About Us

Sisters Choice is owned and operated by me, Allison Rainboth.  I’ve been sewing since I was 10 and making quilts since the early 1980s. I don’t have a favorite style but do tend to be drawn to bright colors and high contrast.  I’ve exhibited in regional shows in the Midwest and California, and have some ribbons to my credit.  When traveling I love to hit fabric stores to pick up textile souvenirs.

 I was born and grew up in Southern California, 10 minutes from the Rose Bowl. After completing degrees in Biology at UC Riverside and UCLA, I worked as a research scientist and an environmental consultant.   I moved to Wisconsin in 1992 when my husband got a job at UW Oshkosh.  We’ve been living in Berlin since 1993.  I opened Sisters Choice in 2003 and have been busy quilting for others ever since.  I don’t have children, but do have 4 cats and 2 dogs.  If you come to the shop you will meet my Scottie, Ginger, who is the self-appointed doorbell.  I love to cook and travel when time permits.

Sisters Choice is named after a quilt block.  I don’t have any sisters in my family, but I have hundreds of sisters in quilting (and brothers…we are an equal opportunity shop)!   I love to teach, and offer classes in Electric Quilt and seminars on quilt history topics at Fox Valley Technical College’s Quilting and Sewing Expo each spring.   In addition, we hold classes here at the shop from time to time and there are three clubs which meet here.  Check the calendar to see what’s going on.

As part of my commitment to serving you better, I train out of state at least once a year and attend many local and regional quilts shows.  This helps me stay current on trends in design, fabric and threadwork.  I belong to the Wisconsin Quilt Study Group,  American Quilt Study Group, International Association of Machine Quilters and American Quilters Society.  I am a quilt appraiser working towards licensure and have strong expertise in the assessment and care of old quilts.