Honey Bee Quilt Store

Honey Bee Quilt Store has been Austin's quilting hub since 2005, and the shop backs that up with size — 5,000 square feet of showroom, which is enough room to actually spread out and see fabric properly instead of squeezing past other shoppers in a narrow aisle.

As a Handi Quilter longarm dealer, this is a shop set up for quilters who are serious about machine quilting, whether you're shopping for your first longarm or upgrading. It's not just a fabric shop with a machine in the corner — longarm sales are clearly part of what they do well.

They also run block-of-the-month programs, which are a nice way to build a quilt gradually, a little at a time, without committing to the whole project up front — good for beginners and good for anyone who likes the rhythm of a monthly pickup. Classes round out the offering for those who want more structured instruction.

If you're anywhere near Austin, Honey Bee has been a known quantity for two decades now, and that kind of staying power in quilting retail is worth something.