Fabric Faith
When Bargain Fabric Outlet closed its doors last fall, Faith LeClair created her own employment by setting up a business, Sew Blessed Quilters.
When Faith LeClair learned that Bargain Fabric Outlet was closing its doors, she was devastated.
At 57, seeking new employment caused much anxiety, but LeClair was about to take a leap of faith.
From the comfort of her home, the former Bargain Fabric employee created her own employment.
“I worked at Bargain Fabric for eight years,” said LeClair, who was one of five employees who lost their jobs on Oct. 8, 2016.
“We knew it was coming, but it was hard to believe it would come so fast after being told in April (that our employers were retiring) and then the store closed in October.” Bargain Fabric Outlet in Bedeque was established in 1993 and served many locals over the years as the go-to source for quilting, cottons, flannels, drapery and upholstery fabrics, as well as custom sewing services. “I loved working there, and the part I was going to miss
the most were the people that would buy the fabrics and then bring them (their projects) in when they were all done.” LeClair continued, “It was really sad the last day when I walked out the doors and did not know what I was going to be doing, leaving my co-workers and wondering if we could
all get jobs. It was a scary time, so I decided to invest in myself.”
Loyal customers of the fabric store sparked an idea that helped turn her love of all things fabric into a fruitful career.
Before the store closed, “The people coming in were asking where they could buy cottons, threads, and all that type of stuff once it closed, so I decided I would renovate my garage.”
In January LeClair started to transform her garage, located on 18 Andrews Drive in Kensington, into a fabric store called Sew Blessed Quilters.
Inside, Sew Blessed Quilters has an eye-catching tapestry of texture and colour with fabrics draping from the ceiling to the floor in dazzling displays.
“I probably started ripping the garage apart around the end of October, and my former boss gave me all the shelving units and stuff like that so that was a great big help,” said LeClair. “I’m still trying to get it all stocked up, but I get material once or twice a week.”
Beside selling fabrics and sewing necessities, LeClair makes custom quilts, curtains, pillows, table runners, baby quilts, clothes, and can do alterations. She also teaches evening classes. Classes run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Before I worked at Bargain Fabrics, I had a sewing business and did custom drapery, so I’ve always been in the fabric industry,” she added.