By Nicole Gearhart
Beacon Correspondent
Local quilt shop Miss Good Stitch is asking for community support as it competes in the Local Quilt Shop Contest sponsored by ByAnnie.com. This annual contest, now in its ninth year, is dedicated to supporting local economies and the timeless tradition of sewing.
Each year, sewing enthusiasts around the world are given the opportunity to vote for their favorite local quilt shops and share what makes them special.
Ginger Erwin has owned Miss Good Stitch since 2017. The store, located at 330 E. Superior St. in Munising, has participated in the contest for the past five years, but has really made a serious push to win for the past two years, Erwin said.
“Local quilt shops are the lifeblood of a community and are important because they offer classes, resources and inspiration for millions of dedicated sewists,” she said.
As of Monday, Miss Good Stitch had a healthy lead as the top shop for the state of Michigan, but Erwin said a near miss last year taught them how important each vote can be.
“You know, we never expect to win against other places, but last year we lost by one vote in Michigan. And it was like, ‘Oh, man. We were so close!’” Erwin said.
When asked what makes Miss Good Stitch the best, Erwin’s sister and store employee Jess Pugh laughed.
“Being totally biased? Ginger and myself,” Pugh said. “But really, we welcome everybody. We strive to make everybody laugh and feel at home. It’s a blast. We have lots of fun.”
Erwin said having a love for what they do and what they offer makes all the difference.
“We love sewing, quilting, teaching classes and showcasing new fabric collections, including our very own custom Michigan panels,” Erwin said. “We have things like the Mackinac Bridge, Chapel Rock, Miners Castle, East Channel Lighthouse and Tahquamenon Falls, and they sell great.”
Winning the contest would earn Erwin and company at Miss Good Stitch a prize valued at over $3,000. The prize includes, in part, $1,000 credit to ByAnnie.com, $800 credit to Jaftex Fabrics, a 2026 Marketing Planner Bundle from Fabric Shop Network worth $150, a free one-year membership to the Craft Industry Alliance, as well as registrations and amenities for a conference in Chicago and advertising in several forms.
Voters can support their favorite shop in the Local Quilt Shop Contest by visiting www.lqscontest.com/vote. Voting is open until Saturday, Feb. 28. Per contest rules, each vote must include valid store information, a comment about that store and the voter’s email address. Only one vote will be accepted per voter, and email addresses may be validated. Winning stores will be chosen via a combination of best comments and number of votes.
For details, visit lqscontest.com or contact Miss Good Stitch at 906-387-5077 or missgoodstitch@gmail.com.