Reflecting one year on from opening the All About The Sew studio in Knowle, it isn’t sunny today like it was a year ago but there will be sunshine in the room when I teach a patchwork and quilting lesson later to some lovely sewists!
From transporting all of my machines around pre covid and teaching in village halls and then pivoting to teach online during the pandemic, as the restrictions started to lift I felt there was only one direction for All About The Sew and that was to have a permanent base for my classes.
And so on 1st March 2022 I opened the All About The Sew studio in Knowle!
After an obligatory trip to Ikea and putting together tables, chairs, hanging bunting and the arrival of sewing machines it soon started to take shape. Then some additions to make it homely and a gorgeous, relaxing space to learn, sew and spend time together.
But what the studio needed most of all was some sewists!
Classes began to fill, word started to spread, new and existing customers came and Sewcial sessions were introduced to encourage people to bring along their own projects and sew together.
In the Autumn of 2022 I learnt that I had been shortlisted for the Solihull Chamber of Commerce Annual awards in the Outstanding start up category. The awards evening was fabulous and a real celebration of local businesses. It was made even more amazing when All About The Sew were announced as the Winner of that category!
Following the awards ceremony I was delighted to welcome local MP for Meriden, Saqib Bhatti to the studio. We chatted about small businesses, Knowle and I even persuaded him to have a go on one of the machines. He was delighted with his bookmark that he made!
As a big supporter of small businesses, shopping locally and encouraging people to support independent businesses, I was excited to welcome the Small Business Saturday team whilst they were on their nationwide tour. It was a crazy time with the studio packed with people and taking part in their Happy Hour was a lot of fun! Mat had a go on the sewing machine and a lot of sewing and small business chatter took place!
To end my first year in the studio I have learnt that I have been nominated for an award in the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Annual awards in the Excellence in Training and Education category. I look forward to joining a whole host of other businesses at the awards ceremony later this month!
I’m so looking forward to the sunshine returning to the All About The Sew studio this Spring and continuing to share my passion of sewing through teaching others and continuing my All About The Sew business journey.
Thank you to all of my amazing customers, supporters and all round network of family, friends and business family – it sure is a rocky journey running your own business and to have great people around you is the number 1 method of survival!
