Skip to main content

Behind The Scenes | Owner Spotlight!

 


Did you know Fabric Mart is a woman owned business? In honor of International Women's Day last Friday, we decided it was time to put our owners in the spotlight & ask them a few questions. 

Everyone say hello to Julie & Lisa!


1.) Introduce yourself, who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm Julie and I am a co-owner of Fabric Mart. I am married to my husband, Zach and we have two wonderful little boys -- Jakob is 6 years old and Lukas is 7 months old. I love sewing, creating and being outside. We love trying new restaurants and exploring areas both near and far. 

2.) What brought you to Fabric Mart?
I started working at Fabric Mart just after graduating from college. I went to school to be an art teacher and did not land a position and needed a job. Fabric Mart was hiring for warehouse assistant and I got it! 

3.) We know you both wear many hats, but what is your main role? What do you do?
My role has evolved a lot over the last 16 years but currently I am the Fabric Buyer, Virtual Class Coordinator and am the woman behind Julie's Picks Swatch Club. I also create content for our social media among many other tasks! 

4.) How long have you been with Fabric Mart? 
It will be 16 years this August. 

5.) What's your favorite part about Fabric Mart?
Practically everything! I really enjoy everything I do. Of course there are those days when things are hard but when you own a business, you better enjoy what you do otherwise you're in the wrong profession!

6.) Do you consider yourself crafty?
Yup, if I could sew every single day, I would! I mostly sew garments for myself but have also made quilts. I did weaving during college and loved that but do not have a loom of my own. Being a busy mom I don't get a lot of time to do these things, even though I'm in a sewing-related business. I enjoy doing hand embroidery because I can pick it up and put it down pretty easily. Other than sewing I do enjoy drawing and painting (although it's been years!) 

7.) Favorite thing to do outside of work? Any hobbies?
Haha---sewing! See question #6. I enjoy sharing experiences with my husband and kids. We love trying new restaurants as well as trying new recipes. We have taken a bunch of cooking classes over the years and it has really helped me become a better cook. We have a veggie garden in our yard and I'm excited to get started on that soon.

8.) Do you collect anything?
Fabric! lol (It's true and probably to be expected!)  Actually I've collected a lot of things over the years but I'm always on the hunt for Fiestaware. I especially like the serveware. I have plenty of place settings in a bunch of colors. I've been to the Fiestaware Outlet in Newell, WV and it's a dream come true! 

9.) What is a TV show you are currently binge watching?
The Gilded Age on Max, usually after the kids go to bed, I crawl into bed and watch it by myself. Otherwise there are a lot of Bluey episodes on in my house! It's the one kids show I enjoy watching with my kids. I love how they throw in things adults can relate to! My husband and I love watching The Amazing Race and food competition shows. 

10.) If you could only eat one dish for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pizza

11.) Drop some knowledge… What’s the best advice you were ever given?
There are a few mantras I keep in the back of my mind -- Just Do Your Best; Life will throw you curveballs, how you handle it is what matters; Breathe. 

12.) Anything else you'd like to share?
I am so thankful for all the customers near and far that shop at Fabric Mart. It's humbling to know that you trust us and I love being able to find fabric for you. If I think back to what I really wanted to do "when I grow up" this is exactly what I wanted to do! 


1.) Introduce yourself, who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi I am Lisa and I am a Co-Owner of Fabric Mart. I am a proud Dog Mom, bookworm, outdoors enthusiast and ultra-marathoner.

2.) What brought you to Fabric Mart?
I am actually a second-generation owner as my Dad was a previous owner. I grew up working here, before there was a website! I used to do a lot of stapling and labeling for our original mail order catalogs. Who remembers those? I did however take a break and earned my bachelor's degree from James Madison University in Health Sciences, worked as ophthalmic technician for five years in Washington DC, and earned my Masters of Business Administration from the University of Maryland. One day back in 2010, while skiing with my Dad, he mentioned he was already planning his exit from the business and that if I ever had any interest in coming back, now was the time.

3.) We know you both wear many hats, but what is your main role? What do you do?
Continuing from the previous question, when I came back my Dad made sure I worked my way back in. I can proudly say I have performed every position in the business from the warehouse to cutting fabric orders to working in our retail store. However, my main responsibilities today are managing our finances, HR, and general operations.

4.) How long have you been with Fabric Mart?
Continuously the last 13+ years.

5.) What's your favorite part about Fabric Mart?
Hands down our staff. Our employees are the absolute best around. None of this would be possible without them or without you, the customers!

6.) Do you consider yourself crafty?
I’m sorry to disappoint you but not at all. I can do some basic sewing but I don’t enjoy it. Patience is a virtue which I might be missing!

7.) Favorite thing to do outside of work? Any hobbies?
I have a lot of hobbies that I love including running, hiking with my significant other and rescue pup Izzy, reading (the book club I started with friends is going on it’s 10th year!) and cooking.

