The Fat Quarter Shop

This morning we are sitting down with Kimberly from the Fat Quarter Shop.

FQ :Tell us a little bit about how you came to have a fabric store? 'We are an online-only quilt shop, which allows us to connect with customers all around the globe. I’ve been crocheting and cross-stitching most of my life and got into sewing and quilting later on. Quilting became my big passion, and I started Fat Quarter Shop in 2003 as a part-time operation right out of my house while still working a corporate job.

I was frustrated at not being able to find the fabrics I loved, specifically a Moda FQB by 3 Sisters, at local shops, and then I wasn’t very happy with the service I got at online stores either. My goal with Fat Quarter Shop was to have a wide variety of fabrics where you can find everything you want/need, with great customer service and fast shipping. Well, apparently the idea caught on and as business grew, my husband came onboard. Together we’ve been growing Fat Quarter Shop for the past seven years, and now we have tons of fabrics, patterns, notions, and clubs!'

FQ: What does a normal day entail? 'A normal day includes everything. A good part of the day for me is spent answering customer e-mails, answering the phone, planning for kits and clubs and maintaining the store from my desk. You can also find us cutting orders, overseeing the orders and making sure they get out on time. All that adds up to a pretty full work day, then I get to go home and see my three babies! My daughter is three, my twin boys are almost one, and there’s another on the way!'

FQ: What are the best parts about running the store? 'The best part is connecting with other quilters who love fabric as much as I do. I love seeing fabric way before it’s released and coming up with kits and clubs. It’s so cool to see my ideas become reality, like the Designer Mystery BOM club!'

FQ: Are there any aspects of the job that you don't enjoy? 'There isn’t much I don’t enjoy about running Fat Quarter Shop. It is tough that we don’t ever get to close, so we’re constantly working nights and weekends. That makes vacation time has been scarce for the Jolly family.'

FQ: When do you fit in time to be creative/sew? 'That’s a tough one. Between projects for the store, it’s really hard to find time to make things for myself. But I love making quilts for my children, so I squeeze in time between store samples, during the children’s naptimes! My latest quilt is a full-size quilt for my daughter’s new “big-girl” bed, from Bliss fabric by Bonnie & Camille, and I’ll blog about it when it comes back from the quilter!'

So go check out the fantastic selection at The Fat Quarter Shop!

And what's more from 18 August until the 25 August 2010 you can get 20% off your purchase (excluding club memberships) by entering the code ‘FatQuarterly’. So quick - what are you waiting for? Go grab a bargain!