Meet the Sponsors: Fabric Supplies
Charlie and Lindsay Prezzano, “Two Love Birds who Love Fabric.”
Next up in our Meet the Sponsors series is Fabric Supplies, an Etsy shop run by the husband-and-wife team of Charlie and Lindsay Prezzano. They specialize in contemporary quilting-weight cottons from all of today’s favorite modern designers, at a discount. As you will see, they are definitely a home-based operation — I’m amazed at how neat and uncluttered everything looks considering they are up to their ears in fabric bolts (not to mention they have two young children)! Lindsay answered my questions and shared the glimpse inside their home.
Fabric Supplies is giving away two sets of four fat quarters of Art Gallery Fabrics‘ new collection, Revive, to two readers. Just take a look over at the shop, then come back over here and leave a comment mentioning the designer or collection you were most pleased to see, and/or fabric(s) you would like to see them carrying. Comments will close next Monday, March 30, around noon central U.S. time, and they will choose the winners shortly thereafter.
The giveaway fabrics: Revive from Art Gallery Fabrics
Where do you live? What is the textile/crafty scene like there?
Charlie and I Live in Albany, NY. This little city definitely has a funky feel, but the availability of crafting supplies is limited to the standard chain stores. That was in fact the impetus that inspired us to open our own shop.
Behind the scenes — wall to wall fabric! And this is just a small portion of their inventory.
How and when did you start selling fabric?
We are thrilled to have just celebrated our one year anniversary for being in business. If we ever get a sitter for our toddlers, perhaps we’ll truly be able to celebrate with a night out! We opened our shop with just a handful of prints, and with the incredible support of our customers, we have been able to grow to over 700 prints currently in stock.
Lindsay Prezzano with Amy Butler at Fall Quilt Market 2008: Lindsay added “she’s as much a giant in real life as she is in the fabric world!”
What surprised you most about the business?
We continue to be surprised by the strengths each of us brings to our work. While we have known one another since elementary school, it’s so refreshing for us to talk over creative ideas for the shop, and see various aspects of our personalities and capabilities emerge. As a husband-and-wife team, we have an interesting dynamic for running a business that we feel we’re able to make work in our favor.
Is this your full time job? If not, what do you moonlight as?
Charlie has a day job, but I am home with the shop and our two little ones full time.
How would you characterize your shop?
Fresh. We spend many a late night scouring the web for new fabric to carry in the shop, often from little known designers and manufacturers.
Apples in aqua, from the Metro Market collection by Monaluna for Robert Kaufman
What are your hot sellers right now?
We just got in the soothingly soft Revive Line, another great from Patricia Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics. Also warmly received have been Anna Griffin’s two new lines, Riley and Darcey, Kitty Yoshida’s City Bloom, and Jennifer Moore’s, aka Monaluna, three great current lines, Metro Market, About Town, and Mingle.
Are you online only, or do you have a brick & mortar shop? If you don’t have one, are you planning to open one?
We sell exclusively online at present, but we never know what may be in store for us.
Do you run the shop alone or do you have help?
Charlie and I have run the shop ourselves, but we will soon open our doors to ensure that our customers receive the speedy customer service they have come to depend on.
How do you deal with the challenges of the current economy, and increasing competition on the online fabric retail market?
With the economy, I do sometimes feel like I’m rolling the dice when placing my fabric orders. We remain hopeful for that change of pace, and continue to move full steam ahead. In regards to competition, we truly see it as a great aspect of running a shop. Competition drives business. It makes us all strive to be better, which inherently makes for exciting options for customers in the fabric market.
What are the (other!) biggest challenges — and biggest rewards — of being a fabric merchant?
Inventory is always a challenge, and can make or break a shop. Furthermore, it’s always time to shop for fabric somewhere in the world! Having a 24 hr online business can be a challenge, and we’re still working on finding that balance between work and play.
What’s your personal stash like?
It’s full of those now out of print fabrics that I could not bear to sell, stashed away for a rainy day.
