From North Pole to the Web: Finding Fabric & Inspiration

If you're into quilting, you’ve probably heard of the big names: The Fat Quarter Shop, Missouri Star, Shabby Fabrics, The Quilt Place, and Keepsake Quilting. And, of course, there are plenty of regional gems out there, too! I’ve always been someone who prefers to buy fabric in person—I mean, there’s just something about touching and seeing it up close that you can’t get online. But after moving to North Pole, Alaska, I quickly learned that the nearest fabric shop was a 20-minute drive away, and let’s just say their selection didn’t always match my style. Outside of that, my only option was Joann’s! That’s when I turned to one of my favorite things—YouTube. I found some truly inspiring quilting channels, and to my surprise, many of these creators also had their own online shops. Today, I’m super excited to share a few of my absolute favorites with you!

Carolina Moore - Quilter, author, pattern designer, and notion inventor, Carolina is an Art Gallery Fabrics Sewlebrity, Baby Lock Ambassador, Accuquilt Die Designer, and lover of all things quilty! She features loads of “shorts” on her channel with hacks, tips, ideas and opinions. Her shop features loads of digital patterns for all kinds of quilting fun.

Corn Wagon Quilt Company - Located in Springville, Utah, at the edge of the Wasatch Mountains, Corn Wagon Quilt Co. was established in 1999. Owners, Jud and Marsha Harward designed a three-story quilt shop to inspire quilters from start to finish. This channel showcases their weekly Saturday Sampler.

Fabric Cafe - Mother daughter duo, Donna and Fran, have a great channel. They are THE experts in 3 and 5 yard quilts. I love the way they show more than one color option for the quilts they showcase. They sell kits and patterns for their these quilts, including their quilt of the month. If you’re looking for a way to showcase a panel in a quilt, you have to check out them out!

The Fat Quarter Shop - Kimberly Jolly brings such down-home goodness to all of her videos. The channel features sewing and notion tutorials and interviews with your favorite fabric designers. I enjoy her regular update of what’s currently available, as well as what’s coming, to the store. She does a great job showcasing each fabric collection, and even shares her own quilting adventures.

Jordan Fabrics - Donna releases a few videos a month, each with a full tutorial for a featured pattern and/or notion available in her store. What’s unique to her videos are the way you can see the entire finished quilt; full sized finished quilt! Her storefront offers lots of pre-cuts created by Matt, right there in the shop!

Merrily We Quilt Along - This is the channel for the quilt shop, Merrily We Quilt Along, located in Springfield. Here you will find instructional videos for their Saturday Sampler blocks.

Missouri Star Quilt Co. - Jenny boasts having the largest selection of precut fabrics in the world, but her daily deals, offering 30-100% off is a huge draw to both new and returning customers. My sister and I had a blast visiting her “group” of stores which make up a good part of the old Main St. in Hamilton, Missouri. Unlike the Fat Quarter Shop, you won’t see as many ‘walk throughs’ of available product, but you will find years worth of step by step tutorials on her channel.

Moda Fabrics - In business since 1975, United Notions and Moda Fabrics from Dallas, brings loads of ideas and truck shows featuring the ever popular Moda Fabrics. You’ll get to meet the designers, see their Block Head monthly showcase, learn new ideas and techniques for pre-cuts, various notions and so much more.

Modern Quilt Studio - Designing and making modern quilts since 1999, Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle publish Modern Quilts Illustrated, design fabric for Benartex/Contempo and sewing tools for Good Measure. On their channel you’ll find them teaching quilt design and construction and showcasing their newest creations and fun things from their store!

Mx Domestic - I’ve been following the very talented Mathew for several years now and love his innovation and creativity. He’s a kindred spirit as he too, sees his creativity as a way to support mental health. His weaving technique is featured on his channel as is various other techniques. Recently, the channel began doing lives on Saturday mornings, showcasing the newest additions to his shop which carries notions, amazing fabrics and more.

Riley Blake Designs - Weekly tutorials from a fabric manufacturer where everything quilting is showcased including a block of the month, which I personally enjoy. Since fabric is their focus, you’ll find ideas for simple projects like hot pads and decor to large scale quilts and more. Online, you’ll find their storyboards, kits, notions, fabric, patterns and so much more.

Quilt Addicts Anonymous - From simple How-To videos to Live Sew-Ins, Stephanie offers a wide array of ideas you are sure to find not only knowledgeable but enjoyable. Her shop sells the patterns she features in readily available digital form so you can get instant gratification.

Sew Sweetness - This is Sara Lawson’s pattern design company and on this channel, she shares her love of bag-making through tutorials and full-length pattern videos, as well as quilting projects. Her Sunday Sewcials are my fav!

Shabby Fabrics - Jennifer, a quilter and pilot, offers a host of tutorials and quilt kits on her channel. One of my favorite store features is the wide assortment of Block of the Month programs they offer; there is something for everyone! She takes fabric from the marketplace and she, and her team, create a new and innovative way to use them!

Other channels I like to browse now and again for inspiration:

Catherine Sews - Catherine is as knowledgeable as she is sweet. She post videos every week with sewing project ideas, upcycling, tips, tricks and techniques to help you get gorgeous results!

Chelsea | She Sews Seams - Chelsea appeals to everyone! She gears her channel to the new sewist, and likes to make garments, quilts, bags, toys, pillows… if it involves fabric and thread - she’s IN! I like that she shows simple and quick projects that I can do in a sitting. Its great when I need inspiration!

Just Get it Done Quilts - Karen gives you tricks, tips and strategies to help every quilter helping us save money, time and more. I have this one set to notify me because I always get something useful from her videos!

Lori Holt - When I think of Lori’s work, I think of the words “cute” and “colorful.” Owner of Bee in My Bonnet Co. and author and fabric designer extraordinaire, she produces videos of her quilting designs, crochet and needlework. You can visit her company website to get a glimpse of her newest fabric collection as well as purchase her books, notions and yarns.

M A Couture Crafting - Macc is a new age quilter, featuring tons of color and innovative techniques in her quilting. She makes the best walk-though videos of quilt shows, which I appreciate as I’m not able to travel to them myself!

Notes From the Sewing Room - Becky loves everything about the process of making clothes, from dreaming about individual projects, to choosing the ftabric and then sewing it up and that’s exactly what you’ll find on her channel. Inspiration! You’ll get to walk along with her as she chooses fabric, learns new hacks, unboxes orders, sews bags and clothing for herself and her children and more. It is quite simply, notes from her sewing room.

Pickin Stitches Kelly Aulson - Want to get a subscription to a monthly sewing box but aren’t sure? Watch as Kelly unboxes Lori Holt, Fat Quarter Shop, Moda, Green Fairy and more. From simple tutorials to reveals and trunk shows, this is a great channel to find inspiration.

Power Tools with Thread - Air Force veteran, Becky, promotes snapplique, thats applique in snap, using a Brother Scan N Cut to turn any pattern into machine embroidery. She offers many other tutorials for what I would consider intermediate to advanced sewists.

SewVeryEasy - Laura explains things so well, that she really does make sewing and quilting “so” very easy. She puts out new videos twice a week, showcasing how to use various notions and supplies as well as teaches techniques in an easy way, usually offering a free handout to go along with the instruction.

Shamrock Quilt Studio - Hand and machine piecing, EPP techniques, and appliqué are discussed and demonstrated on Kim’s channel. Self-taught, I am drawn to her aesthetic.

Stitch With Rachel - A former junk journaling queen, this dedicated crafter showcases her work with English Paper Piecing, Quilting, Crochet and Cross Stitch. From the UK, Rachel is in a constantly trying new ideas along her quilting journey.