Fabric Mart Fabricistas

 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...

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 Cole! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina and lived there until moving to Reading to live with my partner Gale late last year, and started at Fabric Mart not too long after.  What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? What I usually tell people is that my job is to move fabric from one piece of cardboard to another, since the machine does just that, taking the fabric that comes in on rolls and folding it onto bolts.  What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? My favorite thing about Fabric Mart is the access to all the interesting and quality fabric that comes through, and the inspiration it gives me for different projects.  What questi...

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 our newest employee a few questions... Let's get to know Tessa! (Fun fact! You were introduced to Tessa's Mom & Sister in a previous Behind The Scenes Post !) Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am Tessa, a forest loving, artistic, book nerd who loves rainy days and crisp mornings. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? 8 months. What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? I work where ever I am needed. Sometimes I am cutting Fabric for online orders other days I am upstairs describing new fabrics to be put online. What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? Feeling all the fun fabric. What question are you asked the most? "Am I allowed to look back here?"  Do you consider yourself crafty? Very! I like trying a little bit of everything. My fa...

Well, I guess that just leaves me. I'm Krystal & I manage this blog, among other things. Now that I've taken the time to introduce you to all of the wonderful employees here at Fabric Mart, ( and our amazing owners ), I am going to go ahead & close this portion of our Behind The Scenes off with my Q&A. So hello there! 👋 It's nice to meet you! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am Krystal. I’ve lived in Pennsylvania for almost 16 years now. But I am originally from sunny Southern California! I recently just moved to Lancaster County with my Fiancé – we get married this September! We have a one-brain-celled orange tabby named Dexter whom we adore. I’m a wordy, animal loving, introverted, homebody with a pretty decent green thumb. Oh & I think I am a pretty good cook as well. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? I just celebrated seven years this month! What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? My official title is Webmaster....

In the spotlight today is our man of few words, Dan! Honestly Dan has one of the most labor intensive jobs here at Fabric Mart. One that is not for the faint of heart for sure. All day Dan walks up and down the three flights of stairs in our building, pulling all of the fabrics for your orders, and getting them ready to be cut and shipped out. So let's hear it for Dan everyone! Here is what he had to say when we asked him a few questions... Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. Daniel McCormack. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? I have worked at Fabric Mart since 2018. What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? My primary responsibility is to pull fabric to be cut for internet orders. What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? My favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart is the people I work with. What question are you asked the most? The most common question I get asked is "Do you know how much this fabric costs?". The next m...

Hi everyone!  When I saw this floral print linen/cotton blend make it’s way onto the to-be-described table I knew I had to make a dress from it.  I’d been staring dreamily at all the dresses from the brand Son de Flor who had just put out their spring collection and thought, maybe I can throw together something inspired by them!  I grabbed three yards of that floral shirting and a yard of SWC5682w to line the bodice with.  I used Simplicity’s S8946 for its simple bodice block.  This pattern has a gathered rectangle for the skirt, but I’m a sucker for a circle skirt so that’s where I decided to start.  I folded the fabric twice and cut out the longest circle the fabric would allow.  Then got to work on the bodice, sewing up the darts and attaching everything. Now, I don’t love installing zippers.  I ha d a lot of trouble getting them to sit right, and no matter how much mental gymnastics I do when first pinning one side is always put in the wrong ...

We always talk about how the Fabric Mart team is really more like a family. Well in this instance, the two in today's employee spotlight literally are family! Everyone say hello to Mother-Daughter team Mistianne & Karis! Let's start with Mistianne! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. Mistianne Guzman. Wife, mom of two beautiful daughters, owner of an online ballet costume store, and ready for adventures. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? 1 year in June. What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? I work in the back cutting room getting everyone's orders ready and helping out in the store. What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? The people and I get to work with and fabric! What question are you asked the most? Will this fabric work for....... Do you consider yourself crafty? Yes! I quilt, sew, crochet, knit, make ballet costumes,one of a kind dolls, weave, rug hook and and and Favorite thing to do outside of work? Any hobbi...

  We are continuing to recognize all of the wonderful employees that make Fabric Mart so amazing... If you've shopped inside our retail store you've probably have met the person in today's employee spotlight! Everyone say hello to Isabelle!  Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is Isabelle. I’m 21 years old. I work in the store at the Fabric Mart. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? I’ve been working at the Fabric Mart for about 2 and a half years. What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? My main responsibilities involve working with customers in the retail store. I answer customer questions, help them find things, and check them out when they’re ready to buy something. I also work to keep the store tidy, and I help fulfill online orders when I can.  What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? I enjoy being able to help customers find the right materials for projects that they have planned. I think it’s cool getting to se...

