'More than just a fabric shop:' Granny's Fabric House provides a quilting community for everyone

REXBURG — Granny's Fabric House in Rexburg is a creative destination for quilters and sewists, offering quality fabrics and crafting supplies.

At 80 E. Main, the business opened in June 2022. Owner Vanessa Johnson shares a storefront with Idaho Sewing Center. Lori and Aaron Miller own the Idaho Sewing Center, which sells Bernina sewing machines.

"Granny's Fabric House is the fabric and notions and everything pretty much that you need to make beautiful quilts and projects," Johnson said. "It's a place where customers can come to be creative, to build community and enjoy friendly and personal customer service."

Johnson said quilters and sewists who love fabric can bring their projects to life at the business. She offers fun get-togethers. There's "Open Sew" every other Wednesday of the month, where anyone can come, bring their sewing machines and work on whatever they want.

"We offer a 'Sip N Sew,' where you send us your Swig order, and we pick up your order. We sew from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and drink our drinks and just sew and enjoy each other's company," Johnson said.

Classes include embroidery basics and bag-making. There's even a charity day. The monthly charity sewing day is when everyone sews with a purpose and gives back to the community. Each month, Granny's Fabric House partners with a different local charity to create handmade items for those who need them most.

"I would say that Granny's Fabric House is more than just a fabric shop. It's a warm, community-focused feel, where creativity is encouraged," Johnson said.

Johnson started quilting about seven years ago and said she learned how to use her sewing machine.

"I taught myself. I used a lot of YouTube, and I didn't even know that my husband knew how to quilt until after I had made my first quilt! And then he's like, 'I think I'm going to make a quilt.' I'm like, 'Whatever,'" she said with a laugh. "He whipped out this cute little fancy thing!"

Her husband, Alan, comes from a family that knows how to quilt. She recalls when they went to visit her father-in-law a few years back, before he passed away from cancer.

"My husband said to his dad, 'Vanessa found a new hobby.' And he's like, 'Oh, what's that?' He said, 'She's starting to quilt.' He's like, 'That's the best hobby to have!' All the other crafting stuff I sold, and I just have been quilting ever since and really have no desire to pick up any other hobby," Johnson said.

She said she wanted to open up her own store because there wasn't a quilt business in Rexburg that fulfilled her needs. Since it opened, the business has grown each year, so much so that it's moved spaces three times. A quilting community has formed.

"One of our biggest things is just building a community where people — not just women, but anybody — can come to and sit down and enjoy themselves," Johnson said.

Her favorite part of Granny's Fabric House is meeting new people and hearing their stories.

"I also love it when somebody brings in a quilt, and they're like, 'My great-grandma made this quilt,' and all it is, is the top. It's never been turned into a quilt or a blanket, and they're like, 'What do we do?' They leave it with me … and I finish and give it back to them. Now it has become an heirloom that they can cherish forever," she said.

If people want to learn more about Granny's Fabric House, Johnson invites them to come in and take a look around.

"Ideas are shared, and customers can take their time to find inspiration and connect with others. If they have questions, anybody's willing to help, and we try to make it fun and inviting and something for everybody," Johnson said.

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