Millstone Quilts

Regina Simmons and her husband, Chris, restored a 160-year-old gristmill situated in a picturesque landscape rich in Civil War history, turning it into Millstone Quilts. Relics from the 19th century decorate the shop porch.

Front row, from left:

Paulette Lewis, Regina Simmons (owner), and Della Nobles; back row: Katherine Peterson, Linda Stagg, Ruth Gullette, Denise Hall, and Vicki Johnson.

A loft railing showcases a variety of quilts, including, on the right, Hanging Gardens by Cozy Quilt Designs. A large shelving unit under the hanging quilts houses jars of fabric scraps, fabric squares in a variety of patterns, and the latest quilting books.

Regina hopes that customers can slow down and appreciate the time-honored hobby of quilting after visiting her store, which gives a nod to Civil War-style quilts.

Staff member Vicki Johnson designed Petal Patch for Quilt Sampler® Fall/Winter 2011 magazine.

In Petal Patch, designer Vicki Johnson placed some appliqué flowers off-center for variety. Michelle Eno machine-satin-stitched around each flower three times to create a feeling of movement. She machine-quilted each 16-Patch block with a leaf-and-curlicue motif that accentuates the spiral centers of the flowers.

Instead of appliquéd flowers, quilt tester Laura Boehnke showcased a novelty print in the unpieced 8" squares and surrounded all squares with striped strips. Dots, prints, and tone-on-tones in the 16-Patch blocks add to the playful look of the kid-friendly quilt. Fabric is from the Rainbow Zoo collection by Amy Blay for Red Rooster Fabrics.

For more information about Millstone Quilts, visit millstonequilts.com.