Fabrikate Blog

When I lived in New York, I was fortunate enough to run the first incarnation of Fabrikate (then a home furnishings business) but quickly discovered that the several home sewing machines that I had been using just couldn't support the amount of work I was doing with them. I knew several fabric shop owners had recommended a guy named Jimmy on 37th Street. I called him and went to his shop, which was located in a dingy basement. He was a sewing machine mechanic who specialized in vintage industrial sewing machines for all manner of people and companies. He would salvage sewing machines for fun from old sweatshops in New York and the surrounding area, then refurbish and resell them. I explained to him my needs and the problems that I was having with my home machines. He had several refurbished machines in the dark and dirty hallway in front of his tiny, overcrowded work room. Some were newer and much flashier Jukis, but being that my mom always used a Singer machine, I was drawn t...

My son has been begging me to let him create a blog for me for a while, and I finally gave in to his frequent demands. His 5th grade teacher came to a market I was at and suggested I do this, and here I am. Part of what I love about running my own small business is that I get to meet so many interesting people, both artisans and shoppers. Something I hope to do through Fabrikate is to set a good example for my kids and get them involved with my business. They both frequently come sit with me at markets, talk with shoppers, run people's credit cards, help organize my booth, update inventory and provide a source of constant encouragement and creative suggestions. Check back periodically, I'll be sharing stories of customers and artists I meet and my creative process.