Crab Creek Quilting Company now open

ODESSA – Friday, June 11, was the date of the "soft" opening of a new downtown Odessa business, filling an empty storefront on First Avenue. Proprietor Brandy Manke and her family were on hand to meet and greet customers.

Brandy Manke is a native of Bozeman, Mont., a retired Army veteran and former employee in the corporate world with an overriding passion for quilting. She is married to Andy Manke, originally from Harrington, although he attended and graduated from Ritzville High School. He served as a Lincoln County Sheriff's deputy prior to becoming the chief of police in Reardan. The Mankes have two sons, Zachary (married to Britta) and Tristian (in a long-term relationship with Jacee Odenrider), as well as a grandson, Christian, 6, and a granddaughter River, two months of age.

Even though the quilt store is now open, Brandy Manke says she wants to expand her client base cautiously. She intends to offer a unique selection of premium fabrics and notions in her store. Her in-house stock is currently limited, mainly because the Covid pandemic has created international shipping bottlenecks that are frustrating business owners around the world. As she works to build up her inventory, however, she plans to offer sewing and quilting classes in the classroom half of her store. Classes are being scheduled for evenings and Saturdays. She is also participating in the Inland Northwest Shop Hop scheduled for August 12-14, which should bring out-of-town visitors to Odessa.

A larger grand opening for the shop may take place in September, once the business has been in operation for several weeks. The store is open for business Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional information is also available on her website at http://www.crabcreekquiltingcompany.com.