Meet the Sponsors/Giveaway: Aubrey Marshall of Southern Fabric
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Meet the Sponsors post and good old fashioned giveaway, and I’m happy that Aubrey from Southern Fabric prompted me to return to the tradition! The “southern” we’re referring to here is the southern United States, but people in even more southern (and northern) countries will be happy to know that they ship worldwide. They carry your favorite collections from Freespirit/Westminster, Moda, and Riley Blake, including precut packs of nearly every collection they carry. There is also a wide range of sewing patterns. I know you all surf all the fabric stores on a daily basis, right? Well add Southern Fabric to your itinerary if it’s not there already, because they have a Deal of the Day feature with one item deeply discounted, for one day only. And if you like them on Facebook you’ll get news of new arrivals, giveaways, and sales.
Today, Southern Fabric is giving away a jelly roll-sized precut pack (that’s 2 1/2″ by 44″ strips) of Lark by Amy Butler (sigh — I still love this collection so much!). Just leave a comment on this post and I’ll draw a winner randomly on Saturday, August 18, around 9am Central U.S. time.
Where do you live? What is the textile/crafty scene like there? We are located in Milledgeville, Georgia, where everyone comes to hunt and fish.
How and when did you start selling fabric? We started 7 years ago when I tried to make a quilt for my new nephew and it was the worst thing I have ever seen. I decided I need to figure out how to make a “cute” quilt and I started purchasing up everything cute that I could find. Soon I had too much and had to sell and Southernfabric was born.
Tell us about the name of your shop. We live in Georgia, need we say more?
What surprised you most about the business? How simple it looks yet how incredibly difficult it really is. I want to buy EVERYTHING and sad to say we just don’t have the funds for it. I think every quilter can relate. If you think it is hard to stay in budget from shoe and purse fetishes try having a quilting/fabric fetish.
Is this your full time job? If not, what else do you do to pay the bills? It is my full-time and my husband helps me on the side. He has his PhD in computers and teaches at one of the Universities here in Georgia so I am very lucky to have a free computer guy.
How would you characterize your shop? We are a fashion forward shop. We always try to stay up with the times and get the best fabric out there so keep our customers purchasing the best fabrics to make their homes fun, bright and cheery.
What are your hot sellers right now? You can never go wrong with Amy Butler and Joel Dewberry. We have a great new line Oh Deer by MoMo that looks just like Its a Hoot that did great. I loved Its a Hoot so much I redid my baby’s nursery in it.
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 are currently online only. You never know if we will open one in the future. Unfortunately women are hard to find around these parts so if we did open a store it would not be around here.
Do you run the shop alone or do you have help? I have help from three wonderful workers.
How do you deal with the challenges of the current economy, the increasing competition in the retail fabric business, and the other challenges of being a fabric merchant? We do our best to keep our customers happy to they will keep coming back.
And what do you see as the greatest rewards of being a fabric merchant? I get to stare at great fabric all day long. Need I say more?
What’s your personal stash like? I always tell the ladies at work that if we ran out of a pattern or a piece of fabric let me know first because I probably have some in my personal stash.
Who are your favorite fabric designers, from the past and/or from the present? I love Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry, Sweetwater (always makes the perfect lines for my boys), Kate Spain, Dena Designs, and MoMo.
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Thank you, Aubrey!
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This fabric collection is lovely! Good luck to everyone who has entered, and thank you for the giveaway!
Such pretty fabric, I could do some gorgeous EPP work with this. Thank you for the giveaway.
What a great giveaway. Thanks for the chance to win.
Gorgeous fabric and I love jelly rolls! Thanks to you and Southern Fabric!
lovely fabric! fingers crossed, thanks!
Ooh, Amy Butler prints are so lovely. Thanks for the giveaway.
Great interview! And I love that fabric from Amy!
love this line- typical amy butler, in that some is way too intense to use much, but it is such a good pop for specific uses and patterns.
Aww beautiful! Here’s my hat flying into the ring!
Oh yes please, I really fancy playing with jelly rolls, this would be awesome – thanks
thank you for these “meet the Sponsor” posts. They are one of my favorites… and I can see why you still like “lark”. It’s beautiful!
Oh, me, me, I would love to win a jelly roll of Lark fabric!
Ooh, this fabric is beautiful, and I’ll be sure to check out Southern Fabric. Since I’m in Georgia, I’d love to support a business in my state.
I, too, remain smitten with Lark and I only have some random pieces. A whole jelly roll would be FANTASTIC!
Thanks for the intro to a new shop … just what I need … more fabric shopping. And it just so happens that the fabric selections are quite in keeping with my tastes. Oh joy.
They have such a cute site—thanks for sharing!
Very pretty! I’d love to win.
Lark…now that is beautiful stuff! Thank you for the chance to win some!
I absolutely love this new collection ! Very refreshing indeed
Thanks so much for the giveaway! I actually only have one of those prints, they are so fun and bright!
A very great refreshing collection indeed !
I think it would not be possible to pick my fav Amy Butler.
and MoMo looks great too.
I had no idea this store was in my home state, yaya for Georgia!
Swoon! I would love to have that!
what a fun collection in jelly roll form! thanks for a chance
Thank you for the interview. It is always nice learning more about the shops.
You know she really isn’t that far from me. I’d take a day trip to visit her shop- and perhaps help her clean out a bit.
OMG! I love LARK! Thanks for the write up on the new shop!
Yummy fabrics. Fingers crossed.
oh yes I love strips and I love Amy Butler!
I love it – pick me, pick me!
Another on-line shop to tempt me! My poor bank balance.
Lark is one of the most beautiful collections! What a great giveaway, thanks.
What a lovely giveaway–thanks for the chance to enter!
Beautiful fabrics and a colorful website. Thanks for a chance to win!
Beautiful! Please count me in!
Amy Butler’s Lark is one of my favs, too!
Ooh, Amy Butler fabrics, especially the lark charisma is one of my favourites! thanks for the give-away.
This would be an amazing stash to win!
I love reading interviews with people. The fabric is lovely. shuttermom77 at gmail dot com
Thanks for bringing a new fabric store to my attention.
I love that Fabric and your Site!
Great interview! Love learning more about your wonderful sponsors.
Thank you and Southern Fabric for a super giveaway and a chance to win a gorgeous jellyroll. Love Amy Butler!
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
What a beautiful fabric collection and what a wonderful interview. Hard work, but to get to handle all of that fabric and go to market…
I love Lark!!
Great giveaway! Love finding new shops!
Oh I agree! Lark is such an awesome collection! Fingers crossed for this generous giveaway!
I would love to own this fabric
I’ll have to check out this shop!
I wish I would’ve known about this shop! We frequently visited family in Macon and I could’ve stopped by. Alas, we just moved to IL, so we won’t be visiting as frequently. Glad there is an online shop, though!