NASH—Along a quiet stretch of Oklahoma 132 southeast of Nash stands a simple white sign with the words “Stash to Stitches” that beckons to passersby.
For quilters far and wide, this locally owned quilt shop located on the homestead of Dee Ann and Dickie Morse has been a beacon of creativity for almost two decades.
But it started out quite by accident.
“I bought a longarm in 2006 and it sat in the garage for a year,” Dee Ann said. Longarm quilting machines are specialized, large-frame sewing machines designed for faster and more intricate quilting that stitches together a quilt top, quilt batting, and quilt backing into a finished quilt.
In the Morses’ case, their longarm was 14-footer, which takes up an entire room by itself. Dee Ann debated whether to rent a building in Nash or put in somewhere in their home.
They found a building big enough to house it and moved it onto their property. Dickie did all the electrical and plumbing for the building plus built the pressing table to prepare the quilt backs.
At the time, Dee Ann had just retired and was taking care of her mother while Dickie worked at Vance Air Force Base and later Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field as a fireman.
She pondered the thought of opening a quilt shop. She loved to quilt, having pieced and sewed for years before purchasing the longarm, and even taught four of her granddaughters how to quilt.
However, longarm quilting differs from hand-quilting or quilting with a sewing machine.
“It was enlightening,” Dee Ann said as she learned how to use the longarm quilting machine. “It’s not as easy as it looks.”
Stash to Stitches opened in September 2008.
The small rural quilt shop provided something for every quilter from supplies and tools to classes and custom longarm services. Among the initial offerings were quilt backs and thread, Dee Ann said.
They gradually added more in stock as quilt shops around Northwest Oklahoma began to close, including the two stores in Enid.
As inventory expanded and space lessened, the Morses opted to eliminate classes on site and instead host quilt classes or retreats elsewhere in the region.
“I did this alone until he retired,” Dee Ann added.
Both she and her husband, who didn’t actually retire until 2015, discovered the lost art of repairing sewing machines. Together they attended sewing machine repair school to train on how to fix, maintain, and restore both modern and vintage sewing machines.
In the meantime, she added a computerized system to the longarm quilting machine for ease of use due to her neuropathy.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, “everyone was bringing sewing machines out of the mothballs” to make face masks, Dee Ann said. “We stayed real busy.”
Stash to Stitches had a massive run on fabric and elastic. During that time, the Morses only allowed one person in the quilt shop at a time and it was by appointment.
Eventually the pandemic rush slowed and they reopened the doors for set hours during the week. And while many businesses may experience highs and lows depending on the economy, theirs has remained steady.
Dee Ann regularly teaches quilt classes, runs the shop, and creates longarm quilts.
Dickie focuses on sewing machine repair, generally servicing vintage machines and traveling to work on longarm sewing machines in the area. He also refurbishes and resells used sewing machines too.
“We have a large selection of Featherweights,” he said.
The Singer Featherweight is an iconic portable sewing machine produced between the 1930s and 1960s that weighs only 11 pounds, making it easy to carry and move around, Dickie explained. Even in its case with a foot pedal, he added, it still only weighs 20 pounds or so.
Renowned for its straight-stitch, Featherweights are highly sought after by quilters for its portability to workshops and classes.
The Morses admitted some quilters wish Stash to Stitches was in Enid, had an online shopping option, or was cheaper, but “we’re here for our local customers,” Dee Ann stated. “All of our customers are quilting friends.”
The beauty of owning a local quilt shop, she said, is they can accommodate according to their customers’ needs.
For example, if someone calls and then texts a picture of what they are looking for, the Morses can usually find it and ship it or have it ready for pick up.
Patrons can find just about every quilting or sewing item at Stash to Stitches such as notions, patterns, books, and other sewing aids, but if they don’t, the Morses can special order and the patron will receive a discount on the retail price.
There are frequent specials in the quilt shop every month along with a customer reward card. That personal touch is what keeps quilters coming back again and again.
And despite a few health challenges (his knees and her hands), the couple that has been together for almost 30 years plans to continue doing what they’re doing on their farm in Grant County.
“I will quit ordering fabric when he’s ready to retire for real,” Dee Ann kidded.
Stash to Stitches, 14077 State Hwy 132, Nash, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (580) 839-2555. Follow them on Facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057585304087.