The Story of Happiness is Quilting

The Historic Downtown Square in McKinney, TX, has been a central part of life in McKinney for over 100 years. The location which is about 30 miles north of Dallas, boasts fine dining, two wineries, coffee shops, a hotel, specialty shops and a great atmosphere. There are always fun things to do on the Square, and now, this unique area is attracting even more attention thanks to the opening of a new quilt shop called Happiness Is...Quilting!

Grand opening for this new business located at 211 North Kentucky Street in McKinney was in November of 2006. The grand opening was held over Thanksgiving weekend in conjunction with a popular, annual event for the business area called Dickens of a Christmas.

Shop owners Laura Kay Houser and Alice Wilhoit stated that the grand opening weekend was a big success. Alice added, “There were a lot of activities, games, fun and people dressed up in Period clothing. It was a wonderful day for the grand opening!”

Since then, the owners said business has been wonderful and their new store has generated a lot of customer excitement.

“The business has been far more successful than we ever dreamed,” said Laura Kay. “We’ve learned so much in the past six months and have enjoyed making new quilting friends and renewing quilting relationships that are years old.”

Happiness Is...Quilting! was a dream that became reality for Laura Kay and Alice. Explaining, Alice said, “Laura Kay had long dreamed of owning a quilt shop. She began pursuing her dream in October 2005. She enlisted me to assist in the development of the business plan. Then in 2006, we formed a partnership with Joan Brumfield, a CPA, to execute the plan. We three came up with the shop name, Happiness Is...Quilting! to express our passion as a creative process and for quilting’s capacity to connect people.”

The partners searched for the perfect location until they found what they were looking for on the Downtown Square in McKinney.

Unfortunately, Joan became very ill in September 2006 and passed away in October of complications from rheumatoid arthritis.

Laura Kay shared, “Thanks to Joan’s great budgeting strategies and strict adherence to the budget, Alice and I were able to fulfill the dream of opening our store in November 2006. We miss Joan and we are so sad she isn’t a part of the realization of our dream. We know that she would be pleased with the results of our labor.”

The first priority at Happiness Is...Quilting! is service to the customers. Laura Kay and Alice said they want each person who walks in their door or visits their Web site to feel welcome and to enjoy a great experience. They said, “We are totally dedicated to giving our customers a friendly place to shop, take classes, come in for help with projects or just show off their latest projects.”

As the door of the shop reads, Happiness Is…Quilting! is a full service quilt shop offering quality fabric, notions, patterns, books, classes, and friendly customer service. Alice and Laura Kay offer an abundance of quilting projects for sewing enthusiasts of all ages and they feature wonderful fabrics, including lines from Andover, David Textiles, Free Spirit, Maywood, Michael Miller, Island Batik, Timeless Treasures, and more. Plus, their variety of books and kits are sure to inspire customers and get their creative juices flowing!

“We are cutting 125 Crazy Patchwork kits and 108 Ramblin’ Rose kits each month,” said Laura Kay. “We have a special interest in crazy quilt patterns and books. Our new block of the month program is designed for crazy quilt enthusiasts. It is designed by Alice and is a 12-block pattern featuring crazy patchwork using batiks, embroidery and applique. There’s a block for every month and each block’s center showcases the flower of the month. The fabric choices in it represent the gem of the month and there are places in each block for the creator to stitch their own important events of the month such as family birthdays or anniversaries.”

Looking ahead, Laura Kay and Alice said they anticipate developing a line of patterns for Happiness Is…Quilting! and hope to have new and innovative classes for quilters ages eight to 80.

Customer Susan Bancroft frequently shops at Happiness Is…Quilting! Speaking of the new store, Susan shared, “Happiness Is…Quilting! is my favorite shop! Alice taught me how to applique and make quilts, and she is the most gifted quilt artist and teacher that I know. She and Laura Kay are incredibly accommodating and the employees always greet you as though they are happy you dropped by. I also LOVE McKinney!”

You can visit Happiness Is...Quilting! online at www.happinessisquilting.com. Secure online ordering brings everything in the shop to customers at home.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, April 2007