Established in 1995, Linda’s Electric Quilters includes a retail space, warehouse and studio in McKinney.
The set up
The retail space is stocked with threads, patterns, notions, sewing machine accessories, batting and fabric. The shop carries over 1,000 fabric options and specializes in wideback fabrics, which can range between 108-120 inches in width.
The store is an official Cuddle Center, a certification that allows them to sell minky fabric from Shannon Fabrics.
“We have a large selection of those really soft, cuddly fabrics in solids, prints and textures,” business Co-Owner and Chief Quilter Corey Pearson said. “People like to do those on the back of quilts to give them a nice, soft feel.”
Pearson said a current quilting trend features a minimal color palette or tone-on-tone, which allows intricate quilting to be showcased. He said a smaller quilting movement called modern quilting features bright, vivid colors with minimal quilting.
What else?
Linda’s Electric Quilters employs approximately 40 staff members, some of whom work in the warehouse fulfilling online orders.
“In our warehouse operations, we have a large online presence,” Pearson said. “People from all over the world go on our website, lindas.com, and purchase products. Those orders get dropped into the queue downstairs and our warehouse team will pull the orders, fulfill them and ship them out.”
Some products include Linda’s branded items which were made by scissor company Famoré using specifications provided by Pearson and his mother, business Co-Owner Dianna Heiner.
“We told them we would really like a batting scissor that has this curved blunt edge—so it doesn't get caught on fabric or fiber like traditional scissors that have a pointy edge,” Pearson said. “This blunt edge allows it to glide right through it while you're cutting.”
Zooming in
In addition to traveling around the nation teaching quilting classes at quilting guilds, Pearson also hosts a variety of video events including YouTube, Facebook and podcasts.
“I run our social media education division,” Pearson said. “In a week, I could be doing two or three live videos. Whether it's a live shopping experience where they're seeing the fabrics or threads really up close and then adding it to their cart, or I do those sew-a-longs—teaching people how to piece or how to quilt online with our free education platform on YouTube.”
A customer from Germany is flying in to take a three-day private class from Pearson.
“She bought a longarm [quilting machine] ... and she doesn't have a dealer near her. She watches me online and wants to come learn from ‘the guru himself,’ as she calls me,” Pearson said. “She's investing in her education to learn that machine so she can start her business.”
The backstory
Heiner started working at Linda’s Electric Quilters in 2001 and purchased the business from Taylor in 2012. In 2024, Pearson and other family members bought into the company and became business partners.
While in elementary school, Pearson said he would hang out in his mom’s office at the business after school.
“Linda started teaching me how to longarm quilt—I was 8 [years old]—because I really got interested in not staying in my mom's office,” Pearson said. “I fell in love with it. It was my safe space from school. I did not like going to school. I was bullied all the time for being more eccentric, creative and who I am. This is where I could feel safe.”
Going forward
Within a year, Pearson hopes to open an education center within the strip center which would allow for in-person sewing classes.
“Quilting saved me mentally. I am able to give that back to people and show the love of what I know and the love of what I learned,” Pearson said. “My favorite thing is being able to connect with someone and see that light bulb go off when they say, ‘Oh, I can do this too!’ To see that happen—there's no better joy in my life, ever.”
- 2001 Central Circle, Ste. 103, McKinney
- www.lindas.com
