When the owner of a popular Lakeview quilt shop was young, she stayed indoors and sewed at her mother’s behest to beat the oppressive New Orleans heat.

“Little ladies don’t go out in the heat and get a tan,” said Denise Taylor, echoing her mother’s thoughts at the time.

Decades and several successful sewing businesses later, Taylor plans to retire and close Mes Amis Quilt Shop for good, sparking a flood of congratulations and thanks from customers around the world.

Known for its quilting classes and wide selection of fabrics featuring Louisiana and New Orleans motifs, the shop is a jewel in the quilting community and attracts local, out-of-town and international buyers. Every two years, the shop hosts bus tours for groups from countries such as Greece and Italy in partnership with Country Heritage Tours, an international quilting and vacation company.

Mes Amis opened 15 years ago on Spanish Fort Boulevard, several years after Hurricane Katrina damaged their first store, Lakeview Cushions.

“I probably made all the sofas and chairs in Lakeview and all over town,” Taylor said from behind the cash register.

The store is packed with fabrics with specific themes – pink ribbons for breast cancer, Mardi Gras, and cartoon characters. Everything has to go before Taylor officially closes.

Longtime employee Kathy Luther laid a long piece of fabric across a table and began cutting. She frequently makes T-shirt quilts for customers, many of whom are parents who want keepsakes for their children. A quilt made from team jerseys, commemorative T-shirts and fabrics from the store is a perfect college going-away gift, Luther showed in photos of her previous work.

A few months ago, a customer requested a quilt made from her father’s shirts to honor his memory after his death. From start to finish, the project can take several months.

When the store closes, Luther says she has to advertise her work in order to be able to continue. Most customers call the store and express their wishes.

Luther was one of the first people to take a quilting class at the store, and Taylor estimates that more than 2,000 people have taken part in the class over the past 15 years.

Suzanne Purvis is a regular customer at the store and loves it when her husband takes photos of her finished quilts on the porch.

“He’s not very tall and has to stand at the top of the stairs and hold them as much as he can,” she said.

This year, she’s made a ton of baby quilts as gifts for friends and family and needs to restock her supplies. Gifts are a big part of the quilting community, Taylor says.

Purvis said that when news of the shop’s closure broke, people familiar with her love of quilting jokingly asked her when she would take over the business.

Although she looks forward to retirement and spending more time with her grandchildren, Taylor expressed disappointment at the closure and hopes another buyer could take over the business.

“I have a lot of followers and would like to sell the shop because the community needs a quilt shop like mine. I’m sorry to close, but it’s time,” she said.

Taylor said when she announced the news on social media, she was moved to tears by the outpouring of support and memories shared by customers.

“Your store is magical and was a highlight of my first trip to New Orleans,” one person said on Facebook.

“Thank you for giving us a special place to shop for so many years. It’s time to enjoy your time,” said another.