Tea resident opens quilting shop in Worthing

Red Truck Quilting owner Jill Klaus caught the quilting bug when she was in her early 20s.

Klaus, who started sewing at 9 years old in 4-H by making tote bags and other accessories, said her mother got started quilting and she got serious about it in her early 20s.

“My mom got started quilting and then I kind of caught the bug about 21. I’ve been quilting a long time,” she said.

Since she likes to be creative and help people, turning her love of quilting into a business seemed like a natural step to take. While she works four days a week for Esurance while living in Tea, she devotes every Wednesday to working in her quilt shop in Worthing, along with evening and weekend appointments.

When Klaus was looking for a home for her business, she was looking for a community that was welcoming and a space that would fit her needs. She found that place in Worthing.

“I didn’t need a huge space and didn’t want a huge space. I was looking for a community that was warm and inviting and this building has a lot of character to it. All the natural light with the windows were a huge plus for me,” she said.

Klaus uses an Innova longarm quilting machine. It has a 12-foot frame so she can quilt a large quilt. It is also computerized so she can pick any pattern the customer wants.

She also has a commercial machine to do car interiors and other projects.

She decided on Red Truck Quilting because she loves how classic old red trucks are.

“I love the old red trucks. They’re classic and that speaks to kind of what I’m doing with the quilting. I’m looking for something that can be quilted. It’s going to be a family heirloom just like a lot of the old red trucks are,” Klaus said.

Finding her place at 124 S. Main Street in Worthing is a perfect fit for Klaus.

“I like to help people. I like to be very creative in what I’m doing and it seemed to be a good fit for me,” she said.