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Local Mother Of 2 With Love Of Fabric Turns Hobby Into A Career

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — For sewing enthusiasts, finding a store with limitless fabric options can be difficult.

"When my daughter was born, I decided I wanted to teach myself how to sew so I did," said Heather Peterson, who was fed up with the lack of options in knitwear for children.

"I just was a little frustrated with the lack of kind of cute, vintage style that I would put on my child, so I just decided to start making it," she told CBS2's Stephanie Simmons.

She then launched GirlCharlee.com, an online hub for kid's clothes.

The website was initially a side gig for Peterson, but with Girl Charlee's rising popularity, she soon discovered how to use fabric to finance her future.

"My love of fabric was kind of born at that point and that became more of a focus for me than the actual making of the garments so when my stash became bigger than my need, I thought, 'Hmmm, maybe I should start selling this stuff,' " she said.

That's when Girl Charlee Fabrics was born, and Peterson moved into selling high-quality fabrics at a low cost on her website.

She now receives thousands of orders worldwide each month and her success has helped her grow into a new, 25,000-square-foot warehouse in Long Beach.

The Girl Charlee fabric line is both knitted and printed in Los Angeles, and also supports the #MadeInLA movement on social media.

"Having two small children, it's been challenging to kind of balance the growth of Girl Charlee, as well as being there for my family, but they've all been incredibly supportive," she said.

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