A fabric kind of place
New Payette business offers more than just one product for
area residents
By JESSICA KELLER
ARGUS OBSERVER
Sunday, April 26, 2009 2:05 PM PDT
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| JESSICA KELLER | ARGUS OBSERVER
Fabriholics Forever & More co-owner Louise Wingert (left) cuts a length of fabric for a customer, while her partner Paula Winsor looks on Friday. |
PAYETTE-Fabric, flowers and ice cream — but mostly fabric — are three things Payette residents Louise Wingert and Paula Winsor are bringing to Payette with their business Fabriholics Forever & More, situated in downtown Payette.
Self-proclaimed “fabriholics,” Wingert and Winsor thought their hobbies of sewing and crafting with fabric were the perfect basis for a store they wanted to open in town.
“Really, it came down to what can we do in this market to help our community and take our talents that we have to benefit our community,” Wingert said of the rationale behind Fabriholics Forever & More. The store has been open at its location at 15 N. Main in downtown Payette since a week after Thanksgiving.
But instead of just offering only fabric, Wingert said she and Winsor thought, in this economy, they needed to diversify their products as well as offer more things to Payette residents.
“Fabric is our main focus, but if we can bring more people into our town by offering more than one thing, why not?” Wingert said.
They were contacted by a flower distributor about possibly selling flowers, Wingert said, and the pair decided flowers would be a nice addition to their business and also fill that gap left in town after Sandy’s Flowers, which was previously situated where Fabriholics Forever & More is, closed.
The ice cream was something Wingert, who used to manage a Baskin Robbins, thought would be another nice addition to the business, so she and her partner have been working with the health department to offer the product, and Wingert said she and Winsor hope to be able to sell ice cream at their shop in time for the Apple Blossom Festival next month.
And then there’s the fabric, another hole Wingert and Winsor wanted to fill in Payette and one that tied in with their hobbies.
“The fabric is our main thing,” Wingert said, and she said they offer more than just fabric for quilting.
“A lot of people don’t know they can do anything they want with fabric,” she said.
The business has a number of types of fabrics, of all colors, patterns and materials, from flannels to fabric for everyday wear to a specialized “Wizard of Oz” fabric line. The store also has basic supplies and materials for sewing, quilting and even some for knitting. Wingert and Winsor also sell yarn by the ounce, instead of skein, and buttons by the, well, button, to help customers save on their cost.
Wingert and Winsor also will create custom-made wedding attire on order and will occasionally do alterations.
Wingert said, since opening, a number of people have come in and said they either used to know how to sew, but have grown rusty, or want to learn how to sew or teach somebody else to sew, and for that interest, Wingert and Winsor are going to offer basic sewing classes.
Best of all, Winsor said, she and her partner are able to offer personalized, one-on-one service to customers they might not receive at a bigger store. In addition, Wingert added, the fabric store is not very far from any one place.
“People don’t want to go clear across town to get a spool of thread,” she said.
Wingert and Winsor agree the fabric shop is a practical business as well as the door to new opportunities for fabriholics looking to tackle their next project. Wingert said people are especially aware of where their money is going in today’s economy, and many have expressed interest in returning to the basics and practicality of making their own clothing.
“We just want people to know, it’s OK to go back to the start again … and we have to save pennies anyway we can in this day and age,” Wingert said.
That’s part of the basis for offering the sewing classes and also part of the motivation to expand their shop further to offer even more items. Wingert said she and Winsor are looking at selling a small line of inexpensive sewing machines to help people get back to the basics on a good, serviceable machine that is easy enough to tackle. They also want to expand on their fabric line and quilting supplies, as well.
Wingert said she would just like to see their shop filled with stuff people need.
They also think the location suits very well. Wingert said, while she and Winsor could have opened their business in other places, they wanted to stay in Payette. Winsor said the small-town atmosphere of her hometown appeals to her, and both agree they need to be close enough to their families and children if they are needed during the day, and Wingert said Payette needs another business in its downtown.
“We don’t need all these empty buildings,” Wingert said. “We want people to come back to Payette.”
Wingert and Winsor encourage anyone to come in and check out their shop or to call the shop, (208) 642-6886, with questions or inquiries about their offerings and services. Fabriholics Forever & More is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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