How 25 Years of Marriage Led to the Birth of a Quilt Shop

It was the summer of 2010 and my husband and I were anticipating our 25th wedding anniversary. Going on a vacation was not in the budget and we are not big sentimental gift people like some folks. I have always loved his hand written notes or specially made "coupons" good for house chores, shopping trips or a hanging basket of flowers. You can read more about what I woke up to on the morning of our anniversary in the rest of my story here.

We Were Ready For a New Quilt

So anyway, I got the idea of getting a new bedding set for our room. We had been using a quilt that I had made and, not only was I ready for a change, I thought my handmade quilt would be better preserved if it was not being used every day. 

Here is a rabbit trail about my quilt:

I call that quilt my 7-year quilt. I started it in the midst of having babies and after many years decided it was time to get it finished. I have so many fond memories of quilting with my family and friends. My oldest daughter was 7 at the time and she took a huge interest in helping me piece the blocks together and even did some actual quilting. 

This picture is of the scrap book page I created later to capture some special moments. I included some fabrics scraps as well as cherished photos of those who were able to contribute to the  many hours of needle work needed to finish a queen size quilt. The center picture shows me working hard. Ha! I love that ladies from my church were able to bring years of experience and expertise to my "little" project. One of my favorite shots is this one below.

 

Four generations of LOVE! This picture is a perfect example of the hands on love and support I have always had from my family. In the back, my grandma explaining with patience to my middle daughter how to work the needle. My mom is working across from my oldest daughter as they diligently help me reach my quilting goals!

What To Do About The Walls?

Back to my anniversary story:

Knowing we were going to be putting the handmade quilt away also made me consider if this was indeed a good time to paint over our mural. Several years prior, I had painted a flower garden mural on our wall with stone walls and an iron gate made to look like our headboard. 

Mural rabbit trail:

I had chosen to paint a garden with an iron gate that could appear like a headboard since we didn't have any headboard for our bed. I remember pulling out my old high school painting box and found a flood of memories in the stale smell of those oil paints. The project took me about a month and so there was much debate in the family on whether or not I should paint over the mural. While they had some valid reasons for encouraging me to keep it, we all eventually agreed that it was time to let it go. I found a few old pictures of the headboard to give you an idea of what we are talking about. 

 

Back to anniversary story but quickly off on another rabbit trail about my business:

So at this point, I want to pause our anniversary story to tell you a little bit about me and my business ventures. Ever since I can remember I have loved to create. I have been making and selling things since I was in elementary school. It all started with macrame bracelets. My Dad saw the bracelets and necklaces I was making and suggested that we try to sell them through a little boutique in a nearby town. It worked!! That was just the beginning. Since then I have sold my items through several different avenues--consignment, wholesale, and craft shows.  I think it was my sister who suggested that I try to sell my things online. I started selling on eBay and had sales as far away as Australia. The next step was to consider my own website, but I had no idea what that really meant! I began experimenting with a do-it-yourself website and after much trial and error and research, created a successful website and Hearthside Collection was going strong.

Finding VHC Brands

Back to anniversary story, for real:

Ok, so back to our story... My husband and I love antiques and our home is over 125 years old. We knew we wanted to find something that "looked like grandma had made it". I set out looking for a patchwork quilt and discovered the Kettle Grove collection made by VHC Brands and just loved it! We purchased the quilt, bed skirt, curtains and some throw pillows. I was so pleased with the quality of this bedding collection that I knew I had to offer these amazing quilts to our customers. 

And that is when we began creating and launching Primitive Star Quilt Shop!

{Insert much loud cheering at this point!!}

The quilt shop has grown and expanded multiple times since 2010! We have added 1000's of products, we have added new members to our team and almost 15,000 people to our list of satisfied customers! 

We look forward with bright hope as we watch what the future holds for Primitive Star Quilt Shop! I thank the Lord for bringing my husband into my life and for allowing us even more than 25 years together. Not only do we have an amazing story if you have not read it, but that anniversary year brought the birth of the Quilt Shop. 

By the way, our Kettle Grove collection remains a very popular collection and you are welcome to consider updating your bedroom the same way we did. 

Creating Our Own Custom Quilts

Our Anniversary story continues to live on:

AND... here we are 7 years after the launch of Primitive Star Quilt Shop, almost to the day, and our team here at the quilt shop is anxiously awaiting the shipment of our very own signature custom collection called Primitive Star!

This quilt collection is extra special to me as it is made with all the same great fabrics I fell in love with from that Kettle Grove quilt my husband and I purchased back in 2010. It also features the uneven "primitive" looking star that our customers love!

When VHC Brands approached us about creating another custom collection, (Cheston was our first) we went to work on choosing a design and color scheme. We couldn't be more thrilled with the finished product! We carry matching shams, bed skirts, throw pillows curtains, a quilted throw and shower curtain. 

it is super fun that this coordinates with items from the Kettle Grove Collection, too. That means you could choose Kettle grove curtains with Primitive Star bedding or add some of the KG fabric euros to PS quilt. The bed skirts can be interchanged so you can choose if you like a lighter stripe found in PS or if you prefer the darker plaid found with KG. You get the idea. There are lots of possibilities!

This beautiful bedding is also being featured in Country Sampler Magazine.

You never know what a difference a day can make:

So, to finish up, I guess I could go so far as to say that in a long and round about way, our signature custom Primitive Star bedding collection would not even be possible if I had not chosen to walk back up those library steps back in 1984. If you still haven't read that part of our story... Grab a cup of coffee and stroll through memory lane with me.

We Love Helping Others Decorate

Are you looking for a new quilt?

We have found that many of our customers want a change for their bedroom but don't know where to start. We have put together a very helpful tool with free worksheets -- How to Create a Primitive Country Bedroom Makeover Plan in 6 Easy Steps. We would love to be a resource for you as you plan your next bedroom makeover.