Jane Heckman opened The Quilted Crow with Cindy Mengel-Smith in 2009 in Lehighton.

Due to rental costs, the co-owners decided to take a trek to Palmerton. They found a little store front for sale just across the street from Bert's Steakhouse. Cindy and her husband bought the building, and the ladies opened for business on Oct. 1."The landlord is real great," Heckman joked as she talked to members of the Palmerton Chamber of Commerce this week."Neither of us had any business experience," Heckman said. "We just wanted to teach people how to quilt."The store specializes in quilting fabrics, accessories and supplies and classes to learn about quilting and socialize - a different sort of quilting bee.Most of the fabrics cost about $10.49 yard, but there are blender fabrics for $8.99 yard. Some fabrics such as flannels and metallic cloth cost a little more."When we opened six years ago, the average price for cotton was $8.50 a yard," Heckman said.Since then, there has been a shortage of cotton being imported, she explained."The cotton crop was greatly diminished," she said. "(The suppliers) say prices will go back down, but they don't."In addition to cotton-based fabrics, The Quilted Crow also offers hand-dyed wool cloth in a variety of colors made by Jackie Gauker in Fleetwood. Carla Binder of Palmerton supplies the store with designer pins.Peter Kern, president of the chamber, asked Heckman if she has any hand-made quilts for sale. She does have some quilts and quilted items for sale, but most of them are display models only.The purpose is to show people what fabrics go together and what the quilt will look like once it is finished. Only after the fabric styles are no longer available does she sell the quilt."Quilters know they would never get the price the quilt is worth, so they are mostly given away," she said. That's why often a family member who quilts gives them as gifts to friends and family.Most bed quilts take more than 100 hours just to make the top layer and there is the cost of materials, Heckman said.Quilts consist of three layers: bottom layer (the underside), batting (the soft cushy material in the middle), and the top layer (usually the artistic surface). Quilting is when the three layers are attached to each other and a design is stitched over the entire surface securely binding the layers together."There are some people who want to do the quilting, but don't want to do the art," Heckman said. "Then there are others who only want to do the quilting."Heckman has contacts with both sets of people and pattern designers, so she can put people in touch with them.Heckman has also begun offering classes. The new building has enough room for six students per class.The Quilted Crow is located at 413 Delaware Ave. and can be contacted by phone at 610-900-4700. Visit www.the-quiltedcrow.com for more details.