We were SEW thrilled to meet so many fabric enthusiasts during the second Austin Fabric Shop Hop last month. Several people – including long-time residents of Austin – stopped by Spruce for the first time during the three-day shopping extravaganza, and we introduced them to our services, classes and retail.
Virginia snatched up a few fresh pillows during the Shop Hop!
This was the first time Spruce participated in the Shop Hop, spearheaded by the wonderful ladies at Stitch Lab. The event, which one shopper described as “a bar hop for fabric stores,” is an opportunity for crafters and people who love design to visit several local shops specializing in fabric while taking advantage of deep discounts.
Katherine led a group of women at our DIY pincushion table, using fabric remnants and basic upholstery techniques.
During the Shop Hop, we offered some promotional discounts and had a pincushion-making station set up in the back, which people loved!
Attendees who purchased their Shop Hop Passports from us received delicious chocolate chip cookies from épicerie, a free three-month subscription to Creativebug, and promotional discounts to Ace Custom Tailors, J.Hannah Co. and Red Chair Market.
These totes came with Shop Hop Passports plus some sweet deals.
We also hosted a photo contest on social media.
Heather Banks snapped this photo of our two newly upholstered club chairs. The pair was quite popular.
Heather Banks received a gift certificate to Thunderbird Coffee and Ace Custom Tailors for snapping this photo (above) of our lovely and super-comfy club chairs and plush watercolor pillows.
Apart from the publicity the event received, the greatest thing about Shop Hop was it united people who are passionate about fabric and supporting local business. During the weekend, customers would strike up conversations with other shoppers about their quilting or fashion projects. One teenage girl told us about how she was looking for fabric remnants to makes plush bears, and a young woman named Emily showed us the colorful oil cloth pouches she makes and sells on Etsy. It was a lot of fun geeking out with people about our Christian Lacroix and Skinny LaMinx fabric remnants. We’d love to see what you make with them!
If you missed the Shop Hop, no worries; we still have plenty of designer fabric in the showroom for sale, so stop by! Have an idea to make the Shop Hop even better? Leave it in our comments section.
Thank you to all of the local businesses who helped make this a great event! And a big shout out to Stitch Lab’s Leslie Bonnell for organizing. We’re looking forward to the next one!