“Doyle [my husband] and I did a lot of deliveries to people, we would leave stuff on their front porch,” Baird said. “And we spent hours up here making masks for people in different hospitals to the point where I broke my thumb and had to have surgery.”
Although the shop opened a week prior to the pandemic, Baird found a way to use her skills to offer her services to hospitals in need. Baird said she and her husband made about 700 masks and donated them to local hospitals.
During this time Baird said she continued with her business by offering delivery services while figuring out the specifics of the business with her ownership.
How it happened
Baird said she joined the quilting community about five years before the Montgomery Quilt Company’s previous owner Amy Brown sold the company to her.
“As I was walking out the door, my husband says, ‘Hey see if she wants to sell it.’ [I was] like, ‘Whatever crazy man,’” Baird said. “That was in October of 2019 and so I came in, I asked and six months later, [the shop] was mine.”
The quilting company is located in a historic blue house that dates back to the 1800s and has been passed down as a quilting company and antique shop for years, Baird said.
Meet the owner
Although her experience quilting came later in life, Baird said she grew up around her grandmother who was a seamstress in Montgomery.
“Probably my grandmother was my biggest inspiration,” she said.
Baird’s grandmother Kate gifted her a book filled with her own quilt block designs to pass down her quilting experience that came from family members from previous generations.
“I mainly did handwork and hand quilting, because I got into a big fight with my sewing machine and put him in the closet,” Baird said. “And with hand quilting, I could sit on the couch and still watch TV with my husband.”.
Making a quilt by hand takes Baird from 2-3 months to complete. Though she started quilting as a hobby, Baird said she found peace in the quilting community.
Baird's husband, Doyle Baird, said several of Kimberley Baird’s hand-quilted projects were published in the fabric catalog for Art Gallery Fabric, a leading manufacturer of artistic-inspired modern fabrics.
What it offers
The shop offers pre-cut quilt fabric, accessories, quilt samples, and quilts rescued from antique shops.
Montgomery Quilting Company also offers sewing camps once a month starting at $10. During the camps, attendees are invited to bring their own quilting projects and supplies to quilt together and receive assistance.
With camp attendees made up of 22-80-year-old men and women with different sewing skill levels, the camps provide community support.
Montgomery Quilting Company’s community involvement also includes participation in the Montgomery Quilt Walk as well as the town's Halloween parade.
- 301 Prairie St., Montgomery
- www.pre-cuts.com
