Olde Time Fabric Shop, Knoxville

Olde Time Fabric Shop is the dream of retired English teacher and publisher Rebecca Carroll, who has spent the last 50 years sewing dresses, vibrant Halloween costumes, and—most recently—Victorian-inspired riding suits and wedding dresses. The proud grandmother caters to sewers both seasoned and new, stocking shelves with the latest sewing implements, notions, and patterns, but told the Knoxville News Sentinel that old-fashioned customer service is the shop's priority. While larger chain stores often force customers to wait in long lines, give their orders through song, or purchase a minimum yardage of fabric, Carroll's crew keeps wait times as short as possible and is happy to make cuts as small as an eighth of a yard to suit customers’ needs.

Color-coded lines of custom-made fabrics, apparel fabrics, and quilting cottons share shelving space with UT designs waiting to be turned into fan-appropriate items. The shop also hosts regular guest instructors, who guide students through rotating projects that can include the creation of fabric crocheted baskets or a quilted interpretation of Jackson Pollock's Full Fathom Five.