On a recent Tuesday morning Marilyn Van Grouw, Phyllis Borzotta and Ida Van Dalen stitched away in the 2,000-square-foot quilting class space downstairs at Acme, as they have for decades. Thousands of people have learned to quilt in that space under the tutelage of Janet Grimal and Alyce Van Der Stad, co-owners of Acme, huge fans of Bernina sewing machines (the only sold at the 3,000-square-foot retail space upstairs), world travelers on the quilt circuit from Boston to Hong Kong and endless quilt innovators. There is a blue vest made of yo yos, little rosettes made by gathering circles of fabric; a cotton scenic appliqué quilt featuring moose and even antique quilts that date to the turn of the 20th century. Beginners start learning at Acme classes with strip-piecing by hand or machine while a variety of specialty classes focus either on technique or particular items, such as tote bags, table runners, baby to king-size quilts and wearables. The staff helps non-quilters buy kits for the sewing friends on their holidays lists from a wall of notions that includes threads, scissors, needles, straight pins, tracing wheels, snaps, hook and eye closures, elastics, cover buttons, erasable quilting pencils, rotary cutters and much more. From left, Joan Rizzi, Peggy DeIntinis, and Janet Grimal stand ready to help customers at Acme County Fabrics in Pequannock, a store that offers supplies for and lessons on quilting.

Tags: quilting patterns, quilting frames, machine quilting, quilting, free quilting patterns, quilting supplies