White and Hamilton offer ways for those interested in quilting to do so without great expense. For example, one of the classes is called Budget Block, and it costs only $12 for the year, or $1 a month. Class members make one block pattern each month, and by the end of the year have not only perfected a technique but have made an affordable quilt.

Another option is to join Piper's Power Pack Club. Customers pay $60 a year for their membership and in turn receive 20 6-inch blocks of Piper's newest materials the first week of every month, with the option to order additional yards of any of the fabrics with free shipping. Piper's also offers Fat Quarter Bundles, which include cut-up portions of a schematic of the newest fabrics. They range from $30 to $75 each.

Hamilton says the store is trying to perpetuate what they consider an American art.

"I think quilting is one of the only American arts. I think it's really important to keep those things alive, and that's what we're trying to do here," she said.

Piper's is very responsive to customer requests and is constantly on the lookout for additional techniques. One that the store has added in the past few years is machine applique. Traditionally, applique has only been done by hand, but to keep up with current trends, White locked herself in her studio for three and a half weeks to come up with two methods of invisible machine applique, which they now teach customers.

The store also offers a class on a new technique called Russian needle punch, used to make quilts more 3-D. In addition, they offer a number of classes on knitting, which came partially as a result of numerous customer requests and because interest in it is growing.

In one of the classes, knitters make baby beanies. White says they can't keep the beanie yarn in stock, because it's so popular. Adding wool to quilts is another growing trend. The store has a kit for a wool quilt called Wool Stars that costs $200.

One of the store's highest honors to date is being named as one of the top 10 quilting stores in North America by Better Homes and Gardens last spring. The magazine did a six-page article on the store, and Hamilton and White designed a quilt pattern called Mary Ellen's Gift to go with the article.

Hamilton says they hope to eventually be able to design their own fabric patterns. They co-authored a book about beginning applique quilts that will be out for publication in the next three months. They have already designed several quilting patterns of their own and hope to do more.

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com