Henrico Small Business Spotlight: Quilting Adventures

Julie Haymes says Quilting Adventures is a welcoming environment for every kind of crafter. That’s why her shop is quilt to last.

Haymes, 57, grew up in a crafty household. Her mother sewed her childhood clothes and introduced her to all different types of arts and crafts. Visiting fabric stores is one of Haymes’ first memories.

“I just remember loving the colors and the fabrics and running my hands along them. . . even from being in a stroller,” Haymes said. “I just grew up to love fabric.”

Haymes’ mother died at just 56. But she left her daughter with a nugget of wisdom that stuck.

“She always believed do what you love, and the money will follow,” Haymes said.

Haymes has been sewing since she was 8. But she didn’t discover quilting until she was pregnant with her third son in 2001. After years of casual quilting, Haymes retired from being a midwife and joined a friend in saving their favorite quilt shop when it went up for sale in 2023. 

Haymes became the sole owner of Quilting Adventures after her business partner took a step back last year. But she persevered through the “tough transition” and has “never been so happy with a job.”

Today, Quilting Adventures, located at 6943 Lakeside Avenue, sells “everything one would need to make a quilt.” That includes fabrics, threads, batting, needles, scissors, pins and patterns, among other things. And with all JOANN fabric and craft stores closing across the nation, Haymes is determined to increase inventory.

“I'm going to up some of my notions to kind of help out the people that don't quilt but do sew,” Haymes said. “And I'm also introducing some fabrics that can be used for clothing.” 

She also makes sure to carry products that appeal to crafters of all ages.

“I tend to run modern for sure,” Haymes said. “But I also like to keep some traditional things for our more traditional quilters and sewists so they feel they can find something here, as well.”

Beyond a wide range of products, Quilting Adventures has a variety of other offerings, including longarm services – something Haymes often does herself. 

“Longarming is where you have a machine that does the actual quilting part of the quilt,” Haymes said. “Sometimes we even bind it for them, as well, so they get a finished product.”

In other words, a customer will bring their finished quilt top and the back of their quilt to the store. The quilter also needs to have batting – the middle layer of a quilt – and customers either can bring their own or purchase it from Quilting Adventures.

Then, they choose what color thread and design they want before someone using the longarm machine does the actual quilting. In some cases, Quilting Adventures will finish off the quilt by sewing a strip of fabric around the raw edges of the quilt, otherwise known as binding.

Quilting classes offer variety of techniques

Classes also are a huge part of Quilting Adventures. Some of the course offerings teach different types of quilting, fabric collage, bag making and a Japanese embroidery technique called sashiko. One of Haymes’ quilting classes focuses on Kawandi – a type of quilt traditionally found in India and brought to the area from Africa.

“It's a sort of quilt-as-you-go-with-scraps method that's amazing,” Haymes said of Kawandi.

Looking for a fun way to connect with fellow quilters in the area? Register for Haymes’ free “Sit & Sew” events. Every Friday, as many as 10 crafters can meet at Quilting Adventures to work on their own projects. 

And if you’re a college or high school student, you can also take advantage of Haymes’ free “learn to sew” and “learn to quilt” classes. 

No matter the reason you step foot in Quilting Adventures, Haymes hopes you feel comfortable at the “friendliest quilt shop in Richmond.”

“If you Google quilt shops in Richmond, we’re rated the highest because we're so friendly,” Haymes said. “We just have a rule that if someone walks in, they are welcome. . . And we just start conversations with every single person that walks in the door.”

Haymes makes a point to cater to all skill levels. Even if you’ve never sewn before, she’s saved a seat for you at the metaphorical quilting table. She loves meeting and teaching “quilt-curious” beginners.

“I still want to help people. . . with what excites their passion, what makes them tick,” Haymes said. “For them to find their own sort of creative journey.”

Haymes is happy with Quilting Adventures as it exists, today. But she has dreams for the future. 

“I would love to be a vendor at some big shows like QuiltCon, which is a big modern quilt show that gets thousands and thousands of visitors,” Haymes said. “My other goal is just to continue to open up to the community.”

As part of her community-outreach efforts, Haymes is aiming to offer a children’s sewing class this summer. She’s also hoping to bring more male and transgender people into Quilting Adventures.

“My goal here is to make everyone feel welcome,” Haymes said.

No matter how patrons choose to support Quilting Adventures, Haymes is grateful. She takes great pride in running the “historical landmark” that will celebrate its 20th business anniversary in May.

“In the crafting and sewing world and quilting world, this is like an institution because it's been around so long,” Haymes said. “Some of my employees have been here over 15 years, some even longer. . . We’re just like a big family here.”

For details, visit the Quilting Adventures website.

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