Stephanie, Beverly and myself (from right to left) went a-hunting for “the complete shopping experience” here in our home town, Wichita, KS. From curb to cash register, we wanted to feel that, as customers, we were inspired, encouraged and excited about the shop we were in.
Often when traveling, we have those experiences, but sometimes forget about our own backyard. Delano District of Wichita is a delightful place to shop and so we spent the afternoon visiting this area. For lunch, we ate at a lovely cafe, called The Palette Bistro, at 613 Douglas. We loved the painted chalkboard and chalk art!
The food was fresh, the salad crisp, the fruit sweet and the dessert was delicious. We all loved the presentation of the food, the atmosphere of the cafe and the special care of the menu.
Every shop has a “feeling”, an attitude, if you will. We asked the independent business women how they would describe their business in one word, as we informed them we were blogging about our experience. Cindy, owner of Sew Much (shown in the shop window with me) describes her shop as “the unique fabric boutique”. Each time I have visited, she is working on an new display or checking in new product!
Sew Much carries silk, wool, cotton, linen, knits, patterns, notions and more. The shop has a young, vibe, with a wonderful selection of Amy Butler decorator fabrics.
There is a wonderful variety of fabrics for making garments of all types and Sew Much also offers garment sewing classes. I couldn’t get over the pom-pom fringe and oversized rick rack in every color!
Cindy carries my Cute as a Button Baby Jacket pattern.. I like seeing how it looks made in a variety of fabrics. Here she shows it in corduroy.
Visit Cindy at 535 W. Douglas Ste. 130 or online at www.sewmuchonline.com. There are two entrances for convenient access, as additional parking is behind the building.
Just steps away you will find Material Girls Quilt Shoppe at 535 w. Douglas, Ste. 140 (where you can also enter from the front or the back door)!
Owners, Jo & Jan will have a grand opening Sept. 10 & 11th with refreshments and door prizes. The shop has a fresh, modern feel, with fabrics to suit any taste. I encourage you to visit!
Very well done, ladies!
Material Girls describes their shop as “a unique quilting experience”.
Visit their website to find out about fall classes.
We found our way to Twist Yarn Shop at 607 W. Douglas where I ran into Diane Moos, who is a wonderful crochet artist. She and several of the employees were refreshing displays and were hard at work. You can visit Diane on Ravelry.com by looking up GracePlease to see the wonderful crochet dolls she has made.
Twist is full of fantastic selections of yarn, patterns and notions for knitters and crocheters. Shelly has been getting in inventory daily! If you love fiber, this is the place for you!
Here you will also find classes for all skill levels and clubs that meet regularly in the comfortable work area Shelly has set up. KS My Stitch Crochet Guild , a guild my sister, Stephanie and I are all members of meets the third Monday of every month at Twist for programs, show-n-share and refreshments.
Bungalow 26 shop owner, Kelsey Metzinger visited with us about her weakness for “products”. She carries wonderful candles, soaps, lotions.. all the spa goodies we like to spoil ourselves with.
Kelsey describes her shop as eclectic, with a Soho downtown vibe!
Each of the shop owners has done a wonderful job with their displays, store windows and had a unique selection of products to chose from. We were impressed with the cleanliness, the friendly smiles, the helpful inquiries. Each of the shopowners should know the appreciation we have for the hard work well done! Retail therapy accomplished!
