TUNKHANNOCK TOWNSHIP -- The owner of a well-known quilt shop in the Tunkhannock area says she is closing her store.
The closing of the business might also mean the end of an annual event in the Wyoming County community.
Customers jammed into Endless Mountains Quiltworks just outside Tunkhannock. Quilters from nearby and even 100 miles away lined up to take advantage of a going-out-of-business sale and to say goodbye to the owner.
"Give yourselves all a round of applause. Thank you all so much!"
Jeanette Kitlan opened the quilting and fabric store in 2001 and developed quite a following.
"The decision to close the store is pretty emotional. I'm pretty emotional right now."
Kitlan is leaving all this to care for her 84-year-old mother who taught her the love of quilting and fabrics.
"I can never remember her saying no to anything I had to do with sewing or with fabric and she needs me now, full time. I'm going to give back to her and be the blessing for my family that way."
But her quilting family is losing more than just the store. Kitlan was the organizer of Tunkhannock's "Airing of the Quilts" event, drawing thousands of quilters here each year. Unless someone takes that over, it's done, too.
"With my staff, I did a little walk down memory lane and what were able to accomplish in 13 years and number one was, of course, Airing of the Quilts," Kitlan said.
But now there's not much time to reminisce with a 25 percent sale underway.
"I said I've never waiting in line so long to buy materials as I have today, but you do what you do to get what you want," said Glenda Taylor of Wysox.
For years, customers have been coming from many miles away for the care and the quality. Now a big topic of conversation here: where are they going to go now?
"We don't know. That's what we're discussing. We don't know," said Sharon Witter of Mehoopany.
"It's getting to be less and less and now there's one less. There's not many around if you don't want to travel a long distance," Taylor added.
When the fabric is all gone, the store is all gone, but the quilting friendships made there will not be.
