2024 Winner Highlight: Au Fil d'Emma - Local Quilt Shop Contest

Au Fil d’Emma in Fleury-les-Aubrais is our Regional Winner for France!

Read on to learn more about this beautiful and well-stocked shop that is in an area with a rich cultural history.

Please tell us your store’s story.

Emma Coutancier has loved fabrics since her childhood. She started to sew on a domestic sewing machine, and made dresses for her dolls.

As she grew up, she decided to follow her passion, so she studied fashion. After few years in the fashion industry, she discovered quilting and contemporary textile arts. Supplies were too difficult to find in France so she founded her own quilt shop.

Emma opened her first shop in 2007. It was a little shop in a yard of Orléans city center and she was alone.

Seven years later the activity and the staff had grown too much for this tiny shop, so they moved. After just a couple more years, they had outgrown that space as well, and so they moved again!

Since 2020 the shop has been located in the suburb in a large space of 400 square meters. A large part is dedicated to the showroom and the rest is for classroom and workshop space, stock storage, and offices. They now have a staff of eight to sell products in store and online.

— 2024 Contest Customer Comment —

“This store is very magical, so fabulous. I find everything I want there for my creations.”

CHRISTINE

For those who have not seen the store, please describe it.

Emma said, “Let’s be honest- the building is not the most beautiful of the city but it is convenient! There is a bus stop is just in front of the building and we also have a private car park. Don’t consider the outside; you have to go inside to discover the character of our shop. The store is bright and colorful, just as our products!

We sell a large range of modern designed and colorful fabrics but also traditional fabric and batiks. I create original quilt kits and we always try to discover new supplies and new creators. In our shop you also will find precuts, sewing kits, patterns, notions, threads, dyes, and much more. Our new addition this year is Janome sewing machines and Grace Company long arms! We offer a lot of DIY online but also sew alongs (including ByAnnie projects), quilt alongs, Advent calendar boxes, courses, and much more.”

Orléans has a rich history from antiquity to WW2. It is particularly known for the role of Joan of Arc against the English army during the siege of the city in 1429.

You can visit the medieval quarter with the cathedral, the house of Joan of Arc, and many others historical monuments, mansions, and old houses. There are also several museum to visit.

If you prefer nature you can enjoy the landscape of the Loire River (classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Continue your route in the Loire Valley by visiting royal castles which are very close (Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, and more)!

— 2024 Contest Customer Comment —

“Wonderful, large array of fabrics and the shop regularly offers sew-alongs with ByAnnie models”.

ISABELLE

Please tell us about your staff.

*Left to right: Sloane, Gwendoline, Aline, Alice, Emma, Carole, Corinne, Marie-Laure*

— 2024 Contest Customer Comment —

“Beautiful fabrics and notions. Excellent advice and they ship very quickly. The best in France!”

CLAIRE

Please tell us about any upcoming special events at your store.

Meet us in April at our “Pour l’Amour du Fil” show in Nantes and at European Meeting Patchwork and Textiles Arts in September. We also organized an open house event in November and a special event in June. stay tuned!