Cozy Workshop Offers Classes, Distinctive Fabrics, Gifts and More
 
Paso Robles, CA— Dora Cary’s innovative quilting patterns are distributed in stores the world over, and now the Paso Robles resident is opening her first storefront and design studio, Orange Dot Quilts, at 1005 Railroad Street, Suite 1 in downtown Paso Robles on July 1. 

Cary has designed her 400-square-foot space as a workshop where beginner quilters, seasoned hobbyists and gift shoppers can come together to be inspired. “I want it to feel less like a shop and more like a warm, welcoming home where you can quilt with friends,” Cary said. “This is also a studio where I will work on my own designs, too, and can connect, teach, inspire and be inspired.”

Since launching Orange Dot Quilts in 2016, Cary has been selling her quilt-pattern designs and other products online, at tradeshows and via distributors. She said she has cultivated a following because of her modern twist on an age-old art. “I don’t come to it from a traditional point of view,” she said. 

One look at her geometric, bold, fresh and colorful patterns says it all. She added that a quilting and sewing craze sparked by the pandemic spurred on her biggest year ever in sales and orders.

Visitors to Orange Dot Quilts find an extensive selection of fabric bolts in unusual designs, many of which come from Japan. Quilting fabric, canvas, high-quality cotton, rayon and soft woven and toweling fabric are just some of the offerings. Ready-to-go “pattern kits” for quilts, clothing, tote bags and more are also in abundance, as well as finished quilts, hand-knitted shawls, distinctive gifts and notions such as pins, cutting tools and scissors to aid enthusiasts in their crafts. 

Cary will also offer classes at the studio on such topics as “Beginning Quilting”; “Free Motion Quilting on a Home Machine”; “Foundation Paper Piecing”; “A Simplified One-Block Wonder Technique”; as well as a series of classes that guide attendees through an entire project.

The name, Orange Dot Quilts, is a nod to Cary’s memories of growing up amid a Communist regime in her native country of Romania. “From the buildings to our clothing, everything in that life was grey except for the brilliant orange sunsets that we would see from the west-facing window of our tiny, 10th story apartment,” Cary said, adding that the art of quilting is not practiced in Romania, and that she made her first quilt in 2008.

“My goal is to benefit the community, forge friendships and encourage creativity,” Cary said. “Orange is a color that tends to be less liked, but I love it.”

Orange Dot Quilts will be open on July 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The day will include a “grand opening” raffle and other extras. Regular hours will be Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Mondays. For more information, visit orangedotquilts.com.