During my research, for example, I met the lovely Donna Moore in the foothills of the Mojave Desert. Her shop on a side street in the small town of Kingman is hard to miss: The front garden is adorned with colorful glass bottles, laid out on the ground like large mosaic stones. Some are placed on rods like large glass flower chalices. The sunlight is caught inside them in all the colors of the rainbow. As soon as you open the door to Donna's quilt shop, the splendor of color continues.
Anyway: Kingman? Who has even heard of Kingman, Arizona? Kingman is a good starting point for visitors to the Grand Canyon, for example – you can reach the South Rim, the southern edge of the canyon, from here in 2–3 hours. Tickets for the Skywalk, that terrifying glass-bottom walkway, can be purchased everywhere on the way to Kingman. But Vegas travelers will also find a meal here—usually hearty, rich in meat and carbohydrates—surprisingly good hotels, and, in this lonely area, super important: gas stations! Cinephiles might know Kingman from the film "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," which was partially shot at the city's airfield. You can see the Hualapai Mountains in film sequences from "Mars Attacks!".
But back to Donna's shop. Fortunately, it is air-conditioned. Outside, there is roaring heat at 43 degrees Celsius: On the way to the quilt shop, even breathing was unpleasant for us—this hot air in the lungs—unaccustomed and uncomfortable. A bit like being in a sauna. Only much, much drier.
The sewing enthusiasts in the quilt shop don't seem to mind that at all: "Where do you store the Kaffe Fassets?", asks a customer. "In the room over there", says Donna. And with a mischievous smile, she adds: "The bright one!" And she is right. The back room: a gem. Full from floor to ceiling with beautiful prints and batiks by Kaffe Fassett. Donna is particularly fond of these fabrics. And Donna herself is a gem, too. Transplanted from cold Alaska to the desert-like, hot Kingman, she brings color and shine to many sewing rooms in the near and far surroundings. I take a look at the prices of the Fassett fabrics, which can easily cost around 20 euros back home. In the USA, you can often get them for 11–13 dollars, or approx. 9.60–11.80 euros. Of course, I become terribly greedy on the spot! :) I usually order my Kaffe Fassett fabrics here*. That's good because it helps me keep track of my spending. And I usually find another fabric that I like much, much better than the one in the shopping cart. Unfortunately, I usually take both anyway. ;)
When I visit her on my US trip, Donna proudly reports that she took a repair course specifically for Janome machines for her customers. There are many Janomes in her shop. Donna swears by them. The customers, says Donna, used to have to drive many hours to Flagstaff or Phoenix when their sewing machines were broken. Now they come to Donna's shop at 310 Oak Street. They get their repair—and always a smile, advice, and a nice chat.
When asked what she particularly likes to sew, Donna points to a mini-quilt above the window: "It's called Row by Row", she explains. The Row-by-row Convention announces a theme every year. Last year it was "Home Sweet Home". As a result, many quilts were created that interpret the theme of "home" in the most diverse ways.
This year the theme is: "On The Go". Donna's quilt shows a purple car and Donna's house. In between: signposts to different places and people who play a role in Donna's life.
However, the little work of art above the window contains not only a part of Donna's own life story. It also shows the landscape that defines Kingman: With a population of just under 30,000 people, Kingman is not a very small town. Located in sunny Arizona (which can boast more sunny days than California) between the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Grand Canyon on the legendary Route 66, there is hardly any green to be seen during the hot season—in nature just as much as on Donna's quilt: The grass is parched, the earth smells like fired clay mixed with spicy herbs. Palm trees and cacti grow on every corner. This atmosphere is also reflected in Donna's little Row by Row. Row by Row quilts are very popular in the USA. Many quilters use the call for themed sewing to make entire quilts. Nine rows must be joined together to make one of the coveted theme quilts. Then you can take it into one of the participating shops and have the work of art bound and quilted. In Donna's shop, which she has been running since 2014, customers also come with their personal Row by Row. Then Donna fires up her long-arm quilting machine and turns the rows (and everything else her customers bring her) into wonderful quilts.
Many of the colorful, one-of-a-kind pieces created this way are donated for charitable purposes—that's what they call "Charity Quilts". "For veterans, for example", Donna says. Or for large families. Donna reports that the making of quilt blankets in the USA often follows a social aspect. Unlike back home, people in the USA are proud of war heroes and veterans. They are often publicly thanked for their service—in America, this is part of the national identity. And for that, people are happy to donate a valuable quilt. Especially because the American healthcare system is not a very good one. Obamacare is on the verge of being overturned. And many veterans have to struggle with physical, and perhaps even more so with psychological, problems. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, drugs, alcohol, medication dependency: the range of illnesses that war deployments bring with them is long and disturbing.
The crumbling US healthcare system is not capable of ensuring sufficient medical care for everyone. This applies also and above all to veterans, large families, and people below the poverty line. Here, organizations like the Quilters Conventions, but also local sewing groups, want to help. This form of supporting disadvantaged people, Donna emphasizes, has a long tradition in the USA.
Donna loves sewing: when she finishes a quilt, it's with the feeling of completing something, of using the talents she has been given for something beautiful. However, Donna's sewing zeal has to be concentrated on evenings and weekends. In the shop, she hardly gets any sewing done; there is always so much to do! She would like to sew much more—before she started the quilt shop, she had much more time to sew. When she sits down at the sewing machine now, she often feels like she has to sew something for the shop. Personal quilting preferences surely fall by the wayside a bit sometimes. ;)
Before I leave, I ask Donna to give me a few particularly typical fabrics to take with me:
Regarding the ultra-fine glass-headed pins (my verdict: see below), quilt pro Donna says: "I love this one!" And the rust-red print with turquoise salamanders too ("So bright and colorful!"). I think so too! Thanks so much, Donna! I've learned a lot.
Happy simple sewing, Sabine
P.S.: Donna also has a Facebook page! There she likes to share news from the shop and from the quilters' community. If you are in the area, because you want to visit the Grand Canyon, for example, a visit to her cute quilt shop is also worthwhile. You can find it at this address: Donnas Quilt Shop, 310 E Oak St, 86401 Kingman.
P.P.S.: After trying the two-colored Quilting Pins by Clover*, I have to say: I love them too. The pins are very thin, glide wonderfully through the fabric—and the best part: the glass head is heat-resistant. After having scorched so many of my beloved flower-head pins* (also by Clover) with the iron, I find the glass-head solution wonderful! Unlimited recommendation for purchase!
P.P.P.S.: Are you interested in sewing stories? Then read about how I got into sewing!
P.P.P.P.S.: We also brought back some great sewing decor from the USA. It really blew us away. Take a look!
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