As a young Mother, I made clothes for my three babies and it was incredibly special to pick out the fabrics and patterns and see them wearing outfits I created myself. Now that they’re grown, I still show my love through quilting and garment making. I’m now making quilts and outfits for our grandbabies! Like every home sewist, I put my love into every single stitch!

Through the years, I’ve always admired heirloom garments. The intricate smocking designs are incredible artwork! Heirloom sewing always intimidated me so I never ventured past simple garments for years. I didn’t know where to start! When my oldest daughter was a senior in high school, I was determined to make her a beautiful graduation dress. I was working full-time and busy with three kids but it was important for me to make her a special dress. I’ll never forget how my experience with the Lace Cottage made this goal possible.

An interview with Kit & Rose - July 2023

Kittie Hadskey “Kit” opened Lace Cottage with her sister Diane Baxter in September 1999. It first began on Market Street - just off West Street in Germantown. This is the fourth location, carrying on a long tradition that first began with an idea shared over a cup of coffee between two sisters.

Kit’s vision, “When we first opened the shop, I brought my mother’s dining room table in and we threw a quilt on top of it for a tablecloth. We stayed open late on Thursday nights for customers who needed to come in after work for Sit & Smock nights and we invited customers to come for Monday Sit & Sew days. Monday was a time dedicated to projects. Some customers were old-timers and some were brand new. Visitors could stay as long as they wanted to feel comfortable with their projects. We wanted our strengths to be where the other shops had weaknesses. The customers became like family since we spent so much time together! Many of our employees started out as customers first and a few loved Lace Cottage so much, they became owners! Rose worked with us at Lace Cottage - she was a customer who would come daily to visit.”

Rose’s story, “Diane and Kit offered me a job and it was my dream job! I worked there starting in 2001 and bought the shop in 2005. As an empty nester, it was an ideal job for me at that time. Rosemarie was also a customer who would come daily and she stayed with us for hours. She was very familiar with the store and would jump in and help when needed. One day, Rosemarie and I met up for coffee and decided to purchase the shop from Kit when her sister Diane retired. The caveat was, “You, Kit, need to come to the store and help us!” That’s exactly what she did and we are still teaching together!

“We are thankful Jennifer and Tom are the new owners to carry on the business. The long lifespan of a shop like Lace Cottage is quite remarkable - especially since things are shifting to internet-based sales. Loyal customers didn’t want to let this tradition go. The last shop location was at a Germantown mall now going through major renovations. The shop had to move or close and it was difficult to find a budget-friendly spot. Jennifer and Tom Reith have saved Lace Cottage! It’s incredibly special this has happened since it’s unheard of for a shop to serve customers this long in the heirloom industry.”

“Kit and I have visited many stores in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi over the years. Heirloom stores are a rarity. Being in business for 24 years defies the odds. It keeps getting picked up and carried on. The people that we work with are truly special. In our group of women, we’re all friends. We are sisters and take care of each other. We’ve been through so much together and it’s a true sisterhood. We take care of each other and we like to share our knowledge. Through all the changes in ownership, Kit and I have been a part of it through teaching and offering our mentorship to those who wish to learn.” ~ Rose

Jennifer’s vision:
“I never dreamed that someday I’d own a quilt shop and have the opportunity to carry on The Lace Cottage tradition in my own business. One of the main reasons Tom and I decided to expand to a larger space (nearly 3X larger!), is to keep The Lace Cottage mission going forward and bring our customers a much larger, dedicated classroom. We now have my dream classroom space and a big, gorgeous showroom of fabric collections, notions, and patterns.