BY, Gary Malicki
In my village travels it’s a joy to find a little gem that practically hides in plain sight. This one can almost qualify for that description but…perhaps not.
The Ellicottville Quilt Shop may not be exactly placed on the main drag, but I think it is in as much of a visible spot as you can get. It’s located at 19 Jefferson Street and cannot be missed near the very busy corner of Jefferson and Washington streets.
I’m always happy to have the privilege of meeting someone new in the area just about every week and Amy Ewel, proprietor of the quilt shop, is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
The first thing she did as I entered the shop, was to offer me a cup of coffee. Conducting the interview right there in her kitchen made me feel right at home. That was such a nice gesture that I temporarily forgot about how the other rooms housed an extensive inventory of quilt-making material.
Amy has had a super interesting journey and quilting, along with everything she could possibly learn about the business, has always been a part of it.
Originally from Delavan, she went to the University of Rochester where she began work as a bio-chemist. She spent years working in Vermont and also just outside of Boston. But all during this time and wherever she went, she stayed focused on quilting. She carefully applied all of that knowledge into what is now a full-time viable business doing what she loves. Amy celebrated 20 years in business last year and is still going strong.
Amy has also been locally philanthropic. She talked about a quilt she made of 8 inch squares that was raffled off and made $600 for an event sponsored by the local Rotary Club.
I asked her if she worked with any designs that would be her favorite, but she doesn’t really have any favorites; she simply enjoys sewing the patterns.
Her clientele, she says, is made up of about fifty percent locals and fifty percent tourists. She sees her business more as a destination as opposed to just a walk-in type of business.
Amy also enjoys teaching classes. She’s happy to set appointments for individuals as well as groups. The students are welcome to simply work on their own designs as well.
I asked about her most unusual pieces she worked on and she talked about and showed me examples of mini quilting which is the process of sewing together tiny pieces of material. It appeared to me to be quite tedious work but really beautiful when all sewn together. A lot of what she does, she says, is “you learn as you go”.
I asked Amy about what the greatest challenges to her business were. After learning the business all those years ago, she felt her greatest challenge was purchasing the right material for her inventory. It’s about the right patterns.
I also had the chance to see the room where she does the majority of her work. Everything was laid out meticulously where the stitching, cutting and sewing takes place.
In this quilter’s paradise, not only will you find everything you need to make a quilt, but also owner-made quilts in all sizes as well as pillows, runners, placemats and purses for sale. The hours are every Thursday through Saturday from 11am-5pm and you can reach her at 716-699-2065. You can also look her up on Facebook at The Ellicottville Quilt Shop or on Instagram at ellicottvillequiltshop.
Thank you Amy, for your hospitality and for sharing your story.