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Wool becomes 'ewe,' too
BY JAMES JACENICH • STAFF WRITER
 | | Theresa Wagner opened Wool Becomes Ewe, a shop specializing in yarns, fashions, notions and gifts on Fleisher Avenue, Monterey. |
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MONTEREY - The new wool and fabric store in Monterey isn't on Main Street. It's in a part of town the average tourist may not find right away, but that's OK, says Wool Becomes Ewe owner Theresa Wagner. Her store is meant to primarily serve the needs of local fiber artists.
"This store is not dependent on tourists," said Wagner. "It's something for locals."
Wool Becomes Ewe is the latest addition to the growing number of commercial outlets in Monterey. The store offers yarns, fabrics, notions and gifts for every taste and budget.
The store is on Fleisher Avenue, which runs parallel to U.S. 250 in Monterey. Fleisher Avenue is a wide, quiet, mostly residential street. But the Virginia Department of Transportation has an office at one end across from Rockingham Cooperative, which is next to Highland Mini Self Storage. Gutshall's Exxon is at the other end of the street on U.S. 250, making this little Monterey neighborhood not so quiet during the day and not so hidden away.
In the middle of the street stands a two-story white, wood-framed building that formerly housed a florist, and is now home to Wool Becomes Ewe.
"We bought the building in December 2005," said Wagner. "We hadn't rented out the commercial space in 18 months. Upstairs is an apartment we will renovate and use as a short-term furnished apartment."
Theresa and her husband, Kevin, live in Possum Trot with two of their three children. A third child is at Virginia Tech this year. Theresa grew up in Alexandria where she met Kevin, and they've been married for 22 years. "I couldn't have done this without Kevin's help in renovating the shop," she said.
After Kevin retired from the Coast Guard, the family moved to Highland County.
"We raise sheep," said Wagner. "This store is a natural extension of the sheep business." Wagner said she wanted to have a yarn shop. People suggested, why not sell fabric, too? So it became fabric and yarn, she explained.
"What surprised me is that it felt right," she said. "I knew I was supposed to do this. We've had very positive feedback from the community."
She learned how to knit and crochet from an elderly German woman from Bavaria, who lived in Alexandria near where she grew up. In 1996, Wagner took some classes in hand quilting. While in San Diego (her husband was stationed there), Theresa got involved with the Prayers and Squares prayer-quilt ministry. "Every week we gave away two quilts to people needing prayer," she said. Prayers and Squares is an interfaith ministry that emphasizes prayer through quilting. More information on the organization is available online at www.prayerquilt.org.
"We have a chapter here in Monterey," said Wagner. "We've given away a dozen quilts here in Monterey. We are in need of other piecers and quilters for the ministry. Contact the Monterey Presbyterian Church if you want to be a part of it."
Piecing is putting together the top design, Wagner explained. Quilting is the act of putting the three layers together: a top layer, batting, and backing. Binding is the third process in putting together a quilt. That's what goes around the edges.
"I don't claim to be an expert," said Wagner. "I just love to do these things and have done them all my life. I have met other people interested in giving lessons, too, and will draw on others in the county to provide training."
She is a member of the Highland Quilt Guild and the Highland County Fiber Guild. She is also on the boards of the Highland County recreation commission and Highland County Crafts.
Phyllis Whetzel, a Monterey quilt enthusiast who specializes in piecing quilts, will manage the shop with Wagner.
"This is an important business to have in Highland County," said Whetzel. "There are a lot of local people who knit, sew and crochet here and it's a long way to go to get supplies."
Whetzel moved to Highland County a year ago and is married to E.T. Pittman. She is a member of the Highland Quilt Guild and an artists' group in the county.
"I'm very fortunate to have Phyllis here during the day," said Wagner. "She is talented and enthusiastic."
"I will be teaching a quilt-asyou go class," said Whetzel. Whetzel has been a garment sewer since she was a teenager. Three years ago she took her first quilting class. "I have been loving it ever since," she said. She learned quilting at Patchwork Plus in Dayton and still maintains a close relationship with the owner of the store.
A beginning quilting class meets for the first of two sessions at Wool Becomes Ewe on Thursday, Sept. 13. A beginning knitting class starts Monday, Sept. 17 and runs for two sessions. Additional fiber classes will follow, depending on what people are interested in. Guest instructors will be brought in as needed. The store has a small classroom that can accommodate up to four students at a time.
"I enjoy the creativity and coming up with an end-product," said Whetzel. "Other people have the same joys I have. I (am working here because I) want to help Kevin and Theresa. They are wonderful people.
"Come on over and enjoy your (craft) time with us," Whetzel added. "If you think you can't (make a quilt), come over here and I will show you that you can."
"I encourage people to stop by and check out what we have and let us know what you are involved in," said Wagner. "We want to provide supplies to fiber artists in the county. We have value-priced items to specialty items," said Wagner.
Wagner also has fiber-related gifts from various consigners. Karen Mitchell has knitting-related jewelry (she is Debbi Stephenson's sister and operates under the business name of BeadWitched). Judy Skeen has several wool-related paintings on display. Lisa Jacenich has La Provencale Virginia-made apple products for sale, located next to the free coffee the shop serves to customers who come by to visit and craft for a while in the store's lounge. Whetzel has quilts for sale.
Hours of operation are Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (540) 468-2007 or email contact@woolbecomesewe.com.
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