Fabric Man on the Road

It was vacation time recently and, of course, my wife and I visited a couple of fabric stores along the way. If you're traveling in these areas, make a point to check these out!

Mary Jo's Cloth Store, Gastonia, NC

Located in the foothills of western North Carolina, Mary Jo's offers a multitude of fabrics in their 32,000-square-foot location at Gaston Mall, 401 Cox Road. Be warned: they have it ALL.

In my opinion, their strength is in quilting fabrics...they have every type of print you might want, including novelty prints and a large selection of batiks.

They also have apparel and special occasion fabrics, home decor fabrics, sewing notions, trims and accessories. Latest trends are well-represented, but there are also some oldies hanging around, too. In case you have not figured it out yet, you'll need to allow plenty of time to shop; this place is not a quick in-and-out.

There is an on-site sewing machine department, featuring Baby Lock machines, and sewing classes are also available.

The good news? Mary Jo's sells fabric on-line, so you can shop them without making the trip! http://maryjos.com/

Schoolhouse Fabrics, Floyd, VA

This fabric store is located in a little town off the Blue Ridge Parkway in western Virginia, about an hour southwest of Roanoke. Three floors of fabrics housed in an old high school building. Nothing fancy, but THREE floors. Of fabric. Three.

They stock every type of fabric you could imagine. Like Mary Jo's, their strength is quilting fabrics, and they also have some of the latest trends. I like how they're rolling up their own fat quarters; most stores just fold them up in squares.

There is plenty of older inventory here as well, including some things I have not seen in a very long time (like the wide quilt backing pictured below, which I think I sold in my Jo-Ann store in the early '90s), and some old familiar fabric brand names.

In addition to quilting and novelty fabrics, they have an impressive selection of bridal and special occasion fabrics, appliques and accessories. There is also an entire room (the old auditorium on the third floor) devoted to home decor fabrics.

Downstairs is a room dedicated to sewing notions and accessories. There are some very hard-to-find and unique items in the assortments, and some brands I had not seen before. I stocked up on some inexpensive white shirt buttons for future shirts. (You know I'll be making more shirts, right?)

School House Fabrics does not have a website, but you'll find them at 220 N Locust Street, Floyd, VA 24091. Their phone is (540) 745-4561. If you're looking for something specific, I'm sure they would be willing to send you photos or samples, or help you find what you're looking for.

Update on the Seersucker Suit Project

Parts one (Liberty sport shirt) and two (silk broadcloth shirt) are completed. The suit is cut out and the jacket is progressing nicely. I can't believe that the oldest piece on my stash is actually being used after all these years!

About Seersucker

The seersucker fabric is a yarn-dye, which simply means that the yarns of the fabric are dyed prior to being woven. This means that the fabric looks the same on both sides. "But, Dan the Fabric Man," you ask, " how do tell which is the right side of the fabric?" So glad you asked, right on cue.

Tip: To find the right side of the fabric, look closely at the selvage. Fabric is woven or knitted right side up, and the rim of the holes from the loom will point to the right side.

On a yarn-dye, the sides are not appreciably different in appearance; it's more important that you consistently use the same side as the "right" side throughout the project.

I also have done the fusible interfacing test and it was successful...the seersucker ribs remained intact. Stay tuned for more updates on the suit as it progresses!

Independent Fabric Shops

Meanwhile, in this time of year when many of us are taking vacations, be sure to visit locally-owned fabric shops you may encounter on your travels, and take home a fabric souvenir. They'll appreciate your business, and you'll have a new memory in your stash. If you find an interesting fabric shop along the way, email me at danthefabricman@yahoo.com and so I can share your discovery.

Until next time, keep those sewing machines humming!

DTFM