a Quilter's Guide to Raleigh, NC

Written by Kara Holland

WELCOME TO RALEIGH!

It’s hard to believe that QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina is just about a month away! After meeting so many of you last year, we’re excited to be back with a booth this year in our home state of North Carolina!

We had so much fun making this blog post. Fun fact: 3 out of the 4 Lo & Behold team members have lived in Raleigh at one point! We thought we would share some of our favorite places with you to make it feel a little more like home while you’re here.

First, a little bit about the state. We love a good map around here and if you aren't familiar with North Carolina (NC), see below! We're considered a "mid-Atlantic" state and one thing we love about living here is that we have the coast on the eastern part of the state, about a 2.5 hour drive from Raleigh and the mountains on the western part of the state, about a 3.5 hour drive. In NC we often debate which is better, the beach or the mountains. We feel very lucky that we get to choose from both within our own state. It's a great place to be!

Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and located in the center part of the state. Fun fact: in 2021, Brittany and Peter moved from Raleigh to Black Mountain, which is where you'll currently find their studio. You can visit the studio occasionally during certain dates throughout the year, which you can find more information about that here.

WEATHER

Generally, North Carolina is considered to have four distinct seasons, though they're all relatively mild. We can all agree that fall and spring could stand to be a little longer than they are, but for the most part, there aren't too many "extremes" in our weather compared to some other places to live. Keep in mind, if you are visiting other parts of the state, on average, the mountains are usually ~10 degrees colder than Raleigh and the beach is usually ~10 degrees warmer than Raleigh.

Winter - QuiltCon falls in one of our colder months in NC. Temps can range from the 30s to 50s but there are occasional outliers when it gets way colder than that. Definitely bring jackets, maybe even some gloves or hats. Raleigh doesn't typically get very much snow fall; maybe a couple of dustings per year. There are occasional "big" snowfalls involving one to several inches (seen below) but for the most part Raleigh doesn't see too much snow.

Edited to add: We’re a few days out and weather forecasting looks like the week of QuiltCon 2024 will be relatively warm with temps mostly in the 50s and 60s! Night time lows will dip down to the 30s and 40s.

Spring - Temps range from low 70s to mid 80s; beware of the pollen if you have allergies!
Summer - Temps range from mid 80s to sometimes high 90s; humidity is usually pretty high.
Fall - Fall is the best in North Carolina; we get beautiful, vibrant foliage (especially in the mountains); and temps are usually in the 60s and 70s with low humidity.

Photo above shows the Knitted Star quilt pattern.

Let's move on to recommendations, shall we?

Use this link to open up all of the food recommendations in Google Maps on your phone! (our favorites are pinned in purple!)

FOOD

Let’s start with food! Raleigh is full of great restaurants with lots of local cuisine. All of these restaurants are walking distance from the Raleigh Convention Center! We think Raleigh is a very safe city to walk, but feel free to grab an Uber/Lyft or scooter around town. Raleigh is home to several colleges and universities, beautiful museums, and lots of history. Enjoy the scenery on your way to eat!

Coffee/Breakfast:

Benchwarmer’s Bagels (inside Transfer Food Hall): This is a team favorite. We love everything on the menu!
The Morning Times: This is a college favorite of Kara’s (our Community Manager) & she loves the sweet chicken biscuit!
Boulted Bread: Amazing croissants & to top it off, their logo is a quilt block!
Big Ed’s- City Market: If you’re wanting authentic southern cooking, we recommend heading to this restaurant for breakfast or lunch! The menu changes daily which is so fun!
A Place at the Table: This is a unique pay what you can cafe! The mission of this restaurant is to provide community & good food for all regardless of means.
Raleigh Raw: Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is a new to us juice, smoothie, coffee, soup and poke bowl restaurant! It’s on our list to try at QuiltCon this year…maybe we will see you there?

