Quilters Haven shop front

 

A great range of fabrics

more fabrics...

Our teaching area

Come try out our Bernina sewing machines

Our Story

Quilters Haven (QH) started off as a teaching centre with a small shop to provide supplies, but has developed into a large shop and online business which still stresses the importance of teaching and great education. The experienced staff delight in helping and informing customers on latest techniques and gadgets. Quilters Haven started life in an industrial unit alongside USAF Bentwaters in September 1993. Unfortunately, the base that housed many American quilters had closed down two months previously. This was not part of the plan. Never the less, Karin had a dedicated number of quilting followers who had attended her classes for three years beforehand. Despite there being no Sat Nav in the early nineties and few rural signposts most quilters were determined to find the first quilting centre in Suffolk.

Three years later, Karin took pity on her followers and moved Quilters Haven to a village location which some people knew, Wickham Market. She found a 700 hundred year old building which she knew would impress New World quilters and even had a Postcard designed by a local minature artist so that she could be found. This was used as a business card the first time Karin attended a Quilt Market in Houston and the Texans were most impressed with the biggest business card they had encountered.

Quilters Haven Publications was launched in 2001when Karin wrote her first book, Sew a Row Quilts, to help her eldest son, Ross enter University. She then had to write books for her other two sons who also needed support. The writing became addictive and the creative juices kept on flowing so now there are eight published books. We have them ready for you to buy in the shop and usually they are signed by the author although many of the staff enjoy signing books too! Just ask them to autograph the quilts they have made for the books.

The Staff

Karin is the owner of Quilters Haven. She is also the author of eight books and an International quilt teacher. Karin loves travelling and teaching and advises an established holiday company, Arena Travel, on quilting holidays.
Karin writes the Quilters Haven newsletter, works on the website, sends out the email updates and does most of the event planning and teaching programme. When she is in the shop she does answer the phone which can surprise some customers who think she may be too 'famous' for this task.

Pam has worked at Quilters Haven since 1998. She is a very accurate patchwork piecer but prefers to have her quilts quilted professionally. Blocks of the month and International Mystery quilts come under Pam's umbrella. Pam is our in-house Eleanor Burns, a quilter she has long admired! Ask to see her Eleanor Burns mask next time you are in QH. Quilts from the Quilt in a Day books are taught by Pam at QH.

Annie is our Bernina expert. In fact we believe there is very little she does not know about these sewing machines. She has sewn most of her life and her experience makes her a very knowledgeable teacher. Annie has just enjoyed a fantastic week in the Bernina Creative centre in Switzerland, just ask her about it! Annie does a lot of the teaching at QH but only if they involve machine sewing.

Teresa steps in whenever we need extra help. An enthusiatic quilter, Teresa is often the one who is suggesting new classes and new ideas. Teresa often attends shows in the USA bringing back ideas to use at QH. She is our hand applique and fabric dyeing expert.

Claire spends much of her working time at Quilters Haven placing products on our website. She also sends out our email updates every Friday, when Karin is not around.

Georgie has worked for several years in a general fabric shop and has also quilted for many years. This ideal combination works well for us. Georgie takes care of the book shelves and likes to help with the shop displays. She has started crocheting with fabric strips and we are very impressed with the rug she is making.

Pamela loves being in the shop and enthusiastically chats to customers and replenishes the shop stock. She is responsible for the fat quarter club and the teaching programme on our POS system.

Kathleen has newly joined us from Camrose in Canada, where her parents have the Quilting from the Heart shop. Kathleen is spending a year with us as she wanted to explore the UK and Europe. Having grown up in a quilt shop she already knows lots and loves quilting. We hope you will all help her settle in and make her welcome.

Regular teachers at Quilters Haven

Marion Barnes has taught at Quilters Haven for many years.

Margaret Huddle teaches the kids classes at Quilters Haven.

Helen Hazon has taken over the Sampler Quilt course. Recently retired from teaching at a local school, Helen has been quilting for years and during that time has stitched many sampler quilts.

Pippa Moss has taught at Quilters Haven since we started in 1993! She has won numerous awards for her hand and machine quilting. Her quilts are fantastic! Pippa also collects old wholecloth quilts and writes a blog.

Helen Howes A bit eccentric but a great teacher is a description students have given about Helen. She has her own studio in north Suffolk and teaches classes for us each term.

Yvonne Brown has wonderful techniques for mixing embroidery and different fabric finishes to produce artistic wall hangings. City and Guild students would benefit from her workshops.

Sally Holman is based in north Norfolk and is the patchwork and quilting teacher in that area. She has taught at Quilters Haven for many years. Her speciality is embellishment.

 Julie Hodges has taught locally for many years and is a regular contributor to the UK Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

Ann Haughton is an expert on a variety of sewing machines and runs a sewing centre near Bury St Edmunds.