The fabric of Westport

Thefabricof West ort

Ann Katzenbach

If you are a fabric fiend and you live east of Fall River, it’s time to celebrate. The little Somerset store where Amy Nadeau-Cantin has run her unique consignment business for so many years, Amy’s Fabric Treasures, has moved to Westport. Her new address at 1032 American Legion Highway is a two-story house.

At 3,000 square feet, it’s a third larger than her former Somerset shop, and the separate rooms allow for better organization of the fabric, buttons, ribbons, zippers, patterns, and everything else associated with sewing that anyone could think of and then some.

Her inventory is unique and varied because everything for sale is on consignment. That means most of what Amy offers is older, of better quality, and more interesting than what you will find in a chain store.

She reckons that 50% of her fabric was woven in Fall River or New Bedford because locals who are cleaning out their grandparents’ houses or their own closets or attics, bring bolts or yardage to Amy. “The consigning never stops,” says the fabric guru. This means everything must be measured and priced and labeled and recorded. It’s time consuming – 70 hours a week, Amy reckons – but she is doing what she loves.

Amy was hand-embroidering doll clothes at age four, and a few years later, her mother taught her to use a machine. “I drove my mother nuts. All I wanted to do was sew.”

She sewed professionally for 22 years, but her body finally protested and she came up with the idea of a consignment

fabric store that today has grown into a business known by quilters and dressmakers and designers all over southern New England and beyond. Amy’s Fabric Treasures is, as far as Amy knows, the only shop of its kind in the country. For those who sew, the shop is a destination. Amy says, “It’s a wonderful community of people from all over. They’re doing something fun in a happy environment.” Consigners get a 50/50 split and most people simply take store credit.

In addition to selling fabric, Amy gives sewing lessons and offers space for quilters and others working on projects to share ideas and chat. A repairman comes once a week to fix machines for customers. In the new space, there is more room for these offerings. “I was tripping over myself in that Somerset store,” she explains. Patching thingsu Another destination for those who love to work with their hands is at 782 Main Road in Westport. Pat Brost opened Sisters of the Wool 11 years ago, and it is

a favored stop for knitters and crocheters. It is the largest yarn shop in the Northeast and caters to every level of fiber enthusiast. Sisters of the Wool sells natural fibers from all over the world. “No cheap acrylics,” she says, shaking her head. “That stuff will outlive a cockroach.” Her vast inventory includes wool, cotton, yak, bamboo, silk, cashmere, and many others, in all weights, and at a reasonable price. Arranged on shelves around the room, the yarn suffuses the shop with color.

When she made the floor plan, Pat started by designating an area for a circle of chairs where customers could sit comfortably and learn to knit or take knitting lessons or bring their projects and work in an atmosphere of shared endeavor. Like someone’s living room, this space is the heart of the store. These groups have meeting times on Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m., Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and 4:30 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. All open knitting groups are free of charge, and everyone is welcome at any time.

If you want to learn knitting skills, there are classes on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pat asks that students call in advance. There’s a $10/hour charge for these classes but if you simply have a small problem, advice is always free. Sisters of the Wool also does repairs, finishing, and steam blocking. Customers and friends of Fabric Treasures and Sisters of the Wool do a lot of work for non-profits. Knitters make hundreds of hats for Dana Farber Cancer Center. Quilts, blankets, scarves, and bags are all given away and leftover wool or fabric go to senior and youth centers.

Both Amy and Pat acknowledge that at the root of their businesses is the pleasure they get from giving people a happy place to meet and chat and make new friends. Sisters of the Wool woolsisters.com 774-264-9665 Amy’s Fabric Treasures amysfabrictreasures.com 508-679-9301 Both businesses are on Facebook

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