’t Dreefhuys is a  Belgian country store, specialized in Patchwork and Quilting. Customers are offered a big collection of patchwork fabrics, wool fabrics, books, patterns and accessories. Throughout the whole year, classes are also organized in Patchwork, bears and decoration!
 
How it all started in 1985…
Already in 1985, at a young age, Christel and Marcel Didden decided to stand on their own two feet and to start their own business. They looked all over Flanders for the right location and finally ended up in Ninove; a city in the middle of Belgium. They decided to name their shop after the street name; ‘t Dreefhuys as meaning “the house in the Dreefstraat”.

In the early years ‘t Dreefhuys was mainly selling antique furniture and home decorations. Marcel, a skilled furniture technician, was experienced in restoring old furniture. Christel on the other hand became responsible for the sales and decorating the shop.
 
In 1990, only a few years later, Christel realized her current patchwork hobby became her true passion and considered this a new step forward.  Soon she traveled regularly to the United States to follow courses of the latest quilting techniques at workshops given by quilting designers.  Patchwork soon became their core business and Marcel exchanged his heavy worktools for patchwork scissors. They originally started with 80 bolts of fabrics but this extensively grew during the following years, up to 2300 bolts this year.
 
In-house courses
The attic of the shop was converted into a warm classroom where Christel welcomed fellow quilt lovers to take part in creative courses. Year after year, Christel arranges a full Patchwork-agenda filled with new, innovative classes; she makes sure every season includes lots of variety, both classic and modern, primitive dolls, bears, decoration, etc. 
 
New shop opened end 2011
As time passed by, 't Dreefhuys “exploded” between its walls. Products were positioned already 4 rows high, so the decision was made to expand the business and to buy a new property right across the existing shop.
It took longer than expected, but on October 1^st 2011, the new shop finally opened its doors. The surface has doubled and it looks fantastic! To make sure they are aware of the latest quilting innovations; Marcel and Christel still annually go to the biggest Quilt show in America to import all materials directly.

From far beyond the Belgian borders; customers find their way to this cozy country store. Their customers know they are warmly welcomed during each visit and they can count on technical experience and excellent assistance in choosing the right fabrics.
 
Website and on-line sales
To offer even more service, ‘t Dreefhuys also has a website, with all the updated products and info. Orders can be made via the web shop and can be shipped to anywhere in the world, or can be picked up at the shop. A couple of times a month, newsletters are also sent out to announce new product arrivals, new courses and workshops, etc.
Of course social media can’t be left out in this modern world. With this in mind, ‘t Dreefhuys can also be found on Facebook (in 3 languages: Dutch, French and English) and soon will be on Pinterest. All of this to keep the customers more updated!
 
You have not been there yet ... than it is getting time! Do you want to visit ‘t Dreefhuys in group? Previously announced groups will be warmly welcomed with a drink and a snack. Enjoy your visit!