Thistle Bee Quilt Shoppe

June 14, 2013
A small quilt shop in Goldsboro, North Carolina, packs a big punch with a wide variety of fabrics.
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Victorian Charm

Located in Victorian Village in picturesque Goldsboro, North Carolina, the shop combines at-home comforts with old-school charm. The store is a cozy 820 square feet in three rooms.

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A Big Welcome

On the front porch a long bench, potted plants, and sometimes a stray cat welcome shoppers to Thistle Bee. Sample quilts welcome all those that come and encourage them to sit outside and find inspiration.

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Meet the Staff

Front row, from left:

Joe McInnis (co-owner), Mary Ellen McInnis (co-owner), and Beverly Varner; back row: Elisabeth McInnis, Kris Maitland, Jean White, and Margaret Cekada.

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Reaching Out

Shop owner Mary Ellen McInnis, a mother of four, wanted to offer fabrics that appeal to a younger audience. While Mary Ellen favors 1800 reproduction prints, she had her daughter Elisabeth help pick out patterns that might spark a younger generation's interest in quilting.

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Mary Ellen and her husband collect antiques to use as props

Mary Ellen and her husband collect antiques to use as props for displays in their store. This vintage suitcase holds fabric squares and shows off a bright reproduction print quilt.

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Sweet Baby Blues

Shop owner Mary Ellen McInnis designed Sweet Baby Blues for Quilt Sampler® Fall/Winter 2011 magazine.

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Quilting Designs

This crib-size quilt in shades of blue is the perfect country keepsake. Mary Ellen McInnis hand-quilted a four-square grid pattern in each block and setting square. The setting triangles feature V-shape parallel lines.

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Sweet Baby Blues Color Option

For a scrappier look, quilt tester Laura Boehnke chose a variety of muted tone-on-tones to create a table runner that fits her home's decor year-round. A charm pack is a great way to incorporate a plethora of prints in the 1-1/2" squares of these 5" finished blocks. Her fabrics are is from a Fossil Fern charm pack by Benartex.

For more information about Thistle Bee Quilt Shoppe, visitthistlebeequiltshoppe.com.

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