About Us

Ragtime Fabrics opened for business in March 2003, in the old Rockingham Motor Company building in downtown Harrisonburg. After the owner of The Fabric Shop on Court Square retired and shut his doors, Ragtime Fabrics opened with excitement and a sense of adventure that continues to this day. Every day at the store is unique with our staff and cherished customers, their creative projects and life events. A snapshot of who we get to interact with in any given day:

a mother who just learned she will be a grandma for the first time
a young adult who is inspired by fashion and is busting with ideas to create his/her own styles
a gentleman who is surprised that we carry leather, vinyl and headliner for his automobile restoration
a young mother with a young child who appreciates our toy box and watchful eyes
a widower with fabric left behind by his beloved wife who wants more to talk with another person than to inquire about what to do with his inventory
a beginning sewer, any age, who has learned to design and create a one-of-a-kind project in a sewing class
a husband purchasing the gift of a Baby Lock serger, sewing, embroidery machine to surprise and thrill his wife on a special occasion

So here is to many more years of creativity, inspiration, laughter and joy in the journey with each other!

Laura "Belle"

Although she admits that her sewing ability is minimal, Belle (a nickname given to her during her college years at JMU to distinguish her from the three other Lauras living in the same house together) honed her skills through a spectrum of projects that encompass various aspects of the sewing world; ranging from window treatments to Halloween costumes to Quillows. Some of her favorite parts of the job involve meeting people, participating in her customers' creative endeavors, shopping for deals to share with her customers and playing with her staff. Challenged by the ever-changing climates of technology and the economy, she finds comfort in the support offered by her staff who offer youthful energy and creative personalities.

Raised an Army Brat and after enduring many moves across the country, Belle settled in Harrisonburg and is where she considers "home". She graduated from JMU class of 1982, majoring in Biology/Ecology/Secondary Education. Belle and her husband, Casey, were married in 1984 and have two children: Emily and Austin. Belle and Casey also own a remodeling business, Home Remedy.
"I delight in the renewed spirit of the downtown area and all of the creative energy that is supporting the revitalization. Our community has heart and soul and many kind people. Our customers are the best and we enjoy each and every one of them!"

Donna

Originally from Ohio and having lived in Denver, Donna came to the valley to open a studio arts store in downtown Harrisonburg. She spent 21 years at the store before taking an eight-year hiatus from working to raise her daughter, and after having spent time at The Craft House she now finds herself as one of Ragtime Gals ! She joined us in December 2012. Donna has been crafting all her life and her experience with costuming, home decorating and garment making have helped her fit in at Ragtime seamlessly (no pun intended). Working with Ragtime Fabrics' customers on their projects and being immersed in the thousands of different inspiring items that are in the store fuel her creative side on a daily basis.

When Donna is not at the shop she helps her husband with his contracting business and is very busy with her 18-year-old daughter, trying to balance her time between extracurricular Girl Scout and theater activities. She is looking forward to learning more about sewing and the new technologies in both sewing machines and sewing software.

Phoebe

Phoebe was born in Va. to a family in the diplomatic corp. She lived in Florida, Lebanon, Laos, Italy, and Maryland before settling in the Valley in 1998. She has raised, home-schooled, and launched 3 kids who have flown to Florida, North Carolina, and Staunton, VA. She loves animals having 2 dogs and 2 horses and at one time did fox hunting. She has many interests including painting and sculpting, miniatures, floral arranging, knitting and crocheting, dancing and music, playing flute and a little cello. Her main passion is SEWING! She has been sewing since the age of 7, doing her first professional job at 14. She did Home Ec in Jr High and High School but has been self-taught ever since. She has worked at So-Fro Fabrics, Annapolis Fabrics, and Valley Fabrics before coming here to Ragtime. She has sewn whatever has been requested ranging from simple shirts and skirts to wedding apparel and men’s wear. She makes window treatments, does alterations, fixes horse blankets, and creates cushions for furniture and has her own Cottage Business, a sewing and embroidery studio in her home. She dearly loves the challenge of helping someone create and complete their dream project encouraging creative approaches to the challenges that unique projects can bring.

Sylvia

Sylvia became a "Ragtime Gal" in Fall 2011. She comes to Ragtime with a pedigree of experience that rivals many professionals in the sewing industry. Sylvia spent decades volunteering her tailoring services to performing arts groups in which her children were involved and was in charge of uniforms and costumes for the Shenandoah Children's Choir and Harrisonburg High School band, choral, and theatrical productions. On top of her garment experience, she has also dabbled with other fields of sewing; having made draperies and other various home dec items, as well as undertaking quilting and crafting projects. Sylvia shamelessly professes that she is a "fabric-aholic"; enjoying touching, matching, and pulling fabrics together to make something wonderful. Her happiest sewing moments are when her vision for a fabric comes together just right to make the item that fits and looks great.

Sylvia and her husband moved to Harrisonburg in 1994 with their six children (five girls, one boy), all ranging in age from 20 to 32 years of age. As well as being proud parents, Sylvia and her husband welcomed their first grandchild in August 2012! She loves her children and grandchildren, she loves to garden, she loves to make homemade bread, and, of course, she loves to sew.

Shea

Shea joined the Ragtime team in August 2012. Originally from Fredericksburg, VA, she is a 2013 graduate of JMU, with a degree in art education and concentration in fiber arts. After a lifetime love of crafting and artmaking, working at a fabric store and being an art major just makes sense! Shea loves working with all types of fiber, including weaving, feltmaking, knitting, and sewing, but sewing is her favorite by far. She thinks of herself as a “new school seamstress”, meaning she creates garments and patterns by just modeling them after other things and just by experimenting! She is very interested in learning traditional methods of sewing and quilting, though. As an artist, Shea loves the creative aspect of working at Ragtime: thinking up new projects, designing the store windows, and most of all, helping customers find their own creative inspiration! She also loves helping children start their passion for sewing through kids’ clubs and camps here at the store.

When she isn’t working on her own art, Shea enjoys baking, writing letters to pen pals, reading Harry Potter, and thrift shopping. She absolutely loves dachshunds and has one herself, named Sweetle.