Business: Colorado Fabrics
Address: 4042 South Parker Road, Aurora
Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Founded: 1979
Contact: 303-730-2777,DZǰǴڲ.dz,DZǰǹ
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Interview with Nada Watt, president
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
:I started sewing when I was 8 years old, and it was the start of a lifelong love of sewing. My interest in sewing led me to study interior design, and after getting my degree, I was hired here in 1989. When the previous owner was ready to retire in 2013, he asked me to assume ownership.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
:Colorado Fabrics is a truly unique fabric store. We are locally owned, but unlike many locally owned fabrics stores, we have grown in size to 40,000 square feet. At this size, we have an inventory of fabric and notions that exceeds chain craft stores in the area. But unlike chain craft stores, our store features a wide selection of one-of-a-kind fabrics that you won’t find anywhere else. Our buyers bring in fabric with the Colorado client in mind — fabrics that match a uniquely Coloradan taste and lifestyle. We have fabrics and notions for almost any sewing project imaginable.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
:We get to see so much creativity. Our customers include fashion designers, interior designers, costume designers, artists, entrepreneurs, quilters, cosplayers, hobbyists and all sorts of sewing enthusiasts. Fabric is at the heart of all these creative pursuits, and I love that we can connect with the sewing community. I especially love seeing younger people come in who are interested in sewing. Their enthusiasm for sewing and their “can do” attitude is so fun.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
:People may not realize that we are much more than a simple fabric store. We offer classes on a variety of topics — beginner sewing, quilting techniques and home decorating projects, to name a few. Starting this summer, we’re offering a kid’s sewing camp. We host community events in a large meeting space we call “the Gathering Place.” For our quilters, we have longarm quilting services and longarm machine training. We sell sewing machines, have sewing machines available for rental in our store and have sewing machine repair and scissor sharpening on-site. As you can see, we have a lot going on. We’re not so much a fabric store as we are a sewing destination.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
:We have over 15,000 rolls of fabric in our store, which is about 250,000 yards of fabric. Thatap enough fabric to stretch from Denver to Glenwood Springs. This includes fabrics that you would expect at a fabric store — fashion fabrics, upholstery fabrics, quilting cottons, etc. But we also carry a number of specialty fabrics that you might not expect — RFID blocking fabric, marine vinyl, neoprene, speaker cloth, diaper cloth, crib liner and ironing board cover, to name a few examples. If someone needs fabric of any kind, there’s a very good chance we have something to suit their needs.