About Us
Cotton & Chocolate Quilt Company is proud to be a part of the continuing legacy that was originally known as the Quilt Inn and Mary’s Quilt Inn. Re-opened as Cotton & Chocolate Quilt Company in August 2004, we continue to be blessed with the talents of many instructors that have been a part of the shop for many years. The variety of quilt classes offered continues to be amazingly creative and represents a wide variety of quilting skills and tastes. Beginner or experienced quilters are sure to find something fun and exciting. Classes are a great way to learn a new skill, and are also a wonderful opportunity to be surrounded by creativity and inspiration while meeting others who share in your obsession. We also provide long arm edge-to-edge quilting services. We are proud to have been featured in both the May 2012 and August 2022 issues of Better Home's & Garden's Quilt Sampler Magazine as a top quilt store in North America.What’s in a name?
Well, the “cotton” part is pretty obvious to us crazy about quilting, and the “chocolate” is...well, should be obvious also! The fun of sitting in the shop with a group of quilting buddies, checking out the latest fabrics, sharing stories and sampling favorite chocolate goodies just can’t be beat! As can be seen in our logo, a chocolate “kiss” is always available at our counter for that quick fix.
We like our store. A lot. And so do a lot of quilters. Why? Because we do it right. We make our store a place our customers want to go to. Not just to buy fabric and thread, but to see friends and share their projects with each other. For us, it’s not just about the product, it’s about the experience. In what other business do you get to know your customers so well that you often hug them, because they are not only your customers, they are your friends.
Quilt store reputations are built on word-of-mouth and we are always pleased to hear from our out-of-the-area customers that have been told they “just have to go to Cotton & Chocolate”. Why? Because it is simply one of the best quilt shops in Southern California! Best fabric selection. Best classes. Best staff. And one thing that is hard to create, but you know it when it’s there – the best store vibe. When you are in Cotton & Chocolate, it just feels good and that’s just something that money can’t buy.
Our shop does offer a wide variety of fabric styles for our customers. We have sizable fabric collections in flannels, batiks, modern fabrics (e.g., Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink), and we are one of the largest sellers of Moda fabrics in the region. We believe that our balance of variety and quantity, along with creative ideas in the way of samples, provides our customers with the kind of store that meets their ever-changing quilting needs. We also offer a nice variety of wool and stitchery products, kits, notions, books, and gift items.
We have teachers who really know their stuff and who love passing their knowledge on to others. Every four months, we send out our newsletter and class schedule packed with exciting classes and special events for our customers. Each session, we offer approximately 70 classes, ranging from introductory beginning classes to very advanced technique workshops. Our Saturday Sampler program sign-up occurs once a year. Class sample quilts adorn our shop and provide a colorful backdrop that changes every four months.
We have several teachers who produce exclusive patterns and kits for our shop. Our out-of-town customers always know to stop by and see what new things we have created. This also keeps our “regulars” coming back to the shop often.
Through all of this, there is the chocolate. Chocolate bars at the front register and our utterly decadent chocolate fountains, which provide the finest melted Belgian chocolate for those special occasions, such as our local quilt shop hop. On our shop anniversary, we also have hosted a chocolate dessert contest during which our staff delights in being official judges!
As a suburb of Los Angeles, our city is blessed with cultural and historical opportunities galore. We are about four miles from the incredible Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, can boast about the headline entertainment found at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, and are just a handful of miles down the road from the Pacific Ocean and all that it offers. Annually, our Ventura County area draws tens of thousands to the original Strawberry Festival, and we have community fairs and events throughout the year.
What the one thing is that our shop does better than other shops? That’s simple. We create a fun atmosphere where quilters can come and enjoy shopping and quilting. And we make sure we have the fabrics and products that reach out and grab our customers. After all, what is the point of spending all of that time and money cutting up perfectly good fabric and sewing it back together if it isn’t fun? As quilt shop owners, we enjoy building personal and lasting relationships with our customers. We make a great team.
Marilyn & Jerry Petersen, owners