The Bayside Story:

The Bayside Story

In February of 2003, Bayside Quilting was established to meet the needs of the home machine quilter.   The business concept developed when I, as a retiree, became interested in machine quilting my own quilts.   I tried machine quilting with just my home sewing machine.  But, like other quilters, I found this to be an unsatisfactory experience.  Like many quilters, I wanted to try to contain the cost of sending my quilts out to be quilted.   In addition, quilting my own quilts allows me to retain control of the quilting design.

I began researching different machine quilting options for the home.  It became clear that machine quilting at home is the new growth area for quilting.  But the amount of information and expertise in the home machine quilting arena was severely limited.   The business created to address the needs of the home machine quilter by providing frames, machines and supplies for the home machine quilter. 

Recently retired, my husband, Ernie was recruited to assist with the new business.  Having been surrounded by the quilting fever for more than a decade, Ernie was quite familiar with the quilting process.  Ernie’s computer and business expertise soon led to the addition of the PC Quilter to the business. Adding the concept of the latest in tools and technologies for the home machine quilter.

The business needed a name.  The name selection proved to be simple!  We were working out of our waterfront home on Budd Bay, so we were bayside and we were quilting!   Thus the name Bayside Quilting. 

Our initial slogan  “At home with Machine Quilting” also fit with our situation of working from our home.  But the slogan also addressed our goal of meeting the needs of the quilters to make them feel at home with machine quilting.

In May 2003, Bayside Quilting went online with the website www.baysidequilting.com and we began doing local Northwest guild quilt shows.  The response to both was fabulous!  By August, we started doing national quilt shows and in October found ourselves in Houston at Quilt Festival.

With the national exposure, came owners scattered across the country. Owners would call in for advice and it became clear that home quilters could use support groups around the country.  A friend offered to coordinate the nationwide information and act as a contact point.  The response has been great!  We have organizations in 30 states and 5 provinces of Canada.  The most active groups are Washington, Arizona and Tennessee.

Bayside Quilting continued to grow.  In the spring of 2004, it became clear that beginning machine quilters needed classes and instruction in order to be successful in completing their quilts.   In order to accommodate this, we added a waterfront studio and began offering machine quilting classes to frame owners.  The next step, of course, was the beginners wanted advanced classes, and soon, the studio was too small!

In June of 2004, we were on a quick trip through the downtown waterfront district.  We spotted a for lease sign on a historic downtown building.  Having previously housed a knitting shop, this building was perfectly located on Capitol Way, 10 blocks from the Capitol and just 3 blocks from the Farmer’s market and the waterfront.

One look at this very warehousey building with a garage door right in the middle inspired the quilter’s hardware shop idea immediately!  And who better than Rosie to inspire confidence in quilters?

The space offered us the opportunity to Keep on Quilting--Start to finish!  Fabric and notions were added!  And our goal of assisting Quilters from inspiration to completion was clearly established!

With 2 other quilt shops in town and 2 guilds, our fabric inventory was approached with the experienced quilter in mind, but selected to provide a diverse offering.  Utilizing input from the staff based on their experience and on customer requests helps to maintain the diversity of our quilting fabrics.

At Bayside Quilting, we believe in purchasing collections—minimum of 10-12 bolts.  All fabrics are kept in collections.  We don’t have the usual blender wall.  Blenders are divided into types of blenders—Krystals, Fairy Frosts, etc.  While this concept takes a moment for the customers to adjust to, they soon get in to the idea of hunting through the store to find the perfect bolt! 

With the opening the actual quilt shop in September 2004, I turned to my sisters for support and staffing—my Twisted Sisters!  This very talented group of quilters of locally and nationally known quilters has been a great inspiration and support through the entire process.  The Twisted Sisters began as a small group of the Washington Stars Quilt Guild.  The group includes Beverly Dunivent, AQS certified appraiser; Sharon Welsh, Miracle Chalk founder and Longarm Quilter and pattern designer and seven other very talented quilters.

In addition, we have had the good fortune to recruit a previous quilt shop owner and long arm quilter, Pat Seeley.  Bayside Quilting now has 3 employees dedicated to the website and order processing and 9 part time store employees dedicated to the store.  Our staff’s quilting experience has to be counted by the century!

Bayside Quilting has originated many new patterns including Bayside Star Fruit, Bay Dazzle, Ribbons and Roses, Kick It Up! and many more!  Rosie’s Strip Club is scheduled to start September with a new quilt design being presented monthly! 

Bayside Quilting continues to grow!  We are very excited to see what will happen next!  Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!

Keep on Quilting,

Enjoy - - Pam