Marie
DiCocco, the M of PM Organics
When you look for the
best organic fabric, I can help. I love to touch fabrics. It’s
all about the fabric for me. I choose organic fabrics that I use
myself, so I know how these fabrics and notions will work for you,
my customers.
My interest in fibers
comes through my mother and grandmothers. My German great-grandmother
was a seamstress who specialized in “white work,” embroidery,
cut work and totenhemd.
My Italian grandmother grew hemp from seed. She then chopped, stomped,
and retted the fibers, spun the thread, and wove hemp fabric. I
still sleep under a bedspread made from my grandmother’s fine
hemp linen.
I first learned to sew
as a little girl, sewing by hand for my dolls. During my early schooling
in a European school, I remember doing needlework by age 5. I made
my first whole garment for 8th grade graduation: an A-line skirt
from burgundy printed corduroy, with big belt loops and a white
patent leather belt. Very fashionable! That was THE LOOK of the
moment. I went on to make my own Carnaby Street fashions through
the 1960s, and I have continued to make many of my own clothes in
the years since. I even married the son of a custom tailor and a
seamstress.
I understand serious
home sewing because I sew.
I understand the need for organic fabrics that look and feel great
because I sew with organic fabrics.
I was a homeschooling
mother, running PM Organics on my own, though my daughter sometimes
liked to work alongside me and often decorated the boxes with her
designs. She continued the family affair with natural fibers, making
hand-sewn clothes for her dolls. Now that she is grown, she helps
with the more complicated graphics & webpages.
When my family is not
surrounded by beautiful organic fabrics and notions, we can often
be found teaching Italian
village music and dance around the U.S.
PM Organics - the business
PM Organics grew from
a massive organic fabric co-op late in the summer of 2001. A group
of small manufacturers and home sewers purchased a large quantity
of organic fabrics together. Out of this huge venture came the idea
for Pei and Marie (the P and M, of PM Organics) to invest in a fabric
business to keep more organic fabrics available for small manufacturers
and others doing home sewing would love to work with these natural
fabrics. We searched and tracked down a variety of organic fabrics
made in USA and elsewhere to stock PM Organics. Pei moved on to
other great sewing adventures, and Marie has continued to grow PM
Organics.
I, Marie, now stock as
many new fabrics as I can fit into our moderate space. I still seek
variety to give our customers more choice of organic fabric and
notions. I am particularly on the lookout for great organic printed
fabric from around the world. I have built a big selection of organic
knit fabric, and I have also gathered a few other items indispensable
to my own sewing:
organic cotton woven
fabric,
organic cotton lace,
organic cotton twill tape, and
even organic cotton knitting yarn.
Please let me know what
is indispensable to your sewing! I always love the search for new
organic fabric and notions.
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