Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Kurimoto-Renaud.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all began when I moved to Florida in December 2018. There was no fabric store near me. This would never do because after living the last 30 years in Los Angeles I did not want to drive any where. I had been enjoying my retirement from teaching when I asked my husband what he thought about opening a fabric store. He was onboard with the idea and his skill in wood working came into play. We designed our dream store in our heads, but we were missing one large component, a store-front. That was remedied one day in January 2020 when I walked into Bit O’ Yarn. I was looking for some yarn when I struck up a conversation with the cashier. I said I was a professional quilter and I was looking for a store front if they knew of any place that might be available. She asked for my card and I left. I received a phone call from the owner of Bit O’ Yarn and we discussed a business opportunity and the next day I signed a lease! Little did I know that Covid would be in play by the time we opened on May 15, 2020. We had ten bolts of fabric and beautiful, empty, wooded shelves built by my husband. It was a difficult time to open, but people were eager to have cloth as well as a hobby during this time. Little by little the shelves filled and quilts were dropped off to be completed. As with any newly opened business, it was difficult. Hard work, perseverance and faith took us through those first years only to be hit with Hurricane Ian. Once again, perseverance took over. We rebuilt and continued to fill shelves with beautiful fabrics and notions. As of today we have 1700 bolts of fabric, a longarm and a large selection of sewing notions. We were graced with the honor of Best of Englewood 2026.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road. Hurricane Ian, Tropical Storm Debbie, Hurricanes Milton and Helene knocked us out but we repaired and restocked.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Even though I was an educator for 30 years, I incorporated art into every subject taught. I water color, sew, write and general creativity. I began sewing at a very young age with quite a unique experience. My father was a taxidermist in Alaska and I grew up in the shop watching him use clay and paint to recreate animal features. The other unique experience occurred with Bear rugs. The back of bear rugs are quilted, and the rug itself is rather large. I was small enough to crawl to the center of the bear rug and begin the quilting process. The experience stuck with me though out my life and I embraced the quilting arts again later. It seemed a natural fit for me and my training as an educator helped.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think what most people don’t realize about me is that I suffered a traumatic brain injury in 1988 and had to relearn how to read, write and do math. I suppose people would never think this about me since I deal with numbers all day long and I am able to run a business. I am epileptic but I don’t let that slow me down.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cedarvalleycrafts.com
- Instagram: cedarvalleycrafts
- Facebook: Cedar Valley Crafts LLC
- Youtube: Cedar Valley Crafts
