Local fabrics store finds new location 'sew good'

Country Fabrics moves into old Market Place building

Casey McDowall once had a customer who had a pretty interesting notion.

The man came in with his wife in the old location of McDowall's business, Country Fabrics.

"He said, 'You know, I don't understand why they don't put a hardware store next to the fabric store,'" McDowall recalled. "I said 'Why's that?' and he said, 'Do you know, you both would be the busiest stores? The men would be happy; the women would be happy.'"

Two years later, it looks like a lot of people are going to be happy.

Country Fabrics is moving from 1607 W. Broadway Ave. into the old Market Place building on Stratford Road, which will also house True Value and Super China Buffet II, as was previously reported.

"We always wanted to be in this area, and we just fell into this opening of this building," she said. "The Chinese restaurant didn't want quite as much room, and Penhallurick didn't want quite that, but there was just a little portion left and it was just enough for my store. It was an awesome find."

Over the next three months, McDowall will be bringing in more plain cottons and a number of different brands coming in over the next six months.

"We have a lot of new things going to arrive in the store," she said. "It's probably going to take about a year to get everything in that we want, but things have been ordered."

McDowall said that the business is in the process of bringing in a quilting machine that will go on the second level, and said that a lot of things will be coming in that customers have been asking for for quite a while now.

The new location has about the same square footage as the old store, but things are more open, which makes it easier for McDowall to use wall space and the store.

The move will probably necessitate around-the-clock help, as McDowall said they will extend their hours, although times are not concrete until the store actually opens, projected for Monday or, more likely, Wednesday.

McDowall said that her business launched in its previous location three years ago June 19.

Country Fabrics offers cottons, dress goods, wools, satins, furs, lycras, upholstery fabric, "notions galore and we have tons of buttons," Singer sewing machines and service on them, with plans for social sewing and a Sew 'Til You Drop all-night kids' sewing with videos and pizza, McDowall said.

"My kids that have taken my classes have asked 'What do we do when we finish our classes?" she said. "There's four levels to finish, so they kind of came up with some ideas to continue on doing more fun sewing and stuff."

McDowall said she will start a sewing student as low as eight years old.

The reaction from McDowall's customers has been excitement, she said — save for a few.

"My customers are so excited for me to move — they're popping in now: 'Are you in yet? Are you in?'" she said. "I only actually had three customers tell me that they weren't happy about me moving, but they lived right by my store. The rest of them were very anxious for me to get up here. They've been a wonderful group of ladies, and I have several men that come in too."

McDowall said she remembered that one male customer's words when she heard about the availability of the new location.

"I thought, well now we have a fabric store, we have a hardware-lumber store and we have a Chinese restaurant," she said. "My goodness, the men can shop, the women can shop and then they can go eat when they're done. How much more can they want? It's going to be a good location."