Who are your favorite designers, from the past and/or from the present?
That’s a tough one. I’m in awe of Anna Maria Horner’s use of color, Patricia Bravo’s thoughtfully intricate designs, and Anna Griffin’s incredible versatility.
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I love Lizzy House & am always happy to find her Lizzy Dish fabric! Your prices are really good too…. you have lots of beautiful fabrics…. after Lizzy I would probably choose Anna Maria Horners new Good Folks fabrics. Nice Shop
I’m happy to see that you have some of Art Gallery’s Botanica line.
I love the Art Gallery Botanica line too. I just noticed that they have Keri Beyer’s “proud” which looks like a lot of fun and I’m planning on buying some of the Monaluna real soon!
You have such a gorgeous selection! Living amongst all that gorgeous fabric… must be heavenly! I love the Amy Butler Coriander on Ivory, I’ve never seen it in that color before.
Oh, I really like the giveaway fabric… And she has some AMH Garden Party still on hand – so tempting!
I love the sheer number of Amy Butler fabrics. The Japanese imports are also great. I’m thinking of all the things I could make with these!
I love the Amy Butler Coriander fabrics!
Tina Givens is my latest obsession. I love the Treetop Fancy prints that you carry!
I just love the Birds print from Polly Goes to Paris. So sweet. Also, lots of My Folklore I hadn’t seen before.
I’m loving the Keri Beyer and the City Bloom collections. And those monkeys by Anna Marie Horner are awfully cute.
Wow, I am so jealous that you have all of this in your home! You have a tremendous selection! I am really liking Kitty Yoshida, specifically the damask in pink.
I’m loving the new Revive prints, especially Dandelion in Seagreen. So….soothing….
I love Camp Fun Time.
Anything with owls is fun.
Wow! So many great and new things. I can’t get enough Anna Maria Horner. She puts colors together, and it’s magic.
Great interview! Nice to see their commitment to making this business work! Love the shelves of fabric – what a design statement!!
I LOVE THE SHOP! I BOUGHT 2 YARD SETS and some additional fabric. Thank you! I would love to have a bricks and mortar shop in the west-side of Cleveland as there is only 1 place beside the main chain that has these kind of threads, and they are for the most part only open during 8-5 business hours, and most people work that time!
Anyhow! I love the Amy Butler Darcey Collection in Red & Green, they had so many collections I haven’t seen before but I would like to see Rachel Harris fabrics, I am so in love with the fishes and octopus fabric she has, I can’t get enough!
Oh and I would love to see more cuts available. Having Jelly Rolls & 5″ Charms is such a time saver for us working gals!
I have actually ordered twice from Fabric Supplies in the past few weeks, GREAT service and FAST shipping, fun to read about them!! I am IN LOVE with the giveaway fabrics, great!! I am LOVING Garden Party right now:) AND Good Folks:)
I was pleasantly surprised to see Anna Griffin’s prints! Thanks for the chance!
So happy to read this. I always check Fabric Supplies first when I’m looking for something–they had a better selection of Lecien’s My Folklore than anyone else (a few months ago), even the sold out fabrics. I’m happy to see Henry Glass’s “Polly Goes to Paris:–can’t wait to get some of those sweet birds.
I like the folklore prints… the owls… the Japanese pig print.
I love every single one of the Prints Charming. And I gotta say Revive is gorgeous!
My favourite thing I’ve seen in Fabric Supplies’ shop is the Timeless Treasures Taxi collection. I want me some yellow!
i really love the My Folklore Fabric that Fabric Supplies carry, i really drool over them while thinking of what projects to do with these fabulous fabrics. I would love to see Fabric Supplies carry European and Australian designer fabrics.
Wow! My head is spinning, so much glorious fabric! Charley and Lindsay carry things that I’d never seen before, it would be difficult both to pick a favourite and to say what’s missing. And the overseas S&H rates are very reasonable, too. I’v already added the shop to my Etsy favourites, thankyou Kim.
