ALL ABOUT FABRIC and THREAD
BY HEIDI ISAAC

Local fabric stores are hard to find these days. Even most of the large retailers selling fabric have gone out of business. Hobby Lobby still stands as one of the last large retail stores with even a limited selection. Walmart has even less material to choose from. 

In Middle Tennessee, resale store SMART Art + Craft Supplies (in Nashville near Opryland) has an always changing selection of fun fabrics, and it's one of my favorite places to go, but very little is labeled, so you have to do some hunting. It’s FUN hunting, but it’s hunting nonetheless. For non-stretchy, 100% cotton fabrics (which you will be using for all of your first few class projects) you can also go to quilting stores, because that’s exactly the kind of fabric that is used in most quilts. My favorite quilting store in Murfreesboro is Quilt Connection.

That leaves online fabric stores. There are lots of (properly labeled) choices, but you can't touch and feel the materials before you buy them. So, don’t be afraid to order online … but pay very close attention to the descriptions and fiber content. My go-to places are Fabric Mart, Fashion Fabrics Club and Mood Fabrics. 

For all your first sewing projects, ONLY purchase 100% cotton, woven fabric. Avoid all fabrics with any stretch in them, as well as those labeled "knit." 

For your thread, only purchase 100% POLYESTER, ALL-PURPOSE thread. My recommended brand is, hands-down, Gütermann. Also generally reliable poly thread is made by Coats & Clark and Metrosene. I’m not as fond of Sew-Ology as I used to be, but it still works for most projects, and if you’re already at Hobby Lobby, it’s convenient. 

Buying the right materials can make or break a sewing project! So I’ll sew this up with an open invitation to all of my sewing students to ASK if you have any questions about any of the things you need to purchase. I want to help you get your sewing going . . . or keep it going!