Unearth The Voyage
Tucked into the historic streets of Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town, sits a quilt shop that pulls sewing lovers off the highway from several states away. Tennessee Quilts fills two full floors with fabric, tools, and finished samples that spark all kinds of project ideas. Folks drive an hour or more from places like Asheville and Abingdon just to wander the bolts and lose track of time. If you love fabric, or you’re curious what makes quilters travel so far for one store, this little corner of East Tennessee is worth a closer look.
A Fabric Shop in Tennessee’s Oldest Town
You’ll find Tennessee Quilts at 114 Boone St in Jonesborough, TN 37659, planted right in a town that proudly calls itself the oldest in the state. The setting matters here, because Jonesborough draws travelers for its storybook streets and small-town charm, and this quilt shop fits into that scene like a favorite patch on a well-loved blanket.
The store has grown into something bigger than a simple neighborhood fabric stop. It spreads across two full floors, and regulars who remember the original downtown location will tell you it has come a long way over the years.
What sets it apart from the start is scale. Some quilters who have shopped at plenty of fabric stores across the country describe this as one of the largest they have ever walked into. That reputation is a big part of why people make the trip.
Jonesborough itself gives the whole visit a relaxed weekend feel, so the shop rarely stands alone on anyone’s itinerary. Pair it with a stroll through the historic district, and you have the makings of an easy day out.
Two Floors Worth Getting Lost In
Climbing the story of this place really comes down to its layout, and the two-floor setup is what turns a quick errand into an afternoon. Downstairs holds the main cutting area and a broad spread of fabric, while the upstairs opens into even more, including a sale room that longtime shoppers keep an eye on.
Both levels come organized well enough that even the overwhelming amount of stock feels manageable. The upper floor mirrors the neat arrangement of the first, so you never feel like you have wandered into a back-room mess.
Worth knowing before you go: there is no elevator to reach the second floor. Shoppers who cannot manage the stairs have another option, since there is a spot you can drive around to that gets you up to the top level.
The tradeoff of two floors is a bit of back-and-forth, because the cutting table sits downstairs. A few folks mention hauling bolts down can slow you up, so grabbing help while you browse can save some steps.
One of the Country’s Biggest Kaffe Collections
Ask serious quilters why they detour here, and one name comes up again and again: Kaffe Fassett. The shop stocks one of the largest selections of Kaffe fabrics in the country, and for fans of those bold, colorful prints, that alone justifies the drive.
The wild, saturated Kaffe designs give the store a personality that stands out from its otherwise traditional leanings. People who love that line describe finding piles of it here, the kind of range you simply do not stumble across at an average fabric counter.
Beyond Kaffe, the overall selection tilts toward classic and traditional styles. Shoppers hunting for very modern or edgy lines sometimes note the store leans away from those, so it helps to know what you are after before you arrive.
Still, the depth in this one specialty is a genuine draw. If Kaffe fabric is your thing, this is a place that rewards the miles you put on the car to reach it.
Batiks, Notions, and a Sale Room Upstairs
Color hunters have another reason to climb the stairs, because the batik selection here earns steady praise. Even shoppers who felt lukewarm about other parts of the store single out the batiks as a standout, calling them a reason to visit on their own.
The stock reaches well beyond fabric, too. You’ll find quilting rulers, templates, tools, and a generous run of notions, though a few regulars point out that certain specialty threads and modern lines are not always in the mix.
Pricing tends to sit toward the higher end of average, which fits the high-quality choices on the shelves. Big blowout sales are rare, so the upstairs sale room becomes the place to check for a deal, even if it runs hit or miss on any given day.
Between the batiks, the tools, and that ever-changing clearance corner, the second floor rewards a slow browse. Give yourself time to poke around up there before you settle on what to bring home.
Classes and Hands-On Guidance
Learning is baked right into what happens here, and the shop’s classes come up often among people who keep coming back. The end-project results tend to turn out well, which builds a quiet confidence for anyone signing up to try something new.
The hands-on help can go beyond scheduled sessions, too. During shop hop events, someone demonstrating a tricky paper piecing block has been known to spend real time walking a nervous first-timer through the technique, using other displayed samples to drive the lesson home.
New quilters often mention getting a few useful tips just from browsing and asking questions. One shopper who was intimidated by a complex Judy Niemeyer pattern got enough guidance to leave with a kit and the nerve to actually start it.
That mix of formal classes and casual coaching makes the store friendly to beginners who want to grow. Bring your questions, and there is a good chance you leave knowing more than when you walked in.
Service That Goes the Extra Mile
Stories of the staff going above and beyond turn up frequently, and they tend to stick with people. When a fabric kit was missing pieces from the original set, the crew assembled a matching bundle, labeled every fabric, and mailed a sample of their substitutions before shipping anything out.
That same honesty shows up in small ways. In that case, the customer was charged only what the actual shipping cost, a detail that left a strong impression and a promise to shop there again.
Shipping in general is a handy perk for out-of-towners. One shopper who ordered an out-of-stock pattern got a call the very day it arrived so the store could arrange to mail it right out.
It is worth being straight, though: experiences with the staff vary. While many describe kind, professional, and genuinely helpful assistance, a handful of shoppers have felt the greeting was cool or the help slow to arrive. Your mileage may differ depending on the day and the crowd.
Hours, Prices, and Getting There
Planning a trip is simple once you know the schedule. The shop opens at 9:30 AM Monday through Saturday, closing at 5 PM on weekdays, at 4 PM on Saturday, and staying closed all day Sunday, so a Sunday drive will leave you standing at a locked door.
On price, set expectations accordingly. The regular fabrics land toward the higher end of average, and notions run on the pricier side, matching the quality but making it more of a treat than a bargain run.
Getting here is part of the appeal. Sitting in Jonesborough, the store is an easy reach from Johnson City and a roughly hour-long drive from parts of North Carolina and the Abingdon, Virginia area, which is exactly why carloads of quilters make the journey.
Keep the stairs in mind if that is a concern, and remember the drive-around access to the upper floor. A little planning turns the visit into a smooth, satisfying stop.
Why the Drive Is Worth It
Adding it all up, this shop has earned a loyal following for good reason, holding a 4.7-star average across more than a hundred reviews. That kind of steady praise does not happen by accident.
The pull is easy to understand. Two floors of well-organized fabric, one of the deepest Kaffe collections in the nation, standout batiks, classes that produce real results, and the occasional bit of service that goes far beyond the ask all add up to a destination worth a tank of gas.
It is not flawless, and honest travelers should know that. Prices run high, the modern and edgy crowd may find gaps, and the welcome can feel uneven from one visit to the next.
For quilters within a comfortable Tennessee weekend drive, though, the trade feels fair. Many make the trip again and again, treating a stop here as a happy ritual, and if fabric is your passion, you may just find yourself planning the same return route.
