SURVEY SHOWS U.S. HAS 27 MILLION QUILTER’S

According to results from the Quilting in America 2006 survey, the art form of quilting- with roots in the past and a vision of the future is not only alive, but more popular than ever. According to the 2006 numbers, there are more tan 27 million quilters in the U.S. This is almost 100% increase since 1997!

The survey also shows that 17% of all households report at least one family member who participates in quilting. The average “dedicated” quilter is a 59- year-old woman with a college education and a median household income of more than $87,000. She has also been quilting for a average of 13.5 years and enjoys traditional as well as contemporary styles.

The majority also have a room in their house dedicated to quilting and sewing and spend an average of 2.2 hours a week on quilting websites. The 2006 quilter is definitely cyber sensitive. 89% own a personal computer. These quilters download free patterns, order supplies, write their own blogs and are active in chat rooms!

The dedicated quilter (4.7% off all quilters) purchased an average of 98.7 yards of fabric this past year. They also bought 5 quilting books over the past 12 months and subscribe to 4 quilting magazines. They spend approximately 5 hours reading these magazines each month. Primary reasons for reading are to learn new techniques, get inspired, and to learn about new products.