Quilting in the Valley

(Originally published in SCHMETZ Inspired to SEW #80, August 2020. Written by Rita Farro.)

Lisa Furleigh, Quilting in the Valley Owner.

This story sounds so much like a fairy tale, it should start with Once upon a time . . . .

In 2014, a woman who loved quilting decided to cash in her 401K and open a little quilt shop in a small town in the middle of the country. Business was so good, Quilting In The Valley in LaSalle, Illinois was forced to move to bigger quarters not once, but TWICE. Quilting In The Valley has become a BRAND, and by the end of 2020, QITV will have stores in four cities. Plans are in place to expand to 12 locations.

Really. This is happening.

To understand the secret sauce that is Quilting In The Valley, you’ve got to meet Lisa Furleigh. She is a Midwest girl born and raised. She was born in Indiana, attended the University of Iowa, and followed a then, now ex-husband to Illinois.

Growing up, she was passionate about music. She plays the classical flute. She had a double major at the University of Iowa in liberal arts: Flute Performance and French. At the time, her idea was to become a music librarian, which requires a master’s in music.

As a college student, she worked as a shift manager at a local Pizza Hut. At some point, she discovered that there were approximately 12 music librarians in the country, and they all made less than she would make if she accepted the promotion Pizza Hut was offering her.

Pizza won . . . .

Click HERE to read the whole story of how Lisa went from pizza to quilts.