INDIANAPOLIS — The 4th-annual Indiana Quilters Trail Shop Hop is set for March 26-29. The event is a unique opportunity for veteran quilters or those who are quilt-curious to explore this time-honored tradition.
“It's our fourth year for quilters in the quilting community around central Indiana to go to six different shops that are organized around Indianapolis and shop and hop from shop to shop,” Capi Saxton said.
Saxton is the Chief Fiber Officer at Always In Stitches in Noblesville, one of the stops along the trail.
“[Customers] have an opportunity to buy fabric and things while they're there,” Saxton said. “We've got a particular quilt that they can buy a little bit of each of the quilts at each of the shops.”
Connie Lancaster from Quilts Plus in Lebanon helped launch the initiative following a move to a new city.
“My goal was to get my shop better known,” Lancaster said. “I had just moved to Lebanon in 2019 from Marion County, and I wanted people to know that I was there.”
Lancaster opted to stitch the quilting community together rather than tear it apart at the seams of competition.
“Collaboratively, with the other shops that were involved, we developed the Shop Hop so that people could get to know all of us and know that we were collaborative and not necessarily competitive,” Lancaster said.
Saxton and Lancaster hope this collaboration and the drive for inclusivity will build an enduring space for all quilters for years to come.
“We're hoping to get a lot of newcomers who are are interested in doing crafting and getting into sewing and quilting,” Lancaster said. “We are encouraging, we are knowledgeable, and we are there to help people get started.”
Getting started begins with just one stitch.
“We’re here to guide beginners and show them that with the right support, they can tackle even the most complex-looking projects,” Saxton said.
Participants in the Quilters Trail Shop Hop will receive a passport, which can be stamped at each location. Participants with a completed passport will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
Click here to learn more about the Indiana Quilters Trail Shop Hop 2025.
