Stitch is a new shop in the village where you can go to buy everything you could ever need to sew! I interviewed Sue, co-owner of Stitch, to talk about her new shop and answer some questions about the new addition to the Storrington community. If you would like to contact Stitch please click the links in some of the following questions or head over to the Facebook page Stitch for all your sewing needs.
Are your courses suitable for children and beginners or are they for more experienced sewers?
They are amazing for children and beginners especially, because we've just opened we're taking things back to basics, so we've done lots of one to one sessions with all ladies at the moment, but men can come and sew as well. for either people that either haven't sewn for years and they're just feeling a bit rusty or maybe they've been given a sewing machine and they're quite scared. So they come in and we have a 2 hour session, where we take them through the sewing machine, and then they get to make something to make something to take home! We also have a children's sewing club, so once a week, children who are 9 or above, can come and do a sewing club, where we make lots of amazing things. Interesting things, not like what I made at school so, bunting, cushion covers, bags and also lots of Christmas things we're doing. We also have half term and holiday sewing as well. But if someone is more experienced we have things for them to.
Which days do you hold your children's sewing club?
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from half past 4 until 6. And they run, for half a term at a time, because that way we can do some longer projects that go over 1 week.
Already you've held lots of sessions and classes, which has been your favourite sewing course you've held so far?
I think, the one I love the most, are the one to one sessions with people that haven't sewn in maybe 20 or 30 years, there a bit nervous about it, but they come in and after a session in here, they come out confident. I just know that they're going to go home and make something, so at the moment (though we've only been open 5 weeks) that's my favourite. It's just seeing people getting their confidence back.
Sewing can be good fun, but sometimes projects don't work out quite the way you want them to, have you ever attempted to make something and it hasn't quite gone to plan?
Yes, quite a few times! In my head I things it's going to work, maybe it might have been a bit tricky for me, or maybe I wasn't concentrating properly and it hasn't worked out. But every time you make something, you learn. So it's not about worrying over something that didn't turn out, it's learning what went wrong, so that next time it can be even better.
Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about trying sewing for the first time?
Just give it a go! Don't be afraid of it, it's a bit like a computer, when you first use a computer and you think that by pressing the wrong key you'll delete everything, sewing machines aren't scary. Come and have a go and we can go and do a one to one session where you can take all the time you need, get all the help you need, just have a session and just see how it goes. And i'm sure they'll be hooked.
Thank you for letting me interview you today Sue, I know your shop, Stitch, opened quite recently. How have things been since the opening?
It's been amazing. We've had so many lovely customers come in, and lots of people are really pleased that we've opened, so people don't have to travel further away to get the things they need for their sewing. It's been just incredible and we're really happy.
Stitch is a wonderful shop, but where did the idea of Stitch come from and how did you bring it to Storrington?
So, my friend Jan and I both love sewing, I used to be an upholsterer and Jan loves dressmaking. We would meet, and go for tea and cake, talk about things that we'd been making, and then sadly the sewing shop in Storrington shut down! And there was just a big gap where the sewing shop used to be, people had to travel further, I had to go to Horsham or Worthing to get things I needed. We both thought, well we both love sewing so maybe, maybe we could look at the idea of opening one ourselves. We looked into it and this came up, it was perfect, we've got abig teaching room, a big shop. And so we talked about it and talked about it and planned it and here we are!
Have you always had a passion for sewing?
No! So when I was at school, I wasn't very good at sewing and I wasn't very interested in sewing either. Only since I had children and I started making things for them and I've been sewing ever since. I was doing some sewing because I wanted to do it, not because I had to it at school.
At Stitch, you offer a range of courses and one to one sessions through out the year, do you just turn up to these session or would you like people to book?
It's really important for people to book, because that way we can plan what we're doing, and we have classes booked for certain days. If they book, then we know where the gaps are, so that if someone comes in and wants a one to one at a particular time, we can see where the gaps are and we can fit people in to when it suits them. Because people can't always make the times that we've advertised, and so we're really flexible on when people can come in.
How can people book, if they want to turn up at a session?
Well, they can either ring us at 01903366510, the can email at info@stitchat21.com, they can go on a website, there's a link to our email there at www.stitchat21.com or, pop in the shop. They can come and see us and talk about classes, see if there's one that they want and we can book it there on the spot.
They are amazing for children and beginners especially, because we've just opened we're taking things back to basics, so we've done lots of one to one sessions with all ladies at the moment, but men can come and sew as well. for either people that either haven't sewn for years and they're just feeling a bit rusty or maybe they've been given a sewing machine and they're quite scared. So they come in and we have a 2 hour session, where we take them through the sewing machine, and then they get to make something to make something to take home! We also have a children's sewing club, so once a week, children who are 9 or above, can come and do a sewing club, where we make lots of amazing things. Interesting things, not like what I made at school so, bunting, cushion covers, bags and also lots of Christmas things we're doing. We also have half term and holiday sewing as well. But if someone is more experienced we have things for them to.
Which days do you hold your children's sewing club?
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from half past 4 until 6. And they run, for half a term at a time, because that way we can do some longer projects that go over 1 week.
Already you've held lots of sessions and classes, which has been your favourite sewing course you've held so far?
I think, the one I love the most, are the one to one sessions with people that haven't sewn in maybe 20 or 30 years, there a bit nervous about it, but they come in and after a session in here, they come out confident. I just know that they're going to go home and make something, so at the moment (though we've only been open 5 weeks) that's my favourite. It's just seeing people getting their confidence back.
Sewing can be good fun, but sometimes projects don't work out quite the way you want them to, have you ever attempted to make something and it hasn't quite gone to plan?
Yes, quite a few times! In my head I things it's going to work, maybe it might have been a bit tricky for me, or maybe I wasn't concentrating properly and it hasn't worked out. But every time you make something, you learn. So it's not about worrying over something that didn't turn out, it's learning what went wrong, so that next time it can be even better.
Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about trying sewing for the first time?
Just give it a go! Don't be afraid of it, it's a bit like a computer, when you first use a computer and you think that by pressing the wrong key you'll delete everything, sewing machines aren't scary. Come and have a go and we can go and do a one to one session where you can take all the time you need, get all the help you need, just have a session and just see how it goes. And i'm sure they'll be hooked.
hi lily this is a grate interview, well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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