Janome Pro 5000Q

Well, what a difference a day makes.  On Monday, the shop I had really wanted to lease came available again!  It must be fate.  So I will be bricks and mortar after all.  I've just bought 6 of these beautiful babies for my sewing cafe in Sandgate!  I can't wait to start offering Stitch & Stuff workshops and classes at my Annie Rose Quilts shop.  David at Cooper's was just great.  Though I'm not sure he wasn't fibbing when he told me they had taken delivery of 500 of these on the first of September and I just got the last six.  Bit of sales pressure talk, me thinks.

Sewing Cafe in Kent

Whoa!  Where did the time go?  For me it's been spent on a very steep learning curve while I've been exploring a new business.  Having eight weeks of post-surgery time off work has given me the time I needed to pursue a re-occurring plan I've had to start up sewing classes in my local area.  I've been down the road of looking for premises and all that entails...insurance, business rates, etc etc.  I soon learned that without a lottery win that just wasn't going to happen.  So I have decided to start on a smaller scale by just hiring school and church halls and offering sewing courses for children, for teens and for adult beginners.  If I can ever get semi-permanent premises I would love to have a 'sewing cafe' where people can come to work on their own projects or attend workshops.  I am taking the plunge and purchasing 6 brand new Janome sewing machines.  I'm also setting up a website (not live yet) selling lovely Moda, Oakshott, Clarke and Clarke and Art Gallery fabrics.  I plan to continue to add new lines.  The website is proving to be the most challenging of all to get going.  I'm not the best at techie stuff.  It's very exciting times, but the saddest thing is I'm spending all my time planning and no time sewing.  My Janome has just been away for a service and it's still in the box!  I must let it out and try it out.  Did I mention that in preparation for all my stock arriving I have had to completely turn out every cupboard and make space.  Big boot fair at the end of this month!!  Although I do have a location for holding stock and completing orders.  I have been one busy girl!!!!  The ride is just beginning.  So if you live in the Folkestone area why not sign up for a class or two?  You can email stitchandstuff@sky.com for more information about class venues and start dates.