Quilts. Table runners. Bags. Shoes.
Old Town Quilt Shop teaches and provides the tools, fabrics, and classes for people to quilt a variety of wares.
“We prefer bright happy colors, so when you walk into the door it’s bright, happy, warm colors. We do classes at the shop; every single month we have at least one class. We rent out our classrooms for private sewing classes and retreats,” said Stacy Murray, the store’s manager.
The Old Town Orcutt storefront has been operating for 20 years, but Murray’s family came into the picture in 2015 and has been running the show ever since, she said.
“We used to live in San Diego, my mom retired up here. First she was a customer in the shop, then a partner in the shop. My mom ended up buying the business, but her background was not in retail and mine was,” Murray said. “My mom quilted as a hobby of hers. A quilt shop in the area was important to her and she just kept getting more and more into it.”
After her mom purchased the store in 2015, Murray joined a year later and the duo began expanding the store’s reach and efforts. They rent out the classroom space to local quilting guilds, which hold private sewing classes and retreats. Old Town Quilt Shop hosts beginning classes to help people learn about a new hobby, or people can stop by during Monday drop-in classes to get help on projects from employees.
“It’s a pretty close-knit community. There’s a lot of quilters out there, but quilting can be a solitary sport, I guess you could say. The quilting community likes to come together, sew together, and socialize, and a lot of people help each other out,” Murray said. “There used to be a show in SLO, but COVID shut down the show. We tried to think of a way for members to show their quilts.”
As a result, the Old Town Quilt Shop is hosting the Local Guild Quilt Show—sponsored by the All-America City and Santa Maria Valley guilds—on Sept. 28 and 29 where community members can put their quilts on display for patrons to view for free. It’s not designed to be a competition with judges; rather, it’s meant to highlight quilters’ hard work and creativity.
“It’s art, and we put art on our walls. I’m sitting on my couch and staring at a quilt on my wall thinking it’s art. It doesn’t have to be a painting to be art. It’s amazing what people can do with fabric,” Murray said.
Murray appreciates hand-sewn quilts because of all the time and effort they require and their beautiful intricacies, she said.
“I think people should come to see [how] talented people are in their community. A lot of people have no idea quilting is still a thing. It’s quite popular right now,” Murray said. “There are young people doing very modern quilts and it’s very cool. It’s not just quilts, it’s bags and shoes.”
She’d like to see more young people get into quilting or sewing in general. While it seems like quilting may be a dying craft, she said it’s important to maintain those skills.
“We definitely encourage people to come in and ask questions. Anyone who works in the shop can help,” she said, adding that the beginning classes “are a great way to dip your toe in and learn how to get into quilting.”
Murray had to take beginning classes when she first started helping her mom.
“I’ve baked, done scrapbooking, and worked in a paint store. I have the color and creativity to back it up, it’s just a good creative outlet. It’s a nice way to release that creativity and give it to people,” she said. “The shop is definitely appreciated in the community.
“The quilting community loves having the shop here and having a space to come and sew.”
Visit oldtownquiltshoporcutt.com to learn more about the shop, its events, and the guild show.
Highlight
• The Lompoc Public Library is offering a privacy pod for virtual meetings and business requiring a quiet workplace. The pod, acquired through a grant from the California State Library, was installed in a remote area in the back of the main branch library on North Avenue and is ready for use by members of the public needing a private space to work, study, meet, or make telehealth calls. The pod is mostly, but not entirely, soundproof. The pod can be reserved by adults ages 18 and older for either one- or two-hour increments, twice a week, during open library hours. The pod accommodates up to two people at a time and is wheelchair accessible. Call (805) 875-8775 or visit in person at 501 E. North Ave. to reserve the privacy pod. m
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
