Country Traditions, Fremont, NE February 2008

An annual winter tradition for my friend Claudia and me is a quilter's day out to Country Traditions in Fremont, Nebraska.  We were graced with a gorgeous sunny day that was an almost warm 29 degrees -- I suppose warm is a relative term this year as it's been the second coldest winter since my family moved to Nebraska from Arizona 18 years ago.  Anyway, for about 3 hours in the middle of our almost-warm day, we actually left our coats in the car .......we still have high hopes that spring will return to the heartland!  It's been a LONG and cold winter.......

Country Traditions is located on North Main St. in downtown Fremont, Nebraska (located an easy 40 minute drive northwest of Omaha).  The store was recently moved into a different building just a block farther south on the same street in order to have more space, so we were anxious to see if the changes were to our liking.  The old Country Traditions was really good so I was hoping that nothing important was missing -- not to worry, the new building is bigger and better in all ways and has retained its old building wooden-floored charms.

The store is in a old building with store front windows that offer ample space for the lovely seasonal displays that Country Traditions does so well.  Double glass front doors open into a huge space that is filled with decorative and gift items arranged on old pieces of furniture and free standing screen doors that have been fastened together; there are bays of fabrics arranged around the outsides of the room, and a large figure 8-shaped cutting island in the middle of the floor.  The ceilings in this building are probably 20' high and you can see the see the beams and supports of the floor above -- it all creates an airy and spacious feeling.  

On a small annex floor,  halfway between the upstairs and downstairs, is the sales and classroom area for the Pfaff and long-arm sewing machines part of their business.  At the top of the building is a carpeted open space referred to as the "ballroom" that is available for workshops, classes and demonstrations, and off to one side is a display of previous quilt models that are for sale.   I was also told that there is another portion of the building just next door that is there for the taking if they need further expansion.   We should be so lucky.

Country Traditions advertises  having 4500+ bolts of fabric so that means a good selection of many fabric lines including Jo Morton, Thimbleberries, Kansas Troubles, Maywood, Moda, Windham reproductions, 3 Sisters, batiks, children's brights, the Dick and Jane line, Moda Marbles and a wall of what they call "the basics" -- fabrics of many designs arranged by color. The fabrics are organized with each fabric line or type shelved in little bays formed by shelving that juts out from the wall.  Quilting notions and threads (Sulky and Mettler) are offered for every need.  This store offers an enormous number of quilting books as well as many individual patterns for table runners to purses to quilts.

Items for gifts and home decor are offered for the current holidays and displayed throughout the store.  These are things such as floral arrangements, swags and greenery, candles, note cards, ceramic plates and dishes, holiday cutouts saying "Happy Easter," stuffed critters such as bunnies or Santas in the right season, and ornaments.  

On this particular day, I was on a quest for the pattern and fabrics to make a quilt that I had seen on an earlier trip.  The pattern is from the book called "Happy Hour" and is made of fat quarters in the popular color scheme of browns, tans and turquoise blues.  We had fun choosing about 30 fat quarters from the large variety of fabrics there and I should have enough neutral tans in my own stash to fill in the gaps.  Is there anything happier than leaving a nice quilt store with a full bag of fabric in hand?

Country Traditions

330 N. Main

Fremont, NE        402-721-7752

Hours:   M-F, 10 - 5:30,  Thurs til 8 PM

Sat. 10 - 5