left: Owner Tisha Copeland may
drive the bus, but her dedicated
staff provides the fuel that keeps
her quilt business moving forward.
Left to right: Tisha, manager Theresa
Detrie, assistant manager Lori
Gutzmann, and Christina Fagan.
above: The distinctive shop name
tells shoppers not to expect the
traditional quilt store experience.T
isha Copeland specializes in
bright. The energetic owner
of Not Your Mama’s Quilt
Store in Plano, Texas, a community
about 20 miles north of Dallas,
attributes it to her heritage. “My
personal style can be seen in my
store. It reflects my Hispanic
ethnicity and culture, which is very
colorful,” she says. “When I look at
fabric, I want to make sure it’s
colorful and fun and happy enough
that people will want to buy it.”
Tisha has lived in Plano for 35
years, though she grew up in San
Antonio, where the women in her
family sewed clothes. Her grandmother
taught her to sew when Tisha was
5 years old. She learned about
quilting nearly two decades ago
when she happened upon an episode
of Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson
on HGTV. Tisha thought, I can do
that. How hard can it be? She tried
quilting, loved it instantly, and found
sewing fulfillment in a new, creative
way. Friends noticed her cheerful
quilts and wanted to make their own.
Before long, Tisha was leading a
weekly group at her kitchen table.
Eventually, she opened a small
quilt shop in a bedroom-size space
in a Plano mall. “I’d always imagined
being a business owner, so opening
a shop seemed like the natural next
step,” Tisha says. She took her time
learning the business. Two years later,
in April 2016, she moved Not Your
Mama’s Quilt Store into its current
larger space, which has high ceilings,
big north-facing windows, and lots
of track lighting added by her
husband, Mark. Light turquoise
walls complement the colorful bolts
of fabric, contemporary quilts adorn
the walls, and a comfortable nook
with a blue sofa offers a place to relax
or regroup.
Tisha purposefully chose a name
for her shop that would instantly
convey its nontraditional attitude.
That cheerful vibe, along with a
carefully curated fabric selection,
popular classes, and an emphasis on
“meeting people where they are” have
made Not Your Mama’s Quilt Store a
regular stop for many quilters. “Most
of my customers aren’t interested in
the muted browns and tans of Civil
War reproduction fabrics,” she says.above: A cozy corner is brightened
up with a quilt made of Marcia Derse
fabrics and a pillow of hexagons
showcasing Tula Pink prints.