A Little Behind the Seams
Around 2013, I had a dream—a dream of opening a fabric shop from home.
That dream stayed tucked away in my heart for a few years before I had the courage and the purpose to pursue it. Then, in January of 2016, my husband gave me his full support, and the following month we opened a tiny Etsy shop from our home.
By that summer, we had already outgrown our little home operation.
I began dreaming even bigger: to build the largest all-organic fabric shop in the world.
By 2018, that dream had become a reality.
What made it even more meaningful wasn't simply the size of the shop—it was what we had created together. I wasn't interested in carrying every organic fabric I could find. I wanted to carefully curate beautiful prints and exceptional natural fibers that inspired people to create.
People traveled from all over the world to visit my little boutique fabric store. It still amazes me to think about the friendships that were formed and the conversations shared over bolts of fabric. Those years will always hold a special place in my heart.
Then, in 2020, everything changed.
Many of my favorite manufacturers either closed their doors, shifted into other areas of textile manufacturing, or became so limited that they could only release one or two new collections each year. Almost overnight, I went from working with ten steady manufacturers to just one.
If I'm being honest, I struggled with what to do next.
I found myself second-guessing every purchase. Ordering slowed, not because I had lost my love for fabric, but because the landscape had changed so dramatically.
Through it all, you stayed.
Some of you have been with me since those early Etsy days. Others discovered Organic Fabric Company more recently. No matter when you joined this community, thank you for sticking with me through more than ten years of growth, change, and unexpected turns.
When I first started this business, I truly believed the textile industry would continue moving toward more organic options. We saw that happen with food, skincare, and clothing, so it seemed only natural that fabric would follow.
Instead, we've actually seen fewer organic fabric options than we had a decade ago.
But something else has happened that gives me great hope.
Manufacturers have become far more transparent, and independent testing through OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification has become much more common. While I will always source as many beautiful organic fabrics as I can, I've broadened the shop to include carefully selected natural-fiber fabrics that are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.
It's a change I feel genuinely good about.
It allows me to continue offering beautiful fabrics that align with the values this shop has always stood for: quality, safety, and thoughtful craftsmanship.
And I still hold onto the hope that one day we'll see more American textile manufacturing and more organic fabric producers once again.
Thank you for allowing me to keep sharing this dream with you.
I'm excited about where we're headed next.
— Gaby
