When the owner of a popular Lakeview quilt shop was young, at her mother’s orders she would stay inside and sew to battle the stifling New Orleans heat.
“Little ladies don’t go out in the heat and get sun-tanned,” said Denise Taylor, mimicking her mother’s thoughts at the time.
Decades and a couple of successful sewing businesses later, Taylor plans to retire and close Mes Amis Quilt Shop down for good, spurring an outpouring of well-wishes and thank yous from customers far and wide.
Known for drawing quilting classes and a wide variety of Louisiana- and New Orleans-themed fabrics, the shop has been a local gem for the quilting community, attracting local, out-of-state and international shoppers. Every other year, the store would host bus tours of groups from countries such as Greece and Italy, in partnership with Country Heritage Tours, an international quilt and vacation company.
Mes Amis opened 15 years ago on Spanish Fort Boulevard, a few years after Hurricane Katrina damaged her first store called Lakeview Cushions.
“I probably did everybody’s sofas and chairs in Lakeview and all over the city,” Taylor said from behind the shop register.
The store is chock-full of themed fabrics — pink ribbons for breast cancer, Mardi Gras and animated characters. Everything must go before Taylor officially closes.
Various fabrics line a shelf at Mes Amis Quilt Shop in New Orleans Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (Photo by Matthew Perschall, The Times-Picayune)
Longtime worker Kathy Luther laid a long piece of fabric across a table and began cutting. She frequently makes T-shirt quilts for customers, many of whom are parents requesting keepsakes for their kids. A quilt of team jerseys, commemorative T-shirts and fabrics from the store make a perfect college send-off gift, Luther showed in photos of her past work.
A couple of months ago, a customer requested a quilt made from her father’s shirts to honor his memory after he passed. From start to finish, the project can take a few months.
When the store closes, Luther said she’ll have to start advertising her work to keep it going. Most customers call the store to make requests.
Luther was one of the first people to take quilting classes at the store, and Taylor estimates more than 2,000 people have participated over the past 15 years.
Suzanne Purvis is a shop regular who loves having her husband take photos of her finished quilts on their front porch.
“He’s not very tall, and he has to stand at the top of the stairs and hold them as big as he can,” she said.
This year, she’s made plenty of baby quilts as gifts for friends and families and has to restock on materials. Gifting is a big part of the quilting community, Taylor said.
Purvis said when news of the store’s closing broke, folks familiar with her love for quilting jokingly asked when she was going to take over the business.
Denise Taylor, owner of Mes Amis Quilt Shop, speaks with a customer at her store in New Orleans Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (Photo by Matthew Perschall, The Times-Picayune)
Although she’s looking forward to retirement and spending more time with her grandchildren, Taylor expressed her disappointment with having to close. She hopes another buyer might step in to take over operations.
“I do have a big following, and I would love to sell the shop, because the community needs a quilt shop like mine. I feel bad about closing, but it’s time,” she said.
Taylor said when she announced the news on social media, she was brought to tears by the outpouring of support and memories shared by customers.
“Your shop is magical and was a highlight of my first trip to New Orleans,” one person said on Facebook.
“Thank you for having a special place for us to shop for so many years. It’s time to enjoy your time,” said another.