Friendly Fabrics in Fairlea has reopened for regular business hours as of Friday, May 1. The store had closed shortly after elastic for making masks and gowns sold out. Throughout the time they were closed, owner Michelle Morgan made appointments several times each week to meet customers that were buying materials for making masks, scrub hats, and surgical gowns.
Most were making masks to donate, including members of the group Masks for Covid-19 WV. Michelle personally took on our local Kroger store to make masks for the employees. “This group was wonderful,” she said. “Anytime someone let them know a group needed masks they quickly went to sewing the amount needed.”
However, it has been difficult to find certain types of elastic needed to make the earbands for masks. Michelle contacted all of her suppliers for multiple weeks, and everywhere was sold out. In the last week of April her Upholstery and Foam salesman called and asked, “You wouldn’t need ¼” elastic would you?” Within the week he delivered three boxes of soft white ¼” elastic, specifically soft for masks.
Michelle immediately set up appointments for the next four days so sewers could get the materials they needed. She and her husband worked hard pre-cutting the elastic so customers could easily practice social distancing and shop quickly.
“The thing that makes me so proud to live here in our area is the generosity, kindness and compassion shown towards others in this time by so many people who live here,” says Michelle. “From all the masks made to donate, to when I got elastic back in stock, almost everyone would ask how many yards was ok to buy, worried that I wouldn’t have enough for everyone who needed elastic would be able to get some. Fortunately my salesman can get more so I have not had to limit anyone.”
