Happy Monday! This is the 17th shop I’ve interviewed for our continuing Canadian Online Fabric Store interview series! Today’s feature is Flare Fabrics – Marlene’s shop is “where to go” for batiks and bold contemporary cottons. Plus she stocks lots of other fabrics, yard dyes & linens, tons of notions and bag hardware and patterns. Don’t miss her gorgeous Lecien giveaway bundle, or the month-long discount code at the bottom of this post. (Good until Dec 31!)

** PLUS: Don’t miss out on the Flare Fabrics Cyber Monday Sale – Nov 30th ONLY! Save 22.2% on everything in the shop with code FF2015! **

I started the store with a focus on batiks, a traditional fabric that is handmade in Indonesia. In the last few years as the “modern” quilt movement has grown, I love to mix and match batiks with solids and modern fabrics. It’s an exciting blend of old and new. I’m always on the look out for the unusual – a new fabric artist or a line that people haven’t seen.” ~ Marlene, Flare Fabrics

I was re-introduced to Flare Fabrics when I talked to Marlene this Spring at Creativ Festival. I worked with her Cory Pepper shot cotton in my Indiesew spring collection post. It’s gorgeous cotton and I’m still hoarding my leftovers. Here are a few favorites of mine from the shop – click to find out more! You’ll have to check out the bottom of this post for the most gorgeous Marcia Derse Bookends – she has created really amazing, unique and beautiful fabric.

Thread Riding Hood: Why did you decide to start Flare Fabrics?

Marlene: Like every quilter, I was always looking for that “one” perfect fabric for my current design. Online shopping opened numerous doors, so when I couldn’t find what I wanted in Canada, I kept turning to the U.S. Why not have these fabrics in Canada, I thought? And so Flare Fabrics was born.

My professional career was concentrated in communications. I’ve been a journalist, a photographer, a marketing consultant, a graphic designer, a web developer…to name a few. When I started Flare Fabrics in 2010, I was working full time so an online fabric store was a perfect fit with my skills, interests and availability. Or so I thought. Busy, busy, busy! Last year I left my “regular” job and took the business full time. I’m really enjoying having the time to experiment with the fabric we sell.

Thread Riding Hood: What is your favorite type of sewing project? Quilting, Apparel… ?

Marlene: I’m partial to projects that can be sewn in 2 weekends – or less! I don’t sew anything larger than a decent size lap quilt and I prefer simple patterns where the texture of the fabric shines. That’s one of the many reasons I love batiks. Lately I’ve become enamoured with bags and purses and I have a large extended family so lots of people to sew pouches and totes for 🙂

Thread Riding Hood: What is something coming up in the near future that you are especially excited about?

Marlene: Flare Fabrics is moving!  I have completely outgrown my home space – both the small outside studio in our Toronto backyard and the basement of the house. And so now I can finally combine my love of fabric with my love of the country. Our new home-based studio is rural – outside Perth in Eastern Ontario – and hopefully we won’t outgrow this one too quickly!

Thread Riding Hood: Thanks Marlene! My postage-stamp of a suburbian backyard can’t compete with your new place. Wow! Looks amazing!

Check out this super-generous gorgeous L’s Modern Basic by Lecien 12 Fat Quarter Giveaway! The cool blues and grays are fantastic blenders for your projects, and I think they’d make a fabulous wintery quilt all mixed together!

This giveaway is open to readers in Canada & the US, from today (November 30) until midnight December 7, 2015. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, just use your name and email address. There’s a “click to enter”, no social media login entry too!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks so much to Marlene, we can use the discount code “THREAD15″ to save 15% on your order at Flare Fabrics from December 1-31, 2015! (Christmas shopping anyone?!)

Here are a few of my favorite Marcia Derse prints to get you going!

 Thanks for reading. Don’t miss a post – Follow along below! 

Disclosure and Privacy Policy: I asked Flare Fabrics to be a part of this series.  I will never recommend or highlight a shop that I do not love, and my opinions will and have always been my own. Thanks for reading!