  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 cur...

A family that cuts fabric together, stays together. Today we are going to introduce you to THREE of our amazing employees. We have the Heathers, Heather B & Heather J. As well as Josh! This trio is a mother, husband, & wife team. And they sure bring a lot of happiness & laughs around here. So without further ado, let's get into their Q&A's! Let's start with Heather B! 1.) Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.   I'm Heather B. Mom to 5 amazing humans, (and mom in law to 2), one crazy giant dog, a very floofy kitty,  chickens and ducks. Oma to one very silly and special 5 year old little girl ❤️. Cancer survivor. That changed my viewpoint on a lot of things, what's important in life and what is not.  2.) How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? A bit over a year but it seems a hecka longer! (In a good way) 3.) What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? Just cutting orders for the most part. Bust the other Heather's chops...all...

Today we are continuing to show a little more behind the scenes of what makes Fabric Mart so special. Aden, whom we featured last week, isn't alone in his fabric describing adventures. We sat down & asked another one of our lovely fabric describers the same questions... Let's get to know Kayla! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I'm originally from the east end of Long Island! A mom to two cats, I spend most of my time playing video games, watching soccer (go NYCFC!), prepping a Dungeons and Dragons game, and thinking about various sewing projects. If I'm lucky I might even start one of those projects! Currently planning costumes for PAX Unplugged in December! How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? It'll be 2 years this October! What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? Photographing new fabrics for the website, running them through photoshop to make sure the photos accurately reflect the fabric, and describing said fabrics. What’s yo...

  Today we thought we would give you access to a little behind the scenes of what makes Fabric Mart so special.  We sat down & asked one of our lovely fabric describers a few questions... Let's get to know Aden! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I'm Aden. Pennsylvania native. Family man. Choir nerd. Potato chip addict. I identify as Cyan/Blue. Textured beard. Opaque brain. Slight sheen from forehead sweat. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? 5+ Years. What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? Photographin', Photoshoppin' and Hip-Hoppin'. I make sure that what you see online is what you get at your door. What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? Best family of hard working, unique and loving individuals I'll ever be part of. What question are you asked the most? (Once customers go up to the second floor and see me at the top) "Are we allowed up here?" Do you consider yourself crafty? In a craft beer kin...

At Fabric Mart we pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service. If you call us during our normal business hours you will always be greeted by a live person! And most likely you will get the pleasure of speaking to Kari or Kelly. They truly are the best and will always go above and beyond and to answer your questions or make things right if there is a problem. Here's a chance to get to know them a little better.  Kari is our general manager & she has worked at Fabric Mart for 9 years! Kelly is our cutting room supervisor & she has worked at Fabric Mart for 10 years! What is the first thing you do in the morning when you arrive at work?  Kari: I print out all the orders that we received overnight and leave them for Lisa to put together. After that I go through the customer service email & voicemail. Kelly: I turn on my computer, make coffee, and check my inbox for responses about problem orders from the day before so I can ship them out. What is your favorite...

  Today we thought we would give you access to a little behind the scenes of what makes Fabric Mart so special.  We sat down & asked our current longest employee a few questions... Let's get to know Brett! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.  My name is Brett. I have two jobs, this being my full time job. I live with my girlfriend and twin teenage daughters in Lancaster. We also have a dog and 2 cats. Which is why the 2 jobs. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? I have been working at Fabric Mart for 11 years, 23 days, 10 hours and 32 seconds, but who's counting? What is your official title? I am the Warehouse Manager What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? How much time do you have? Here is a short list.... Organize and locate fabric on shelves. Schedule, pickup, load, unload, and make room for truck shipments. Order shipping boxes, supplies, and machine parts. Keep the warehouse clean and organized. As well as keep our web and retail s...

If you read my post about Summer Sewing Projects , I plan on sewing basics for my wardrobe, things I can wear everyday! I also like trying to highlight the many pattern lines we carry on our website. So one evening I was thinking about new ideas for the blog and I decided to do a series of interview and review posts about the Indie Pattern Designer's lines that we carry! So not only am I building my wardrobe, but showing how you can do it too with Fabric Mart fabric AND our line of patterns! This week's featured pattern designer is Dana Bontrager from Dana Marie Designs . I have worked with Dana for a few years now, providing her with fabric for the International Textile Expo Fashion Show. The International Textile Expo is a wholesale fabric show where designers, manufacturers and fabric stores source fabric, trims, buttons and other finds.  Dana graciously volunteered to be the first designer to be highlighted! It worked great because I was working on one of her patterns to...