barbecue, 8707 Wesley St., Greenville, TX 75402; 903/455-4730. Slow-cooked Texas BBQ located about 17 miles from Celeste.

Historic Downtown Greenville, Friends of Main Street, 3216 Washington St., Greenville, TX 75401. Antiques shops, boutiques, and more.

Mama Muriel's Doll Museum, 5285 F.M. 1553, Leonard, TX 75452; 903/587-3655. Thousands of dolls in period costumes.

Mary of Puddin Hill, 201 Interstate 30 E, Greenville, TX 75402; 903/455-6931. An array of fruitcakes and sweets.

The Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum, 600 Interstate 30 E, Greenville, TX 75403; 903/450-4502. Includes a military wing.

Contact Quilt Mercantile to purchase a copy of the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Quilt Sampler magazine. Issues are also available at your local quilt shop, on newsstands, and online.