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The Quilted Crow Thriving in Bolton

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I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Sue Loring, owner of The Quilted Crow and Bolton resident. Ever since The Quilted Crow opened in then newly renovated 626 Main Street, Bolton has become a destination location for quilters from all over the region.

The Quilted Crow began as an internet business in 2000 and then a store front in Boxborough, MA owned by MaryAnn Kennedy.

Sue worked as an employee of The Quilted Crow and eventually purchased the store from MaryAnn when she retired. Sue knew they were outgrowing their space at the Boxborough location and saw an opportunity for growth at 626 Main Street, especially with its close proximity to Interstate 495.

The Quilted Crow opened their Bolton store front in 2015. Since opening in Bolton, business has grown. There has been a resurgence in quilting since the last recession, and there are more male quilters than ever before. Quilt stores are a destination and customers come from as far as Rhode Island,CT,and NY.

The Quilted Crow offers over 200 classes and monthly clubs including embroidery,wool applique,quilting,punch needle, & rug hooking. Their mission is to build friendships and relationships through quilting. Sue has found that people have a need to connect and these workshops and clubs help to fill that need and foster relationships.

Not only is The Quilted Crow thriving due to Sue’s growing quilting business, but her shop brings more customers to local eateries and other shops in town.

The Quilted Crow is open Tuesday-Friday 10AM-5PM, Saturday 10AM-4PM, & Sunday 12Pm-4PM. To sign up for a workshop visit their website at www.thequiltedcrow.com

 

Phineas Wright House; A Treasure to be Shared!

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Phineas Wright House

“Too much goodness not to share” is how Wendy Harrop, owner of The Phineas Wright House in Bolton, would describe her property.

The Phineas Wright House was built in 1785 by the third reverend of the First Parish Church in Bolton. In the last 230 years only five other families have lived in this great antique house.
After living in California her whole life, Wendy decided to follow her dream of living in the New England countryside and she and her husband Keith purchased the Phineas Wright House 6 years ago. She hasn’t looked back since!

The property came complete with a fabulous barn that Wendy and her husband painstakingly renovated. Wendy had worked as a wedding and event planner in California and then at the Nashoba Winery in Bolton. She envisioned using the barn to host fabulous celebrations! A local artisan built three gorgeous farmhouse tables for use in the barn, using wood that was removed from the third floor hay loft. Wendy collected chairs from thrift & antique stores, flea markets, and yard sales, and she hung strings of tiny white lights casting a magical glow.

Wendy has big plans for the use of her barn and beautiful property as it is now available as a venue for intimate weddings, rehearsal dinners, and birthday celebrations, just to name a few.

Wendy also will be collaborating with an amazing group of artisans, entrepreneurs, collectors, chefs, bakers, artists, and authors who will be offering workshops at the barn including floral design, wine & cheese tasting, rustic sign making, and gardening to name a few. Grab a friend and a bottle of wine and learn a new skill in an intimate, interactive setting.
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Additionally, she will be holding a one week nature camp on the property for kids ages 4 to 6 years old. It will be a week of discovering the nature above, below, and around us.

I have had the honor of attending several events at the Phineas Wright property and it is a wonderful and unique experience that you won’t want to miss!
To learn more about Wendy, upcoming workshops, or book an event visit her website at http://www.phineaswrighthouse.com/

I want to thank Wendy for capitalizing on her vision for this special property and for creating a valuable asset to the residents of Bolton and beyond!

Colonial Candies. Bolton’s Candy Store for Over 40 Years!

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If you live in Bolton, I’m sure you’ve enjoyed a chocolate covered Oreo, peppermint patty, or one of the other decadent chocolates Colonial Candies offers… and if you haven’t you should!!

I had the pleasure of meeting with Richard Hebert, who along with his wife Grace, own and operate Colonial Candies located, coincidentally, on Sugar Road in Bolton.  Colonial Candies, originally named Hebert Candies, opened its first store in 1917 on Route 20 in Shrewsbury, MA. In 1978, the Bolton location opened and in 2005 the name was changed to Colonial Candies.

All of Colonial Candies’ chocolates are made from the original recipes. Their white chocolate recipe, produced in the 1940’s, was the very first white chocolate produced in the country! All of the chocolate production and packaging takes place in the basement of the store primarily by Richard, Grace, his sister Dianne, and their daughter Kelly.

Grace Hebert takes great pride in decorating the store for each holiday, both inside and out. On Halloween, the blow up creatures behind the store can be seen from interstate 495. In fact, 90% of their business comes from interstate 495 exposure!

Colonial Candies does sell their candies online from their website, but the majority of their business comes from good old fashioned word of mouth. Their chocolate covered Oreos are sold all over Massachusetts. In addition to being sold at the store, they can be found locally at Country Cupboard, Bolton Orchards, and various Paper Store locations.

I asked Richard what holidays were the most important for the business and he said #1 was Easter, #2 Christmas, and #3 Valentine’s Day.

In addition to candy, Colonial Candies also offers a make your own ice cream sundae bar. They have gift baskets, toys, and stuffed animals to purchase for additional gift giving opportunities. They also offer “Candy Camp” which is a great option for birthday parties and field trips. Children are given the opportunity to make their own candy creations!

Recently, Colonial Candies was selected to be in the opening scene of the Hallmark movie “A Snow White Christmas” and Richard and Grace had their first film debut.

The Bolton Economic Development Committee encourages everyone in town to support our small family run businesses like Colonial Candies. Thursday is February 14th, Valentine’s Day, so stop by and get your Valentine something special!