8.) Do you collect anything?
I definitely tend towards the minimalist side but do have a moderate collection of books and jigsaw puzzles.

9.) What is a TV show you are currently binge watching?
I am currently re-watching This is Us and cry every episode.

10.) If you could only eat one dish for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pizza!

11.) Drop some knowledge… What’s the best advice you were ever given?
Cliché, but ‘treat other people as you want to be treated’ goes a long way and works in almost every situation.

12.) Anything else you'd like to share?
Just a little plug for Fabric Mart which you probably don’t need since you are already reading this. I hope you feel good about shopping at Fabric Mart. Every time you purchase from us you are supporting a small, woman owned, family business. You are purchasing a product that could have gone to waste and that is shipped to you in a recycled box. Thanks for reading and thank you for shopping with us!

Comments

  1. Love you both! Big fan here!! Vivmom

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have watched and shopped Fabric Mart for many years. I "remember when" I would pass by fabric Mart on my way to do other things and wondered what was in that building with sewing machines in the window. When I finally stopped by I found a wonderful fabric store with a great selection of practical and very sewable fabric. Fabric Mart expanded their mail order business right about the time I would make a special trip of an hours drive just to purchase from them. Watching their business grow has been a joy. It is one of the best fabric stores that always has great sales and interesting surprises of varied and basic fabric. Keep up the good work !!!!
    Best Wishes,
    Gail from Schwenksville, Pa.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really enjoyed reading this. I was really curious about the current owners and when they took over because I am old enough to have had a subscription to those mail order catalogs, and I have fabrics in my stash that were purchased at FMF at least 20 years ago. You ladies were pretty young back then. Keep up the great work finding such beautiful fabrics for your loyal customers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks so much for featuring yourselves, the fabulous Fabric Mart owners! I have shopped with you online almost exclusively for many years, and have had the special opportunity to visit twice. Wandering around the retail store is such fun! Thanks so much for recycling boxes too, it is noticed and appreciated. Even though I am several hours of driving away, I hope to visit again soon. May you always be there for sewists everywhers, and know that you and all of the FM employees are treasured.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: A Pink Suiting Set for Spring

Spring is here! So is my first blog of the year. I had some inspiration with this one. I saw a picture on an Instagram profile and wanted to make my own. Now, my version ended up a little different, but overall, I really love it. However, I still want to recreate the inspiration pic at some point. For this look, I chose a cotton candy pink double weave suiting . It is soft, has a semi-textured hand, and has a crepe weave on the wrong side. The fabric does have some stretch to it. I absolutely love the color and feel of this fabric. This is a suiting fabric with the softness of a knit. The thing I do not like about it though is it snags. So, I had to be careful using pins and seam ripping to prevent snags. I had the Fernanda Vicki Sews pattern in mind but once I downloaded the instructions and saw how many pieces were involved, I switched to a different pattern, lol. I ended up making the Riana Blazer. It has a semi-fitted blazer with a straight silhouette. A belt and belt loops that yo...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Eleonora by Silversaga – A Romantic Dress you need in your closet

I recently had the pleasure of sewing up the Eleonora pattern by Silversaga, and I’m excited to share my thoughts because this one really surprised me—in the best possible way. If you’re not already familiar with Silversaga, their aesthetic leans into romantic minimalism—think timeless silhouettes with poetic details. The Eleonora Dress is a vintage-inspired, chemise-style from the Regency Era of the 1800’s design infused with modern elements like adjustable sizing, soft gathers, and flexible fit details.  The Eleonora is a thoughtfully designed dress pattern with multiple views and customizable features. Some of its standout design elements include: • Adjustable fit via ties and elastic channels at the neckline and waist, allowing it to flatter a range of body shapes and sizes. • Sleeve options, including short or long gathered raglan sleeves, often finished with ruffles for added softness. • A full, swishy four-panel skirt—complete with in seam pockets and a deep hem—that b...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress

Hey lovely friends! With summer knocking at the door, I am absolutely ready for breezy dresses at all times. I love linen all year round, but summer is my particular favorite for this fiber. This bright happy color fills me with delight, and it’s so perfect in the sunshine.  For this project, I got all my supplies in one go! I chose this stunning Sea Green linen , lightweight fusible interfacing , ½” elastic , and of course, matching thread. If you haven’t sat down to create your own little sewing kit with all the bits at hand, it’s quite a nice gift to yourself and makes getting started that much easier. I’m all about ease these days.  I sewed the new Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress with the open back cutout, which is View A. The other two options are a closed-back dress and a two piece set. I was a tester for this charming pattern, and I can confirm the two piece set is also gorgeous and really fun to wear. I have looked forward to sewing this version for weeks!  Please...