We're moving ...

Just so's you know... yes, we're moving.

 

 

It's been a long time coming but finally we are on the move.  We've been searching for a lovely big and bright space we can call home for some time now and at last we have found it! No more trips around the M25 ferrying fabric backwards and forwards from HQ Essex to HQ Bucks; no more splitting our lush fabrics in two; no - we will at last be united, with every last bolt and fat quarter, pattern and pack of pins in one place!!!

 

So what does that mean for you lovely fabric addicts?  Well, what it means is that you can visit us at our new unit at Layby Farm (next to The Bucks Goat Centre: plenty of parking and cute little tea room, entertainment for the kids AND The Chiltern Brewery just down the road) and see our collection of fabrics, haberdashery, patterns and notions finally all in one place - phew!

 

We will have over 700 fabrics there on the bolt, including a whopping selection of medium weight cottons and an ever expanding range of dressmaking fabrics including some lovely new cotton jerseys.  But that's not all - you'll also be able to take a class in our fantastic new studio(expanded autumn program to follow shortly), kick back with a cuppa on our lovely old sofa, browse our little library of sewing books and magazines or pop in with a sewing conundrum or two. It's going to be making heaven, peeps and quite frankly, we can't wait!

 

 

Every spare minute of late has been taken up with painting our beautifully big new space.  Next on the to-do list is the mountain of flat-pack to assemble.  Yes, Ikea nearly broke me this week.  Two hours on the phone trying to arrange deliveries and then finally a road trip out to Milton Keynes with the biggest kiddo in tow - not the end-of-term trip I had planned for him but luckily he's a sucker for Swedish meatballs!

 

It's not easy to keep your cool whilst trying to manoeuvre four flatbed trolleys laden with mountains of HEAVY oversized flatpack cardboard packaging through a self service checkout and then on to the home delivery counter, I can tell you.  Kiddo and I did our best, helped by the lovely staff in store - special thanks to Ray, his boss (sorry didn't catch your name!) and Sue who turned me from the brink of tears to laughter - oh the power of a kind word! Seriously though Ikea - get your online act together - the lads and ladies in store really show you up.... Yours sincerely, Grumpy of Wendover ......



 

 

 

Job done, we rode home to the dulcet tones of Kermit T Frog and Fozzie Bear singing about dancing bears and being green and in the end, all was right with the world.

 

Moving on gives us a chance to look forward with excitement about the future but also to think about what we're leaving behind.  We've been so very very lucky to have spent a happy year and a quarter calling The Courtyard Gallery in Wendover our home.  Gallery owner and all round amazing person, Mel Bird (a little bird told me gallery) has been our guide, our mentor in all things small businessy and most of all, our friend ... and for that we will always be so hugely thankful. If you do normally stop by the Gallery to visit HQ then please do continue to pop in to see Mel and the equally brilliant Becks of The Dandy Kid (who btw has some exciting plans for the space we are vacating!)  The Barn Courtyard in Wendover is such a magical place and we will miss Sue of Liberty Rose,artist Wendy Lewis, Chris and Mary of Lady Grey Tearoom and Trixie and her lovely ladies at Livelux terribly.  It is, however, time for us to move on, stop procrastinating and get that mountain of flippin flat pack assembled!!!

 

 

Although we plan to hold some of our Sewcials at the new studio, we are keeping our planned dates at St Anne's too.  So do let us know if you plan to come along this Tuesday 29th - it will be lovely to see you all, to catch up and share more details about the move.

 



 

 

Although we leave The Courtyard this Thursday, Mel has let us keep a shelf or two so we can keep you posted on what we're doing. This means you can still see some of the latest loveliness that we've had in if you're on foot mooching at the Gallery, or popping in the see Becks at The Dandy Kid.  We'll also be back for the super doper festive fun that is The Courtyard Christmas Fair in November - couldn't miss that now could we? 

 

So this is my last Saturday at The Courtyard - do pop in if you get the chance. Gonna miss gossiping with Becks, Mel and Jo, you lovely ladies. But as Becks said, we're gonna get a hell of a lot more work done!