Lunch & Dinner:

Downtown Raleigh is home to two amazing food halls : Transfer Food Hall & Morgan Street Food Hall. These food halls have several options to choose from, so if you’re traveling with a group of friends, this is the place to go! They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Beasley’s Chicken & Honey: another team favorite & an Ashley Christensen (AC) restaurant! Open for lunch & dinner, this restaurant has a modern take on southern cuisine. Their brunch on the weekends is fabulous too!
Poole’s: A team favorite! This is one of Ashley Christensen’s (AC) restaurants & we think it is a must visit! Their menu changes daily or weekly, so you’re guaranteed to always have something amazing. Be sure to make a reservation in advance…they book up quickly!
Whiskey Kitchen: southern small plates + whiskey bar. Cracklin Biscuits and Shrimp & Grits are some of our favorites. Their sweet potato pie is the best! (made with NC Sweet Potatoes- Did you know North Carolina is the leader in sweet potato production?)
Bida Manda: Loatian Cuisine that is great for lunch or dinner! Some favorites are the Crispy Pork Belly Soup or Tom Khem!
Brewery Bhavana: a great vegetarian option! Open for lunch and dinner, a couple of our favorites are General Tso’s Chicken and Lo Mein Noodles.
The Pit: an authentic southern BBQ restaurant that is a favorite of Kara’s! She has several favorites on the menu, but she especially loves their starters! Try the Pimento Cheese Balls, BBQ Soul Rolls, or BBQ Fries!
Raleigh Raw: Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is a new to us juice, smoothie, coffee, soup and poke bowl restaurant! It’s on our list to try at QuiltCon this year…maybe we will see you there?

Dessert:

Videri: locally made chocolate that is the perfect souvenir to take home to your family! It’s so good, your family might forget about all the money you spent at QuiltCon. ;)
Bittersweet: Bittersweet is a cocktail & dessert bar…perfect for a night out with your quilting friends!

Bars:

BoxCar (a barcade): a fun bar/ arcade! If you’re a night owl & want to have some fun, BoxCar has a lot of old arcade games that take you back to your childhood. Such a fun place to go with friends!
Bittersweet: Bittersweet is a cocktail & dessert bar…perfect for a night out with your quilting friends!
Whiskey Kitchen: a southern small plates & whiskey bar.

MUSEUMS

Raleigh is also home to several wonderful (and FREE) museums. Check out the North Carolina Museum of History or North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for a break from quilt viewing. These are just a few blocks away from the Raleigh Convention Center & are an easy walk. You can learn just a little bit more about this great state we call home!

If you drove into Raleigh & want to do a little sightseeing or take some #quiltsinthewild pictures, head over to the North Carolina Museum of Art! While living in Raleigh, Brittany took many pictures of her early quilts on the art museum grounds! There are beautiful trails & sculptures to check out if you’re needing a day in nature. On your way back, stop by the Aloft Hotel near NC State University to eat at Gonza! This is our favorite Mexican restaurant…the cheese dip is to die for!

MUSIC

Music & performing are also important to Raleigh’s local culture! Check out the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts or Lincoln Theatre to see if any of your favorites are performing. The beautiful North Carolina Symphony will be performing the weekend of QuiltCon & are such a treat to listen to! Add local bluegrass music to your itinerary with the Appalachian Road Show.

ARCHITECTURE

If you're a fan of architecture, you might enjoy visiting Duke University's campus. It's a 30 minute drive from Raleigh and it's the most beautiful college campus! The buildings have an "English gothic" style to them and they're all absolutely stunning. There's even Duke Gardens which is a great place to walk around, take quilt photos and see flowers in the spring. Visit Peter and Brittany's favorite restaurant in Durham (maybe even in the area), JuJu, while you're there!

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TRAILS & PARKS

Dorothea Dix Park is one of our favorite summer time parks as they always have a field full of sunflowers! During the winter, it is one of the best places to see the city skyline & enjoy wide open spaces.

Art to Heart Trail: This 5.9 mile trail connects downtown Raleigh to the North Carolina Museum of Art! Along this trail you’ll see some of our college favorites- Pullen Park, North Carolina State University, Meredith College, and the Martin Marietta Performing Arts Center

Lake Johnson: Near NC State University, this paved trail around Lake Johnson is a favorite amongst students & professionals working in Raleigh! There are 3 miles paved around the lake and 2 miles of unpaved trails!

