Cotton & Chocolate Quilt Company
Owners: Marilyn & Jerry Petersen
1724 Avenida De Los Arboles, #E,
Thousand Oaks, California 91362

Telephone: 805-241-0061
Business Hours: Monday-Thursday 10-6;
Friday-Saturday 10-5; Sunday 12-4
Website: http://www.cottonandchocolate.com
Email: marilyn@cottonandchocolate.com or jerry@cottonandchocolate.com

Cotton & Chocolate Quilt Company is fortunate to have many talented quilt designers that are part of our teaching staff. Of our exclusively sold patterns, Penni’s Stars & Stripes is one of our most popular. This classic design was created by one of our original store managers, Penni Albarran. A local pattern company owned by Ann Borger (one of our teachers), Quilts with Attitude, publishes the pattern. This classic and timeless patriotic pattern is popular year round. In addition to selling many pre-packaged quilt kits, customers who have collected Americana fabrics gravitate to the pattern. Penni’s quilt sample has been displayed in our shop as well as in our booth at several quilt shows.

This year we just expanded from 1500 to 2800 square feet. Our new store has the same great vibe as our previous smaller location. We have an amazing assortment of fabric and notions, top-notch nationally-recognized and locally revered teachers and the absolute knowledge that our customers rock!
In addition to our wonderful shop, we have taken Cotton & Chocolate on the road. We have vended at several local shows as well as some of the larger national shows including the International Quilt Shows in Houston and Long Beach and have recently added the Pacific International Quilt Festival. Our demonstrations of a hand-pieced flower garden technique using Paper PiecesTM hexagons have inspired hundreds of quilters around the country to enjoy this relaxing and therapeutic activity. Check out our website for some of the fun and unique table runner kits.

WE WANT TO KNOW:

What does our shop does better than any other shop?
That’s simple. We have fun, enjoy quilting and know the value of good chocolate. As quilt shop owners, my husband and I enjoy building a personal and lasting relationship with our customers.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to start quilting who never has before?
At our store we try to keep up an image of high energy. New quilters come into our shop and just feel the buzz. There is a lot going on here. One of the photo’s I enclosed is from one of our Saturday Sampler meetings where we get over 100 women into our shop before we open. Talk about buzz! We also do many block of the month programs and a wide array of classes. All of our class samples are hanging on the walls and create a great atmosphere that stimulates the quilter. We encourage new quilters by showing them the fun and excitement and reward that comes with quilting.

Do you help your customers plan a design to finish their UFO’s? What’s your favorite trick?
Like many shops we have created an evening class on Friday’s that we call “Girl’s nite Out” where one of our best teachers provides a fun (food & drink) environment for customers to come and finish their projects. They get away from their daily grind, we get some business, and everyone leaves happier.

If you teach, what is your favorite class to teach?
Of course I teach EQ in our shop and absolutely love doing it. I use a laptop and projector to teach. All of my students use their computer’s for a hands-on experience. They always leave my class feeling they really got their money’s worth. I do my best to show them as much as possible of EQ without creating information overload to the point that they can’t remember anything. I even give them homework between class sessions!

As one of the owners I (Jerry) teach the EQ classes and have been doing EQ talks at the local quilt guilds. Penni knows me from Houston and other interactions. My wife Marilyn has been teaching McKenna Ryan classes and has been having a great following with that. She also has just recently learned a starch-turn applique method that is hugely popular in our store.

We have about 10 fabulous teachers that keep our customer base happy every quarter when we offer a new selection of classes.

Marilyn & Jerry Petersen