Welcome to the Village of Intercourse, PA, where many businesses are closed on Sunday and the two beliefs still held to be most important are family and religion. The Village was originally founded in 1754 under the name of Cross Keys after a tavern in the area. Then, in 1814, with the influx of the Amish in search of good farm land, the name was changed to Intercourse. The actual reason for the name change is not certain, but here are two of the most popular beliefs. The first one is the center of the Village, which was located where the road from Wilmington to Erie crossed the road from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. The second thought relates to the vocabulary of the time. “Intercourse” referred to the fellowship and neighborly support that one finds in a community founded upon faith.
Today, Intercourse, in the heart of Lancaster County, is well known for the Amish way of life and their beautiful handmade quilts. And that brings us to Fabric-another item the area is known for. Lancaster County is a quilter’s haven as the fabric choices are unsurpassed and the prices can’t be beat. There are
several quilt shops in Intercourse for you to choose from, each one offering something different to entice you in. “So much fabric-so little time.”
I have always found that the best shop in town is the one where the locals shop, and in my opinion in Intercourse this is Zook’s Fabric Shop. The shop was originally started by Lizzie Zook more than forty-seven years ago and then sold to Herb Scrivener in 1998. Although ownership may have changed, the atmosphere of the store has not-except for the addition of electric lights and air conditioning.
The front section of the store is filled with all the polyester fabrics the Amish use to make their clothing. It is interesting to see that the younger generation of Amish is leaning toward brighter colors other than the standard black, blue, and grey.
As you move further into the store the quilter in you starts to take over. Your heart starts to pound and your eyes sorta glaze over as you are overcome with this desire to play “touchy feely” with all the fabric. And yes, that is a real quilting term well known to all of us who love fabric.
Zook’s is filled with fabric for every taste-from bright colors and modern prints to the reproduction fabrics and solids that the more traditional quilters enjoy. And don’t forget the Batiks in all their beautiful prints and colors that lend an island-like quality to your project. It is at this point you should turn to your husband and politely suggest that he go next door, grab a handmade pretzel and a soda, sit on the bench outside, and “people watch” because you might be a while.
As you walk around the store, grabbing fabric as you go, you will be able to talk to other quilters, both Amish and “English” (non-Amish) who are looking for that perfect color for their quilts. The ladies who work at the shop are all friendly and ready to help. Many of the cutters are Amish and have come to enjoy the interaction of the shoppers as they talk about a craft they all enjoy. One thing I enjoy the most is when the little Amish children come with their mothers and smile at you and say hi from
behind their mothers’ skirts. Now that will bring a smile to anyone’s heart.
Once your fabric is cut you are now ready to check out, so over to the register you go. Luckily, this store has the best fabric cutting machine for quilting, so your pieces of fabric will be cut exactly as you want them to be. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you when you start placing these pieces of fabric together. If you are greeted by a gentleman with graying hair and a smile, that’s Herb, the owner. Be sure and say “hi” and let him know that you heard all about him from Kate’s blog and that you are looking forward to the next installment of “Life at Zook’s.”
Until the next time,
Sandy
Sandy Jenkins is the co-website manager for Sauder’s/This-n-That Fabrics. She has lived in Chester County (next door to Lancaster County) for the past 30 years.