William B. Umstead State Park: This is one of NC’s most visited parks as it is one of Raleigh’s most peaceful getaways. Explore the 5,000 acres of trails, open space, and lakes within this beautiful park!

Historic Yates Mill County Park: If you’ve packed a few quilts for #quiltsinthewild pictures, be sure to check out this park! The 174 acre park is packed full of hiking trails & is home to the Historic Yates Mill, Wake County’s last remaining gristmill. This mill is fed by Steep Hill Creek & is fully operable!

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OTHER

Agriculture is North Carolina’s number one industry & it is beautifully represented at the North Carolina State Farmer’s Market close to downtown Raleigh. Pick up some local produce or taste the amazing cuisine at the State Farmers Market Restaurant or NC Seafood Restaurant!

If you like basketball, or if your quilty husband or partner joined you, treat them to tickets to our favorite North Carolina State Wolfpack basketball team vs. Boston College on February 24th at PNC Arena! There’s a great chance that they’ll win & a longstanding tradition of the NC State Wolfpack is to see the campus bell tower light up red after a win! You’ll drive right past it on your way back into downtown Raleigh. Fun fact: N.C. State is Peter and Kara's alma mater. Go Pack!

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LOCAL QUILT SHOPS

Cary Quilting Company: While Cary Quilting Company will have a booth at QuiltCon, their Quilt Shop just outside of Raleigh in Cary, NC is quite spectacular! Full of beautiful fabrics, quilt samples, and notions this is one of our favorite places to shop when we’re in Raleigh! Fun Fact: Brittany hosted her very first trunk show here!

Bernina World of Sewing: Is a great shop for fabric, classes and sewing machines!

Craft Habit: Is such a unique store that really focuses on a wide array of crafts. While they do have fabric, I wouldn't say that quilting is their focus; but you can definitely find beautiful, modern fabrics. Plus it's really fun to see all of their kits and classes...it's a really great shop with a wide array of crafts and supplies. They'll have a booth at QuiltCon, so I would check to see what their hours are during the event.

Freeman's Creative: Is located in Durham and they carry fabric, yarn and other crafty things. Last time I was in there, they had a really great modern selection of fabric! They'll also have a booth a QuiltCon, so I'm not sure if they'll be open during the event.

SHOPPING

Gretchen Quinn Pottery: Raleigh is home to Gretchen Quinn Pottery & we all know that Brittany loves Gretchen Quinn pottery! Gretchen Quinn’s studio is about a 6 minute drive from the Raleigh Convention Center, so if you’re interested in picking up a few pieces as a souvenir, we recommend contacting her to make an appointment to visit her studio! (We may or may not have some of her pottery for sale in our booth!)

Curate Downtown run by Triangle Pop Up: This shop hosts over 60 local artists from the Raleigh/Durham area! You can find a little bit of everything here! Fun Fact: they host pop-up shops & markets all over Raleigh.This is where Kara got her start in selling her quilted goods before working for Lo & Behold!

The Flourish Market: We love this little boutique for unique gifts. Every item in this boutique has a bigger purpose where you can support women working all over the world. Find everything from clothing to jewelry to baby items! It’s one of our favorites!

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

If you want to incorporate a trip to the North Carolina Mountains, which is a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains and also the larger Appalachian Mountain range, that would be a fun itinerary! Check out our "Quilter's Guide to the Blue Ridge Mountains" blog post if that interests you! Highly recommend!

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OUTER BANKS

If you're looking to visit the beach during your trip to North Carolina, the Outer Banks are iconic and so very beautiful. Kitty Hawk, Duck, Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke are a few of our favorite places to visit. Beaufort, Wrightsville Beach and Southport are really great coastal towns as well.

Photo seen above is the Church Window quilt pattern at Kitty Hawk, NC.

We hope you’ll enjoy some of our favorites while you’re visiting Raleigh! While we aren’t able to bring the charm of our local Black Mountain studio, the entire shop will be coming with us to QuiltCon so you can purchase Lo & Behold Quilt Kits, patterns, yardage, notions, and see some of our favorite quilt samples! We’ll see you in booth 310 at QuiltCon soon!!