Crafting community and creativity by hand in Brookfield

Asked how she came to call her shop “Cotton Candy Fabrics and Quilting Erin Bryne explained “It is eye candy for quilters that is primarily made of cotton.”

“We have had a child at one point come in and ask what flavors of cotton candy we had that day,” Bryne added with a laugh. “So we changed our logo to have fabrics and quilts be very prominent so we don’t’ disappoint any children.”

Apart from those seeking dessert, very few visitors to the Brookfield fabric and quilting shop come away disappointed, and Bryne has data to back that up. The shop was named the best local quilting shop in Connecticut, beating out 15 other stores across the state that participated in ByAnnie.com’s 2024 Local Quilt Shop Contest.

ByAnnie.com, an online quilting and sewing supply shop conducted the survey worldwide, and not only did Cotton Candy Fabrics come first in the state, it ranked 21 out of all 2,249 participating shops around the world.

Bryne credited this in part to the store’s offerings, including more than 8,000 bolts of fabrics, primarily in modern patterns and designs, compared to the 1,000 to 1,500 on offer at many other quilting specialty stores. Cotton Candy also carries a diverse array of threads and is an authorized dealer for BERNINA, a high-end Swiss manufactured sewing machine brand.

According to Bryne, a wide selection, especially in the age of online shopping (which Cotton Candy Fabrics and Quilts also offers at cottoncandyfabrics.com) is not enough to become the sort of shop which attracts people from across the country and serves as a destination for entire quilting clubs from as far away as New Jersey.

“One of the things that’s cool about the contest is that everybody has to leave a comment as to why a particular store is their favorite,” Bryne said. “It’s really good real time feedback from customers as to what’s working and what they appreciate.”

With more than 400 comments gathered through the competition, Bryne said it served as validation for the shop’s “Above and Beyond Customer Service” which is vital since the shop is not only a place to purchase raw materials for crafting and hobbies, but the beating heart of a community.

Cotton Candy Fabrics features not only a shop floor with a wide selection of fabrics and materials for projects, it also has two separate classrooms and top-of-the-line programable longarm machines which can be rented by the hour to finish quilts with robotic precision. Even the checkout counter resembles a kitchen island, with an array of chairs and snacks designed to encourage a welcoming atmosphere where lingering and discussion never feels awkward.

The space was also designed with accessibility in mind, Bryne explained, because their original location proved challenging to navigate for customers with mobility issues. Creating a space for a wide range of customers with different needs is woven into Bryne’s approach.

“I think it’s very important because the customers that come here, they form lifelong friendships,” Bryne explained. “Part of the time they spend here is about the items they’re creating, but part of it is about their social environment.”

“We’ve been called ‘the pub for quilters,’ where everybody knows your name. We are both a creative outlet and a social experience.”