Loss of Keepsake Quilting is loss to the community

To The Daily Sun,

I received word of the closing of the well-known and beloved Keepsake Quilting shop in Centre Harbor. I do not pretend to know the details of the story behind the owner’s decision to close the retail shop, but I am compelled to express my disappointment and sadness to the owner of the store as well as the owner of the property. The word on the street is that the parties were unable to come to an agreement on the lease. Whether or not that is the real reason, I have no first-hand knowledge; but that is what is being said publicly.

The current owner of Keepsake, who came from North Carolina and purchased Keepsake only 18 months ago, has decided to close the retail store and return to North Carolina where they own and operate Pineapple Fabrics. They will continue the Keepsake catalog sales only. In order to understand why there is such sadness and shock in the community around this decision, please understand that there is a thriving quilt market in the Lake’s Region. There are at least three quilt guilds that I know of in Moultonborough, Wolfeboro, and Laconia that have supported Keepsake through the years. In addition, it has been a draw for quilters all over New England and the country. Many days you will see busloads of shoppers who have spent part of their tours (and money) at Keepsake. The area hotels and restaurants have benefited from quilters drawn in by the proximity to Keepsake. Mill Falls Inn in Meredith, in particular, has benefited for many years from off-season weekends filled with quilters on weekend getaways. These woman (and I have been one of them) spend a lot of time (and money) at Keepsake and surrounding shops and restaurants.

I have been told by people involved with the shop that the business has been good. In fact, I credit the owners for hiring Mary Hunter and the wonderful sales staff. They have made improvements to the shop and have reached out to the community by holding workshops to make Quilts of Valor for veterans, gather to sew together, and hold classes teaching new ideas. They have brought a sense of warmth and community back to the shop that the former owners lost along the way. And now the owners choose to take the good name “Keepsake” and run. What a disappointment! They suggested that we shop with them online. As any quilter or crafter knows, it is less than ideal to shop for fabric online when you can’t touch it or see exactly what you’re getting.

What a shame to lose such an icon and draw to the community! If it’s true that the parties were unable to come to terms on a lease, I say shame on them. Are we to spend the next few months or years looking at an empty storefront? Or perhaps they’ll open a nail salon, bar, or a dollar store (heaven forbid). What a loss!

Colleen Whary

Moultonborough