Quilter's Emporium

Rose Ann Cook's love for theater is evident throughout her quilt shop, Quilter's Emporium. Red carpet, white walls, and black shelving set the stage for quilting success. Rose Ann takes pride in encouraging new quilters, "I like to reassure new quilters: You can do it. I want that first quilting class to be a fun, engaging experience."

Front row, from left: Lori Avery, Rose Ann Cook (co-owner), and Carol Wagner; middle row: Barbara Massey, Pam Thorlin, Vikki Youngmeyer, Sandra Gerner, and Alison Harper; back row: Cheri Love, Pat Cook (co-owner), and Max Brewer; not pictured: Donna Oelfke.

Located just 15 minutes from downtown Houston, Quilter's Emporium is open seven days a week. And whether they're drawn in by the lace and toile curtains hanging on the windows or the array of fabrics in the shop-including batiks, trendy collections, Civil War prints, Asian prints, or Jo Morton designs-quilters come from a distance to shop there.

This Quilter's Emporium vignette showcases quilt samples from Jo Morton's Little Women Club 9 and bag samples-Manhattan Bag (left) and Carmel Swing Bag from Pink Sand Beach Designs-that use her fabric.

Samples, notions, kits, and gift items are draped and hung throughout the quilt shop, including (left to right) In-Over-Your-Head Apron, Lucy & June Apron, Jane & Sally Apron, all from Indygo Junction.

Quilter's Emporium owner Rose Ann Cook designed Chocolate Mint for Quilt Sampler Fall/Winter 2010 magazine.

Brandy Rice machine-quilted swirls and a stylized star in the center of each Rising Star block. She outlined the brown print squares in the Irish Chain blocks with arcs and accented the block backgrounds with loops and feathers. She stitched a flowing paisleylike motif on the inner border.

This medallion-style version of Chocolate Mint uses the same blocks as the original. Quilt tester Laura Boehnke surrounded a Rising Star block set on point with four corner chain blocks, setting and corner triangles, and inner border strips. She then alternated Rising Star and Irish Chain blocks around the center design for a wide, pieced border. Batiks are from the Connections collection by Paintbrush Studio from Fabri-Quilt.

Contact Quilter's Emporium to purchase a copy of the Fall/Winter 2010 issue of Quilt Sampler magazine. Issues are also available at your local quilt shop, on newsstands, and online.