Maybe it’s the over 5,000 bolts of every type of fabric you can imagine.

Or it could be the large selection of sewing notions, books and patterns, embroidery and quilting supplies or variety of classes and retreats they offer.

One thing’s for sure, customers will tell you the friendly experiences they have at The Quilt Lady in downtown Kingfisher keep drawing them back.

A testament to their outstanding service, the local business was recently named the state winner of the ByAnnie Local Quilt Shop Contest.

Over 39,000 votes were cast supporting more than 2,000 quilt shops in 11 countries during the sixth annual international contest.

The Quilt Lady received the award representing Oklahoma, which was one of 65 regional awards presented.

Four grand prizes were also awarded - one in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Individuals are allowed one vote and a comment about their favorite store before winners are selected based on a combination of total votes and comments submitted.

Opening the business in 2019 with her husband Bill, Dawn Reitz said it was a longtime dream and her goal was to have “the friendliest quilt shop in Oklahoma.”

Over 130 votes and comments were submitted in support of the business with the majority praising the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff as well as the products and supplies they offer.

“Their employees are the best around!! Friendly and very knowledgeable!! The shop has everything you could ask for!!,” one customer commented.

“It was an honor to receive the award and I loved reading the comments,” Reitz said.

Created to highlight the efforts of local quilt shops and provide the general public an opportunity to show their appreciation, contest organizers said, “Supporting local quilt shops helps build community, maintains centers for inspiration and enriches local economies.”

With a passion for quilting from a young age, Reitz said she has been teaching quilting for 40 years as well as providing long arm quilting services for many years.

“I find quilting very comforting and I also love to teach,” she said.

Some of the services the staff offers beyond their large supply of sewing products include summer kids’ camps, weekly Facebook live events, an online newsletter, instructional classes on various topics, participation in Shop Hop events and many other activities.

In June and July, Reitz said, over 2,000 customers visit the store and local businesses while participating in the Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop event.

Customers travel around the state exploring participating quilt shops where they receive a complimentary quilt block pattern and have the opportunity to win a large variety of prizes.

Offering their products and services both in-store and online, manager Cherie Lemke said, “We have customers from all over the United States and as far away as Canada, Germany and Australia.”

Almost every day, Reitz said, customers come in from either Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma City or other locales, in addition to local shoppers.

“We love our customers and they love us,” Reitz added.

Surrounded by a well-rounded staff, Reitz said everyone brings something a little different to the table.

With nine part-time employees, Reitz lauded their skills ranging from embroidery, expertise in sewing children’s clothes, appliqué, quilting, making handcrafted bags, to her husband’s repair of sewing machines, scissor sharpening and t-shirt heat transfers.

A former Oklahoma Highway Patrolman, Bill’s OHP coworkers gave him a little good-hearted razzing about his plans to work at The Quilt Lady upon his retirement, Reitz said.

Questioning why he would want to do that, he said, “…because everybody that comes in there is always happy.”

Customers have now deemed him “the quilt dude,” working alongside his wife, “the quilting queen.”

In addition to all the staff offers at the shop, Reitz said she also wanted to provide a time for those interested to get away for a few days, share their interests and connect at retreats.

Calling them P31 retreats, Reitz took the opportunity to share short devotionals from Proverbs 31 during their time together.

Although she felt unqualified to lead a Bible study, Reitz said she discovered that God equips you to do what he has led you to do and the devotional time has been a positive time of sharing and connecting at the retreats.

“There are people from all different backgrounds and we share, smile, laugh together and just get to know each other,” staff member Janice Russell said of the retreats, which are offered about every quarter.

“Sewing brings us together, but it’s way more than sewing.”

In agreement, Lemke added it’s not really a job, because it’s so much fun.

She said her husband asked if she would quit her job if they won the lottery and her response was “Of course not…but I might help Dawn buy more fabric.”

As customers continue to spread the word, the Reitzes’ business has been growing by leaps and bounds, so much so they will be moving to a larger building soon on North Sixth Street.

With increased space, Reitz said they will be able to hold more classes and add more fabric and products to their inventory.

Another feature will be a “sit and sew,” Lemke said.

“We want people to bring their machine, sew and hang out with us.”

In addition to the honor of being a regional winner of the local quilt shop competition, other prizes The Quilt Lady received included a free trunk show and exhibit and VIP lounge access with a special highlight at the 2023 h+h americas trade show in Chicago as well as other rewards.

Another customer included the following comment with their vote: “The staff makes you feel special. The owner is so friendly and genuinely cares about every customer and their projects. She is very hands on. Love that shop!”

Honored to receive the award, Reitz said she has based her business on being friendly and making people feel like family, so she was very pleased with her customers’ response.

“The contest was great and it was very humbling to see what our customers had to say,” Reitz said.

“I wouldn’t trade what I’m doing for anything, mainly because of the people who are like family to us.”