Bonnie Stebbing
Stitchclub Richmond & Putney
I was at the 'Stitch' Exhibition at Olympia when I casually picked up a leaflet about the Stitchclub franchise. Several days later, when I finally got round to looking at the leaflet, I felt like it had been written especially for me! I was so excited by the concept, and this excitement just grew and grew the more I found out about it. Having taken the plunge and become a franchisee, my excitement for and commitment to Stitchclub is bigger than ever.
I started my first class in September 2007, and I'm already running 8 classes a week, most of which are full!! It's less than a year since I first heard of Stitchclub, and it seems amazing that here I am running my own successful business, doing something that I am passionate about - and loving every minute of it!
Not that there haven't been challenges - particularly in the area of marketing and PR. My background is in teaching, so that has not been a problem, and I love every aspect of sewing and creativity. But the difficulties of getting yourself 'out there' have been challenging - which is where Alison has been so inspiring and supportive. She has been with me at every stage - offering practical help and advice, encouraging me, full of ideas and totally supportive. I've even had my first local press feature which was so exciting ! Her enthusiasm is very contagious and it is impossible not to be inspired by what she has accomplished so far and her visions for the future.
I am so grateful for that leaflet that I picked up so casually as I love being part of such a vibrant and positive revival for teaching all aspects of sewing to the next generation - something I hope to be doing for many years to come. Am I glad I took the plunge? Without doubt - it is the best decision I have made for years!
Fiona Howell
Stitchclub Wimbledon, Kingston & Surbiton
I've always loved crafts, and from a very young age I've been surrounded by talented woman who could knit, sew, do needlepoint & tapestry, etc. So you could say it's in my blood, but what I love more than anything, is sharing my knowledge with others.
So when I was flicking through a magazine one evening in bed and the ad for Stitchclub franchisees caught my eye. I got straight up, switched on my laptop, logged onto the website and well everything changed that night!
I didn't tell anyone about my idea to run a franchise until I'd read all the info Alison sent me, then took my husband out for dinner and put the idea to him. He thought it was too good to be true and encouraged me to cancel my plans for the following Saturday and get along to the Discovery Day.
When I got home from the info day there wasn't anyone in the house and I was so fired up that I called my mum and jabbered away for about 50 minutes non-stop apparently, (she barely got a word in). By the time my husband got home later that evening I'd drafted a business plan with projected turnovers, budgets, work schedule etc.... I don't think he'd really realised how serious I was about the whole thing until he saw all this.
Later the following week on my way to my interview, I was flicking through my notebook, and found some notes from a personal development training day I'd been on about 2 years ago. During one of the exercises I'd written down my goals for the future. I was initially quite nervous about the interview then reading these just confirmed that Stitchclub was certainly for me.
These were my three life goals:
1. Work for myself
2. Be creative
3. Enjoy the job I'm doing
I've now been running classes since September 2007 and I'm now up to 8 classes a week and still working hard to add more. I can honestly say it's the best job I've had in ages. The hours suit me and my husband, the work is extremely rewarding and my pupils are just wonderful! No two lessons are the same and 99.9% of the children are delightful - my first present from two little sisters who bought me a gift with their pocket money - I was almost in tears it was so unexpected and touching.!!
Jane Coverdale
Stitchclub Brighton & Hove
Hi, I’m Jane Coverdale and I run Stitchclub classes in Brighton & Hove. My mother taught me to sew when, as a small child I ‘borrowed’ her machine to mend the hole in my teddy bear’s jumper.
As a teenager I made or customised all my own clothes, often staying up late on a Friday night so that I’d have something different to wear on Saturday. I went on to study fashion design at art school where I learned garment construction and pattern making and then worked as a children’s wear designer. Eventually I evolved into a window dresser and visual merchandiser.
In recent years I’ve had less time to myself to sew as I have been busy raising my family and running my business part-time, although I have always been in demand to hem a friend’s new jeans or sew on buttons.
I now have a daughter of my own who is very interested in sewing and when I heard about Stitchclub I knew there would be plenty of her friends who could have fun learning to sew together. I also wanted to work locally, doing something creative that could also fit around family life. And then a friend told me about Stitchclub, and it was exactly what I had been looking for !!
I’m really looking forward to working creatively with children in my community, teaching them the skills I originally acquired from my mum, so that one Friday night in the future they might be found stitching some wonderful and original outfit to wear on Saturday night.
I'm already up to 4 classes a week and all of them are now full with waiting lists, so I'm busy planning lots of new classes for this September !
Ingrid Bale
Stitchclub YORK
My name is Ingrid and I run Stitchclub classes in York and the surrounding areas.
I love all types of crafts, but my passion is sewing. A brilliant teacher taught me how to sew at school and I made a long skirt for my first school dance. Since then I haven’t stopped (sewing that is, I gave up dancing years ago!).
I have done several courses and gained a number of qualifications in sewing and textiles. I enjoy teaching and find it really rewarding to help others learn how to sew, especially young people; that’s why I’m so excited about Stitchclub. Hopefully, the children I teach will develop a real passion for sewing and eventually pass this on to their own children!
Irene Lamont
Stitchclub North Ayrshire
Hello, my name is Irene and I will be running Stitchclub classes in Ayrshire from January 2008.
I love all kinds of handicrafts but my favourite pastime is sewing, anything from wedding dresses to soft furnishings and curtains.
I was taught to sew by my gran and used to spend hours at her house using her old treadle machine. The rest I picked up by myself and by the age of fifteen I had progressed to making bridal wear and prom dresses. When I saw the advert for Stitchclub I just knew I wanted to be part of it, as I think it’s a shame that these skills are not taught in schools any more.
Here’s hoping that the children I teach will become as enthusiastic about sewing as I am!