How To Start a Quilting Club in Your Fabric Store

Every fabric store owner is feeling the squeeze right now.

Online retailers can run circles around brick-and-mortar stores in terms of price and convenience. If you try to run that race, you’ll just watch your profit margins shrink as more and more quilters continue to click “add to cart” on their couches instead of walking into your store. 

If you want to beat the online retailers, you can’t join their race to the bottom on pricing. You need to create something Amazon can’t replicate: community. 

The quilting market is on the rise in the U.S., and quilters consistently report that community connections and shared learning are some of the main reasons they love the art form. Your ideal customer is hungry for the inspiration and friendship that comes from connecting with other quilters.

Take advantage of this opportunity by starting a quilting club of your own. Unsure of how to start a quilting club? We’re here to help. This post guides you through the key phases and critical steps required to launch a successful quilting club that turns local community members into loyal customers. 

Why Quilting Clubs Are Game Changers for Fabric Store Owners 

Before we discuss how to start a quilting club in your store, let’s explore some of the advantages of this approach. 

Starting a quilting club in your fabric store is about building a steady monthly income from loyal customers. By bringing quilters together regularly, you create more chances to build relationships and sell fabric. 

Related Read: Are Fabric Stores Profitable? 7 Factors To Consider

Quilting clubs can give your store some key benefits:

• Predictable monthly revenue: Club membership fees provide steady income you can count on.
• Higher customer spending: Club members typically spend more than regular customers because they're buying for multiple projects and building a connection to your store. 
• Natural customer retention: Regular club meetings create emotional connections that online retailers can't match, making members less likely to shop elsewhere.
• Built-in marketing: Happy club members become your best advocates, bringing friends and family with them the next time they do a project together or introduce a new friend to the craft.

With this critical context in mind, we’re ready to walk through the step-by-step process of launching a quilting club that will take casual shoppers and turn them into loyal customers. 

Planning Your Quilting Club: The Foundation Phase 

Before you can start hosting meetings and launching projects, you need to lay out what kind of quilting club you want to create. 

Start by defining your club's identity. 

Will you focus on beginners who need gentle guidance, advanced quilters looking to step up their game, or a mixed group that learns from each other? 

Beginners need more hands-on instruction and basic supplies, while advanced quilters want specialized techniques and premium materials. Mixed groups offer the most growth potential but require more management and teaching staff than choosing one side or the other.

Related Read: Quilting Classes for Beginners: How To Host Them in 4 Steps

Next, consider your meeting structure. 

Weekly meetings create stronger bonds but require more commitment from you, your members, and your staff. Monthly meetings are easier to manage, but you'll need to work harder to maintain momentum between sessions. 

Starting with a simple monthly social stitch session lets you test interest without overwhelming commitment.

Your next step is to define your club size and space. 

Groups of 6-10 members create intimate, supportive environments where everyone gets personal attention. Larger groups of 15-20 can be more profitable but require more staff with stronger facilitation skills. They’ll also require more space. 

Our advice is to start small and prepare to expand if demand grows. 

Your space needs will vary dramatically based on these decisions. In your fabric store design, plan for at least six feet of table space per person, good lighting, storage for supplies and projects in progress, and enough electrical outlets for irons and machines. 

Don't forget about accessibility. You need to ensure your club meeting space welcomes quilters of all ages and abilities.

Finally, nail down your pricing structure. 

Monthly memberships can boost your predictable revenue numbers, but might scare off hesitant newcomers. 

The best approach is to offer a monthly membership, along with per-session fees at a premium rate. This approach lets quilters check out the group without a commitment and then invest in the monthly membership once they’re confident the group is the right fit for them. 

Related Read: Retail Customer Experience 101: 8 Best Practices for Fabric Shops

Attracting Your First Members 

One mistake many fabric store owners make when thinking about how to start a quilting club is assuming people will simply show up. If you want your club to be a success, you need to take a strategic approach to filling those seats. 

Your existing customers are your best starting point. Dig into your quilt shop CRM data and identify quilters based on their purchase history. Anyone buying quilting cotton, rotary cutters, or batting is a prime candidate for your marketing push. Send these customers emails introducing the club and talking about the benefits. 

Outside of your current customer base, you can use some other creative methods to attract your local quilters to your new club:

• Partner with libraries, senior centers, and community colleges
• Launch social media campaigns in local Facebook groups 
• Go traditional with flyers at coffee shops, community bulletin boards, and local newspapers 
• Connect with existing quilting groups that might be looking for a new home 

Once you have some interested parties, your next step is to plan your launch event. You may want to consider hosting a free open house to give potential members a taste of what the club has to offer. 

Offer a free mini sewing workshop that people can complete in an hour, and provide refreshments. When quilters are confident that your shop can offer them the environment they want for their crafting process, they’re more likely to join.

Pro Tip: You can also offer founding quilting club members perks like discounted rates, coupons, or exclusive early access to new fabrics or products. 

Running Successful Club Meetings 

Once you’ve launched your club, you may think the work is over, but it’s just beginning. If you want to build a thriving community in your store, you need to take the right steps to run successful club meetings. 

The key is consistency. You need a structured, welcoming environment that encourages learning and socializing… and maybe a few purchases. 

