Adventures at the New Quilt Shop: Cuttin’ Up

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Three creative women with a dream have created Cuttin’ Up Quilt Studio & More located in downtown Prairie Grove, AR. Bonnie Clark and her two daughters Harmony Strode and Sarea Birmingham have enhanced this downtown street with a renovated building and beautiful entrance to their shop.

Cuttin’Up store front at the Grand opening on October 4, 2019. Even the windows have stitching around the edge!

On a bright June day last year Sarea and Harmony confronted their mother, Bonnie, with the grand idea of opening a multi-purpose quilt shop with additional services offered by hairdesser, Harmony, and massage therapist, Sarea. Bonnie was surprised and delighted. By mid July they had purchased two adjacent buildings located on Buchanan, the main business street in Prairie Grove.
All three women enlisted the aid of extended family and friends to help with the renovation. Lots of “sweat equity” transformed the former grocery into the current bright space.

Browse this corner filled with reproduction fabrics from the 1930’s–a favorite of Sarea.


The three women consider a goal of their shop to be “bridging the gap between the generations” offering fabrics, patterns and tools to please quilters and sewers, whether new or experienced. From batiks to solids to panels and precut collections, the shopper has lots to choose from.

From the first time I visited, I was taken with the building and all they have done to transform the space! The vintage elements which fill every nook made me feel at home. I admired the eye, or rather the three sets of eyes that pulled this collage of elements together. During that visit my quilter friends and I visited with the owners about their adventure in creating this joint project. We got a grand tour of the facility including the back room which is a project still in progress. The classroom is large and bright. The hair salon and the massage facility were both inviting.

Two long arm quilting machines–one available for use by you.

After seeing the long arm quilting machine they use to quilt for the public, we learned of their plans to add a second long arm quilting machine to allow them to rent it out to those who want to quilt their quilts. Bonnie, Harmony, and Sarea are now offering quilt classes and other special events like the Pizza Nights held the first Friday of the month. In our later conversations, we came up with the idea of my doing the free trunk show in January and then a two session class in February.

At this mid-point, you can see the front half of the shop. Draped on the cutting table is my quilt “Indigo Play” the third in my “Mix it Up” series based on the book Circle Play.

Join us at Cuttin’ Up!
“My Passion for Creating with Fabric: Exploring the Options” is the title of my free trunk show at 2:00 Saturday, January 18th. I’ll bring lots of quilt stands so most all the quilts will be visible for a length of time—not whisked away after a one minute glance. You will see early quilts and many of the newer ones of the “Mix It Up” series based on Circle Play. I’ll share some of my ideas about choosing fabrics and how to modify patterns to make them your own.

You’ll have a chance to roam the shop and to see for yourself how these creative women have manifested their dream of “something different”. You will also have the chance to meet and talk to Sarea, Bonnie, and Harmony.

Sisters: Harmony, on the left and Sarea, on the right–Bonnie was not around the day I took these photos.

Contact information for Cuttin’ Up Quilt Studio & More
https://www.cuttinupquiltstudio.com/
111 East Buchanan Street
Prairie Grove, AR 72753
Phone: 479-846-2611
Email: cqsm19@gmail.com
Hours: Thursday & Friday 10-6:00
Saturday 10-5:00

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6 Responses to Adventures at the New Quilt Shop: Cuttin’ Up

  1. Lila says:

    Truly an enriching and fun environment for quilters in our area!
    I look forward to your event on January 18th.

    • Paula says:

      Lila, Your shop, Quilt Your Heart Out, was my first big step into the quilting world! That was late winter, 1994. Your early mentoring helped send me off on my own quilting journey. Quilt Your Heart Out became a “community center” for many of us avid sewers and quilters. Your legacy of encouraging other women to “seek our bliss” still reverberates throughout our community.

  2. Lila Chambers says:

    Thank you so much for the beautiful blog that you have written for my friends . It is a beautiful quilt shop and they have worked so hard. Can’t wait to meet you and be at your workshop on January 18th in Prairie Grove. Thank you, Lila Chambers

    • Paula says:

      I agree, the women of Cuttin’ Up have worked hard to create an inviting space for creative women to visit and to learn more about quilting and to enjoy gathering together. Glad you’ll be at the trunk show on Saturday!

  3. Linda Willkie says:

    Paula,
    Thank you so.much for your trunk show yesterday Jan.18. You are inspiration to many.

    • Paula says:

      Linda, the women who are fascinated by quilts, and who value our connections to each other through our quilting are an inspiration to me–it all comes full circle! I appreciate your writing to me here.

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