Jenny Reminisces on the History of Missouri Star Quilt Co.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “home”? To me, home is family. I can always be myself with them. Home is comfortable, it’s welcoming, it’s my happy place. Over the past year, we’ve all spent a lot more time at home, but the time is soon coming when we’ll be able to venture out again and I hope to see you before too long in my hometown. You’re always welcome in Quilt Town, USA. We have so much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate during National Quilting Month! We want you to know that wherever you are, you can always come home to quilting at Missouri Star. 

Looking back on that first quilting tutorial, it’s incredible to see how far Missouri Star has come. There I was, stitching with my home sewing machine and the iron I’d used for years, sitting down (because I’d broken my foot!), and teaching a simple 4-patch block using a jelly roll. I had no idea what the future held for our tiny company. Twelve short years later, many wonderful milestones have been reached thanks to your support and love of quilting. Let’s take a look back at all the steps that have led us to where we are today (click on the links to learn more or for some major throwback nostalgia!):

November 2008-Missouri Star Quilt Co. Founded
November 2008-First Longarm Quilting Machine
February 2009First Video Uploaded to YouTube
February 2009-First Purchase Made at Missouri Star
April 2011First Building Renovated
July 2012-Grand Opening of Missouri Star Main Shop
January 2013-Missouri Star Website Launched
August 2013-First 100,000 Subscribers on YouTube
October 2013Sewing Center Opens for Retreats
December 2013Sew Seasonal Opens
February 2014-First Issue of BLOCK Magazine Published
April 2014Penney’s Quilt Shop Opens
May 2014Missouri Star Mercantile Opens
July 2014First Shipping Warehouse Opens
November 2014Batik Boutique Opens
May 2015-Missouri Star Owners Awarded Small Business Persons of the Year Award
March 2015Licensed to Sew Opens
September 2015First Birthday Bash Celebration (Our 7th Birthday!)
October 2015Backing & Trims Shop Opens
November 2015Machine Shed Opens
December 2015Modern Shop & Kids & Baby Shop Opens
February 2016Man’s Land and Floral Shop Opens
June 2016Main Shop Grand Reopening 
April 2017First Missouri Star Live Facebook Video
May 2017-First Missouri Star Academy
June 2017-New Shipping Warehouse Finished
May 2018Missouri Star Named One of Forbes’ Best Small Businesses of the Year
May 2018-First Jenny on the Road Tour
August 2018-First 500,000 Subscribers on YouTube
July 2019-Missouri Star & NCMC Apprenticeship Graduation
August 2019-Missouri Star Theater & Education Center Opened
October 2019-Missouri Star Cares Charity Founded
Coming Soon! Spring 2021-Missouri Star’s Grand Reopening!

Now, our hometown has been revitalized. Strolling down the streets is a joy as I walk past thoughtfully restored quilt shops filled with beautiful fabrics, bursting with inspiration for quilters of all kinds. It was not what I originally had in mind. It’s so much better. 

The quilt shops came about in an interesting way. Over a decade ago, we had just one little brick shop, but then we started selling many different types of fabric and we thought it would be a good idea to group them by style. So, the individual quilt shops came about naturally. The main street in town had many empty storefronts and we have fixed them up one by one to house each different fabric collection. All our lives, we never had the money for a brand new house, but we had plenty of fixer uppers. My kids took on this project with enthusiasm because they weren’t afraid of these old buildings. And look at what they’ve become!

Thank you for your loving support over the years. We are constantly amazed at what our little hometown has become, a literal Quilt Town, USA! And it’s all possible because of you. We hope to welcome you back very soon. 

Love,

Jenny