Skip to main content

Behind The Scenes | Employee Spotlight

 Today we thought we would give you access to a little more behind the scenes of what makes Fabric Mart so special.  It's time for another Employee Spotlight! We sat down & asked one of our newest employees a few questions... Let's get to know Sophia!


Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve gone by many names honestly, but these days I go by Sophia which was my grandmother’s name and is my given middle name. Sometimes I go by Phie because I’m non-binary, but femme still to some degree, so that name satisfies that aspect of my identity. I am an artist and maker-of-things. A writer. A spoken word poet. Most recently: a screenwriter and director.

How long have you worked at Fabric Mart?

Since February of this year!

What are your main responsibilities? What do you do?

I’m a Fabric Handler so I find and pack fabric regularly, but I also work in the retail store and not in the cutting room, so I pack orders between helping customers find what they need. 

What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart?

I love meeting creatives in the community. Fashionistas, Drag Queens, Theater-Makers, you name it. They all come in looking for the perfect fabric and I am there to guide them.

What question are you asked the most?

“I’m new here, how does this work?” in reference to our dewey decimal-like number and lettering system to find your exact fabric.

Do you consider yourself crafty?

Definitely. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was eight-years-old and I’ve been running with it ever since.

Favorite thing to do outside of work? Any hobbies?

I’m working on my first short narrative film this year with some fellow creatives in the Pennsylvania area called PLATES (Mi Amor). This is what my free time is focused on these days, and it changes depending on the creative project I’m working on. And there is always something!

Do you collect anything?

Funny/cute, sometimes astrology-based, sometimes not, lighters I see as an impulse buy at the gas station.

What is a TV show you are currently binging?

Interview with a Vampire. I watch it from the bathtub.

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

Freshly baked bread and butter.

Drop some knowledge… What’s the best advice you were ever given?

“If you have a dream, never let go of it. Just hold onto it and keep working toward it.” David Lynch

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

When I was in fifth grade, I had to research a career to choose for my future and I chose “screenwriter”. Specifically. I wanted to write films. Now I work at the fabric store where I’m sourcing costume and set fabrics for for my next film. I feel grateful for how far I’ve come and optimistic for a bright future ahead. 

Comments

Recent Posts You Might Like

Meeting Endless Summer Energy with a Maxi Dress

How are the temps still so hot?! I’m trying to make the best out of a blazing situation with a gorgeous swishy dress made in a splendid graphic print in an attempt to keep my cool when I am very much not. The heat persists, but so do I (while wearing sundresses)!  I really wanted a full length, all-fancy-design-details-included version of the new Chalk & Notch Noe Tank Dress since testing the pattern. This is View C. This version features a beautiful open back with a tie closure and the long gathered hem for maximum impact.  I chose the higher of two necklines. The pattern features full lining and I used the same fabric for both. I prefer to avoid any peeking-issues the easy way.  As I was scrolling through the challis options on the Fabric Mart site, this one stood out immediately, a beautiful kelly green with big abstract swipes of aqua. Simple, bold, (non-directional!), all of my favorite characteristics necessary for a showstopping dress. I wanted something very ...

Fall + Flannel = Shacket

If there is one piece that transitions easily between crisp fall mornings, mid-day warmth, and chilly autumn nights, it’s a shacket. Today, I’m excited to share my latest Fabric Mart make: the Ellie and Mac Patterns Connie Casual Shacket, sewn in a dreamy plaid flannel coating fabric . Here’s a glimpse at how it came together, along with a few construction tips for planning your own version! The Ellie and Mac Patterns Connie Casual Shacket pattern offers plenty of options needed to make the perfect transitional top layer for fall. With a relaxed body, oversized sleeves, three lengths, and a curved or straight hem option, you can make your dream shacket a reality.  For this sew, I selected a plaid flannel coating fabric with a soft blend of sage green and cream tones from the Fabric Mart website. Heavyweight flannel is ideal for a shacket because it provides structure and added warmth. As a bonus, this particular fabric is extra soft and snuggly, which I love. In addition to the fa...

The Perfect Plan for this Linen Blend! Until I Changed My Mind.

Hello Sewing Friends!  It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with another Fabricista make.  When I saw this linen blend designer fabric on the Fabric Mart Fabrics website, I was intrigued.  After all, I, like many of you, love to find designer fabrics at an affordable price. It is a linen/nylon/rayon/Lycra blend, and I wondered what the designer had created with the fabric as I wasn’t familiar with that combination of fibers.  Surprisingly, I discovered a sleeveless, lined, mid-length vest in the same color with an almost identical fabric composition. Perfect! I’ve been wanting to sew a longer vest with matching pants, and that discovery confirmed this fabric would work beautifully for the look I had in mind.  The vest I’m wearing, from the June 2026 Burda Style magazine, it is not what I was originally going to make.  You see when I found the designer’s vest, I remembered seeing a Butterick pattern that was almost identical.  I ordered the pattern excited to...

Sewing With Intention: New Look 6106 and a More Coordinated Wardrobe

Sometimes a sewing project begins with a beautiful piece of fabric or a pattern you just have to make. This one began with my closet. Recently, I did a major closet purge. I took a good look at what I actually wear, what I kept reaching for, and—maybe more importantly—what was missing. Once the pieces I no longer loved or wore were gone, something became very clear: I want to be more intentional about what I sew next. Instead of sewing individual pieces that I love but don't necessarily wear together, I want to build a wardrobe where my handmade garments coordinate with the clothes I already own—and with the pieces I'm planning to sew next. For this month's Fabricista project, this beautiful lightweight shirting from Fabric Mart turned out to be a wonderful place to start. The Fabric That Started It All Fabric Mart provided this beautiful oatmeal and black heathered shirting , along with the matching thread for my project. One of the things I love most about this fabric is ...