Rural Missouri - August 2019 - 23

run the register, handle inventory, pay the bills, whatever. You never know what
the day might bring."
Carey's current project is turning their plentiful stock of fabric and supplies
into an online inventory. "That way, when people need to match their fabric to
something they've already purchased or they want to see what we have in stock,
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If they happen to need any extra helpers for their quaint store, Kurt and Carey
recruit their own family: Doug, Corey, Rob, Emily, Zachery, Kelsey, Jedidiah,
Naomi and Isabelle. "Kelsey, Jed, Isabelle and Naomi actually enjoy coming with
us to the shop," says Carey. "They work on quilt projects, too.
Originally the shop was half the current size and it wasn't too long before the
McKinneys knew they were going to need to knock out a wall.
"We just opened what we call The Hen House," Donna says, noting about onethird of the space is a separate classroom area. Shoppers are welcome to bring
their machine and sew on projects any time they're open. There are also a variety
of classes offered by The Moon, as Donna affectionately calls the shop.
"We have things like Wooly Girl Wednesday (for those working on wool projects) and Fridays are Sew and Blow Day, where you can work on anything and
gab all you want," Donna adds, noting they plan to host quilt painting classes as
well as chalk-tique painting sessions, too, to broaden their offerings. They also
plan to offer online tutorials soon.
Pomona quilter Linda Jackson is a regular at The Moon.
"They make you feel like you're part of their family as soon as you step through
the door," Linda says. "If you don't know what you need, Donna will talk your
project out with you. And if you need help, they'll teach you whatever it is you
want help with, they're just that kind of people."
The Moon has hosted a couple of quilting retreats with great participation -
so much so that the family is considering adding an overnight retreat center to
their offerings.
Donna and Carey have done several trunk shows around the state, showcasLQJYDULRXVTXLOWVSDWWHUQVDQGSURMHFWV%XWTXLOWHUVDUHEHJLQQLQJWRÀQGRXW
about The Rusty Moon and what they have to offer and driving down to Willow
Springs to check it out, which is something the owners hoped would happen.
"We really hope to become a destination, not just a place to shop," says Donna. "We want people to feel at home here so they can be creative. There's a lot of
satisfaction making something with your own hands and we're here to help any
way we can."
The Rusty Moon Quilt, Wool & More is located at 3768 PR 1271 in Willow
Springs. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information check out www.rustymoonquilts.com,
call 417-469-0597 and follow them on Facebook for daily updates and upcoming
events.
Top right: Kurt McKinney threads the long-arm quilting machine as he prepares to quilt a
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out their own projects. Right: Kurt's wife, Carey, labels each bolt of fabric to match a computer
program which allows their inventory to be shopped online. The shop carries a wide variety of
fabrics in every color and pattern imaginable. Below: The Rusty Moon Quilts,Wool & More in
Willow Springs is owned by the McKinney family. Pictured here, left to right: Kelsey, Carey, Kurt,
Donna, and the shop mascot, Rusty, Bill and Isabelle. Front row: Jed and Naomi. Not pictured:
Doug, Corey, Rob, Emily and Zachery.

http://www.rustymoonquilts.com

Rural Missouri - August 2019

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