If you want to lower your blood pressure and recharge your creative batteries, Las Colchas is the place for you. Even if you’ve never handled a needle and thread in your life, you’ll be welcomed and inspired by this quaint quilt shop tucked away in downtown San Antonio.
Francine and Toni opened Las Colchas, which means quilts in Spanish, more than 30 years ago after meeting as students at Our Lady of the Lake University. I can’t remember how I found their shop, but I’m glad I did. It’s always a joy just to walk in to see what’s on display. Plus, they always have coffee and treats set out for their guests. What’s not to like about that?!
Las Colchas has fabric to suit every taste: traditional (Civil War era), Tex Mex (Dia de Los Muertos), modern (Kaffee Fasset), international (Japanese) and more. Plus, they have ready-made kits for those who don’t have a clue how to get started.
I’ve taken three classes at Las Colchas: crazy quilt with Maria, vintage embroidery with Carol, and punched embroidery with Francine. In Maria’s class, I learned how to assemble a crazy quilt and embellish it with embroidery, including a Victorian spider’s web. She also taught us how to do silk embroidery, where I made a tiny hummingbird sipping nectar from a rose. In Carol’s class, we assembled vintage handkerchiefs, sheets and hand towels into a pillow top, and in Francine’s class, I learned how to do punched embroidery, the kissing cousin of hooked rugs but on a much smaller scale. I bought a kit for the heart displayed in the slideshow above to make for my mother-in-law whose birthday is near Valentine’s Day. Punched embroidery is MUCH easier than cross stitch, especially for anyone who has trouble seeing the teeny-tiny squares. The watermelon is another kit they sell.
Las Colchas, located at 110 Ogden Street between McCullough and Main not far off of Interstate 35, is opened Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Treat yourself and go in. Better yet, sign up for a class! You’ll make something lasting to share with generations to come.
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!
Denise,
I woke up wondering if you had a chance to mention us in your blog, and when I opened my emails, there it was! Thank you so much for a wonderful article and I cant wait to see you walk into our shop again. You are a joy!
Francine
Francine, I’m happy you saw it! I posted a link on Las Colchas’ Facebook page, and I sent you an email (but it bounced back…it was the email listed on your Contact Us page). I’ve already had someone who lives in Florida post Las Colchas on her Pinterest page! (Guess she’s planning a trip to San Antonio.) Las Colchas has brought me a lot of joy over the years, so I hope more people wander into your creative haven to increase their own joy quotient. Cheers, Denise
Lovely shop! I hope to stop by.
Mariana, You’ll LOVE it! The shop oozes creativity and warmth. Cheers, Denise
This looks like a terrific shop, Denise. Thanks for finding it for us all.
Susan
Susan, It is! I think you ought to visit it while you’re in town. You’d love it since you’re a quilt aficionado. Cheers, Denise
What a cute little shop! It’s places like this that make San Antonio great.
Arianna, I couldn’t agree more. Las Colchas is definitely a port in the storm. Thanks for reading/commenting! Cheers, Denise
I was looking for some photos of the Morningstar Boardwalk for my blog and was directed to your blog. What a happy find! How have you been? Don’t know if you remember me or not, but I remember you. Love your blog, by the way. Great resource for our little city!
Thanks, Rita! Of course I remember you. Hope all’s well! I’m happy you found my blog. The Morningstar Boardwalk stretch of the Salado Creek Greenway is great, right?! We walked on the Oakwell Farms to Tobin piece of the greenway this afternoon. Please give me the URL to your blog! Cheers, Denise
If you click on my name above- RitaMarie, it should take you there! 🙂 I love that section of the boardwalk. I run it at least 3 times a week. I don’t think I’ve ever gone as far as Oakwell. I mean, I run past Eisenhauer and Austin Hwy and then to where the churches are on the left. I wonder how much farther Oakwell is. Or maybe I’ve been running past it all along and didn’t realize it?
Very cool blog! I’m going to take partial credit since you took COMM 2311 with me. 🙂 Keep it up! Thanks for finding me. Cheers, Denise
Thanks! I’d say you do get some credit. 🙂