This is Fred Ball, Zions Bank, speaking on business.

As a young girl, Shirley Baptist began sewing and quilting with her mom. In the early 90s, she got serious about quilting and began designing her own quilt patterns and crafting small fabric apples from the scraps. She and a friend would then sell the apples in their booth at craft fairs. Shirley's quilt designs proved to be so popular she decided she would start a Web site to market her kits and patterns.

Well, as often is the case, in December 2005, that idea blossomed into a full-service quilt store in the Bloomington area of St. George. When searching for a name for her new business, Shirley thought of the apples she made from scraps and decided Scrap Apple Quilts was a fun and appropriate choice.

Scrap Apple Quilts is a beautiful store. The walls are festooned with gorgeous quilts and the large fabric inventory is displayed to create a kaleidoscope of color. The patterns, quilting books, quilt kits and accessories are displayed in an artistic way to provide a warm, hospitable atmosphere.

Shirley told me quilting experienced a major revival during the 80s and 90s and is now a hugely popular pastime. Quilters get the satisfaction of creating a one-of-a-kind piece, and the process of quilting is therapeutic so a quilter can release stress and relax while doing it. It also comes complete with social aspects such as quilting groups.

Scrap Apple Quilts also has a large Retreat Center for quilting classes and parties. Internationally-recognized instructors come to the store to teach quilters who come from as far as Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

Shirley's husband, Don, wasn't sure at first that it was a wise idea for Shirley to turn a hobby into a business. Now, he is pleased that Scrap Apple Quilts is known for providing a fun atmosphere, along with great products and services, to the quilting community of Washington County.

For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.

Scrap Apple Quilts
144 W. Brigham Rd. # 23
St. George, UT 84790
435-628-8226 www.scrapapplequilts.com

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