Here’s a basic outline for how you might run a club meeting: 

1. Welcome & opening (10-15 minutes)

Start every meeting with intention. Your intention will set everyone at ease and set the tone for the entire meeting. 

• Welcome: Greet everyone by name as they arrive
• Newcomer introductions: Have new members introduce themselves and share their quilting experience level
• Quick announcements:
  • Upcoming store sales or events
  • New fabric arrivals
  • Special member discounts available today
• Overview: Brief summary of planned activities and any special features

Related Read: 8 Proven Promotion Ideas for Fabric Shops

2. Show & tell time (20-30 minutes)

For many members, the primary purpose of quilting clubs is to showcase their current projects and ask questions about what they should or could do next. Make sure you don’t skip this section! 

• Recent projects: Members share completed or in-progress work
• Technique spotlights: Encourage members to explain interesting methods they used
• Problem-solving circle: Address any challenges members are facing
• Photos: Take pictures for your store's social media (with permission)

Ask specific questions like "What was your favorite part about making this?" or "What would you do differently next time?" to draw out quiet members.

3. Core Activity or lesson (60-90 minutes)

Next, you’ll want to move into the core activity of your club meeting. This can either be a lesson if you’re going with a quilting club/quilting class hybrid approach, or an organized activity for a more social club approach. 

Feature inventory naturally during lessons. Teaching appliqué? Use threads and fabrics from your newest collections. Tell quilters where they can find the supplies for a project they’re discussing or working on together as a class in the store. 

4. Social & collaboration time (20-30 minutes)

Regardless of your club style, be sure to bake in some time for simply being social. You’ll want to have refreshments available, even if it’s just some water bottles and iced tea.

During this stage, your club members can collaborate and ask each other questions about issues they’re having with current projects, discuss upcoming quilts they want to work on, share charity quilt drive information, and more. 

It’s important to be aware of group dynamics for this stage of a quilting club meeting. Train your facilitators to gently redirect dominating personalities toward mentoring roles, and draw out quieter members with specific project questions.

5. Wrap-up (10-15 minutes)

Close out each meeting with some helpful information and gentle sales pitches for your store. Some options for things to include in your wrap-up process:

• Featured supplies: Showcase products used in today's lesson
• Member exclusive offers:
  • Special pricing on today's featured materials
  • Preview new arrivals before general customers
  • Project kit sales for take-home work
• Next meeting preview: Brief overview of upcoming activities
• Resource sharing: Recommend books, patterns, or tools related to today's lesson

Related Read: 12 Essential Cross-Selling and Upselling Strategies for Fabric Shops

Remember, each meeting’s success starts with smart preparation: set up proper lighting, gather materials, and review each member's progress before they arrive. 

During meetings, be sure to have your facilitators circulate regularly and take notes on any member requests during the meeting. After everyone leaves, follow up with struggling members and reorganize your space while planning improvements for next time. 

This cycle of preparation, engagement, and follow-through is the key to building a group people want to be a part of.

Turning Club Members Into Loyal Customers 

Answering how to start a quilting club is just step one of this process. The real value of your quilting club comes from the opportunity to turn your club members into your most loyal, highest-spending customers.  

Member-exclusive benefits are your secret weapon in this area. Give club members first access to new fabric collections, special ordering privileges for hard-to-find materials, and member-only sales that create genuine excitement and urgency. 

Implementing a modern point of sale (POS) system, like LikeSew, with purchase tracking and built-in loyalty program management features can make this easier to manage.

Related Read: Why and How To Start a Loyalty Program for Your Sewing Store

When running your quilting club meetings, always remember to keep purchasing opportunities top of mind. 

• Have materials available for immediate purchase when teaching techniques
• Create impulse-buy-friendly displays of coordinating threads and notions in your meeting space
• Develop take-home kits that let beginners continue practicing between sessions
• Offer project-specific bundles that complement your lesson plans for class-based club structures

The primary opportunity lies in relationship-building. Operating a quilting club lets you get to know your core customers in a way that would otherwise be impossible. 

You’ll remember that Jennifer is working on a wedding quilt for her daughter, or that Martha always struggles with matching points. 

You can send coupons or gift cards to members to celebrate when they complete a challenging quilt and have a special treat at the club meeting that falls on someone’s birthday. 

Use your quilting club to add personal touches that online stores and big-box businesses can’t replicate. This will build lasting loyalty in your store.  

How To Start a Quilting Club and Grow Your Store 

We’ve covered the benefits of starting a quilting club and walked through the step-by-step process for starting and operating a club that draws in new members and creates loyal customers for your store.

But managing a successful quilting club requires more than good intentions and facilitation skills. You need the right tools to track member attendance, manage class registrations, monitor inventory usage, and measure your club's impact on store revenue. 

Without proper systems, you'll spend more time on administrative tasks than building the relationships and customer loyalty you need. 

The best tool in your arsenal is a modern POS system designed specifically for fabric stores. LikeSew has built-in class management features that let you create and promote quilting clubs, track member attendance, and manage sign-ups without the headache of spreadsheets or paper forms. 

Ready to turn your quilting club vision into a revenue-generating reality? Schedule a demo of LikeSew to see how our specialized features can help you start the quilting club your fabric store needs.