How did you get into this business?
The original Valley Fabrics was in 2004-2009, right when the economy was tanking we were still in start-up phase and this was going to be a long road to get to the other side and so I closed…It was great. 8 ½ years later I had been coaching at prep school, my kids have gone through school and graduated and I decided to re-open. Being smarter and wiser, I was a lot more experiences and ultimately a lot more ready. So we re-opened in March 2018, but Fabric was already in my DNA. My mom was a seamstress and sewed clothes and knit, I was a design major in college so I always had that. I do a lot of patterns for the shop, there is a creative flare and I was always coming up with business ideas since I was in my 20s.
I had sewn for money in college, I have always been creating in some shape or form.
What did you want to be when you grow up?
My other half is my athletics. I was really pretty busy pursuing US Lacrosse, I am in our national hall of fame. I have spent much of my adult career coaching lacrosse. For my 20s, I was playing US lacrosse, I was coaching and pretty much in it. But I had always had this fantasy. One of my part time jobs in college I worked at a small fabric and quilt shop and ever since then I was helping people pick out fabrics ever since then. I always had this thought, wouldn’t it be fun to trick out a barn and have a fabric shop. So, 10-20 years later maybe I will!
What is something you value about your community here in Northampton?
Our quilt shop has a very diverse crowd. There is so much personality that walks in the door. They are creative, excited about color, need a dose of happy. It’s funny talking ideas” “Northampton is relaxed and lovely. I love my neighbors next to me”
Can you speak on the community that UMassFive brings to you?
“I have been with banks while running this business, and they were banks. Whereas UMassFive I really do not see it like that. When I first opened up the idea with Jeff, it felt like we were family. My branch is on King St. and I love those guys! Its lovely, people are incredibly kind and supportive. It is community more than a bank—there is a mentor relationship with UMassFive. They pick up the phone and I get Shelby each time. I am so happy and I tell everyone I can. It is a well-kept secret that UMassFive is a community worth being a part of!
It says something. It is very nice. My other banks were local, but this feels local and the priority is local. The community support is local. The bank before claimed they were small and community oriented, it was not.
What is a piece of advice that you would give someone starting off?
What I didn’t know to do originally and when I reopened I pulled my team together right away. Your bookkeeper, accountant, sounding board—get that team and pull them together first. Connecting with Jeff was the start of a refresh for me and my team, and we incorporated and I got myself stronger lawyers, accountants, and I cannot speak highly enough about this team” - “UMassFive I feel like I had this strong connection with the loan officer (Jeff), but Jeff has mentored as much as my other teammates. Get that team together.
What is something you believe people should know about Valley Fabrics and the people behind it?
We are trying really very hard to make this work for people. My staff works really hard for people, and we are always trying to make this fun. I think we have created an incredibly service oriented, customer friendly space and business. This has been the highest priority” - “Empower women to make their own decisions. Women often feel they do not have a good color sense, or picking fabrics… but there’s no rules. What do you like? We need to get people to recognize their opinions and what they like.
Anything else?
We have created a really strong group for free open sew on Tuesdays and Fridays. You come, bring your sewing stuff, your machine and hangout with like-minded people all day. Lots of people come in and out of that, and it’s really fun for the dose of inspiration or motivation.