As a canadian friend of fabric supplies, I love that they carry lots of different collections and I love that they stay competitive with their prices.
My current favorite is Anna Maria Horner…she spins me right round with all her beautiful colors and patterns…Merci!
It was so nice to read about you. The two of you are too cute! You guys have the best fabric selection around and at the best prices.
It is really tough to decided on a favorite in all of that beautiful fabric but I am loving the Art Gallery Fabric by Patricia Bravo.
I think Keri Beyer and her Proud Line is great!
That new keri beyer, zinnia is just yummy! Of course I love all your fabrics and it is so nice to put faces with the name. Love your shop and continue to pass the word along
!
Kaufman’s Aqua … just beautiful.
I _love_ the Anna Griffin Darcey Collection, wow – what an amazing shop! Good luck with all of your endeavours!
Why have I never heard of Anna Griffin? I love, love, love her designs! Especially the mod!
I recently placed my first order with Charlie & Lindsay and was so impressed by their kind service. Anna Griffin’s Riley collection looks so fun, and I’m a total sucker for the My Folklore line.
It’s great to see Prints Charming fabric in the inventory. I’d love to see the full range of the Rainbow Garden line made available as it’s not easy to get hold of.
I have to say that I’m not fabric-savvy enough to say what they should or shouldn’t have! There are so many pretty fabrics in their store. I’d love to win! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the Prints Charming fabrics– they make adorable baby quilts, and mix in well with prints from other lines.
I love the shop, added it to my favorites!
Alexander Henry’s Starling and Kokka’s Scandanavian always make me smile!
I love ordering from this shop, they have more fabric to pick from than any other Etsy shop! I love the new Robert Kaufman Trees! =)
This is a wonderful shop-thanks for sharing their story. I really like the mix & match half yard & full yard sets, like Fabric Fusion-Amy Butler & Joel Dewberry set. What fun!
well, i’m in love. you’re shop has an amazing inventory. the “kokka” fabrics and “my folklore” are now on my list. i haven’t seen these before!
i have about 15 ideas swirling in my head right now for these folksy fabrics… payday can’t come soon enough!
thanks!
now back to filling my cart…
jessica
You have a great store. I love seeing fabrics I don’t see all over the web. Right now, I’m in love with Anna Griffin’s Darcey line.
I’m a fan of Amy Butler’s Belle.
I’m excited to get some of the City Bloom fabric (ASAP!). I was most surprised to see the Kokka Matryoshka dolls fabric, though. Great interview Kim!
P.S. I am IN LOVE with Lindsey’s skirt in the Amy Butler phot. Amazing!
Love the Camp Fun in White by Hoffman, just purchased an assorted 7 yards of beautiful fabric. Great selection in that ETST store.
Dawn M
I love the Japanese pig print!
Currently I am desiring some Anna Maria Horner fabric, but there are a lot of other fabrics that look intriguing!
A new favorite for me. I like those etsy shop a lot.
I’m so glad, they have every Anna Maria Horner I like.
I am so glad they carry heather bailey and sandi henderson – i started reading their blogs just before and/or after their first lines launched and it’s so nice to ‘know’ people who design.
I’m really loving Revive!
Congrats to Lindsay & Charlie for the awesome feature! They offer such a fabulous variety and shipping is always so fast!
I’m glad to see them carry so many different fabric by my favorite designers : Michael Miller, Amy Butler, Anna Griffin to name a few.
I’d love to see them offer hard to find or out of print fabrics at some point in the future.
Wishing you both continued success!
Living in South Florida, I love bright colors, so I’m currently fixated on Heather Bailey’s Pop Garden. FabricSupplies has such an incredible selection and the best customer service along with fastest shipping I’ve ever experienced. I am proud to say they are my exclusive fabric supplier for my new accessories business.
I enjoyed looking at your fabrics! I am a big fan of Japanese fabrics and am always looking for solids/almost solids that have a unique texture or feel.