The Studio Project

The Dream

For years I have had a dream to create a sewing haven. My business coach, the wonderful Marisa Guthrie, and I explored this idea again and again, finally settling on the haven as a destination for quilters and sewers, to find exciting new fabrics for their sewing projects and to sew in a beautiful and tranquil environment.

Nestled in the charming village of Isfield, just north of our beloved Lewes, we viewed a great property with over three acres of land. We concluded that the house would be an ongoing project, but the garden and surrounding land was simply sublime. Providing more land than we ever dreamt of owning in pricey East Sussex, surrounded by more green fields and country views it was perfect! To complete the dream a lovely, large stable building stood in one corner of the field – just ripe for conversion.

The Reality

After a few months the property and land was ours, and we set about making plans. We instructed a local, talented architect, Nicola Furner, who at one excitedly shared my vision and was bursting with ideas. She cleverly drew up plans that would keep the original character of the stable, whilst flooding it with light and providing enough space for my growing range of Makower fabrics.

Then COVID hit the world. Everything began to shut down. Soon the whole country was in a strict lockdown and under the command of ‘Stay at Home.’ We soon came to realise how very fortunate we were to live in such a place. Even though my dream was delayed we were so very lucky to have our health, space to run around and fresh air to breathe.

As a result of the pandemic, the planning permission that we had submitted took months and months to process. I found the whole experience extremely stressful, and there were some real nail-biting moments when I began to fear that the haven would never be realised. It was a very difficult time. Online business was booming,  but it was tricky storing, cutting and mailing fabric from a small room inside the house.

Conversion

In September 2020 planning permission was finally granted. Work on the stable could begin. We already had a wonderful builder lined up to work on the project. Tom Fry, a carpenter by trade, again was local to Lewes, listened to my ideas and understood the beauty of this project.

Very quickly the old stable began to transform into a stunning new sewing space. Tom reused as much of the original wood as he could, cladding the interior walls and beautifully panelling the arched ceiling. His carpentry skills meant that he and I designed bespoke work tables and heavy shelves to display all of the fabric ranges in their splendour.

A large concrete slab was already outside the stable building and this quickly became the stable courtyard, surrounded by large wooden flower planters, and outside electricity sockets, ready for visitors to use their sewing machines al fresco.

Completion

The stable conversion was completed in late December 2020 – just in time for another national lockdown. Non-essential shops had to close, consequently meaning that my planned opening for January 2021 had to be postponed.

Once again however, the space brought solitude and peace. Every now and again we would feel quite guilty that it was easy to forget what was happening across the country. When I needed to escape the pressures of home schooling, or daily lockdown life, the stable provided such a sanctuary. Many afternoons were spent finishing projects or making quilts in the peace and quiet that the stable provided. It gave me a taste of what I hoped the haven would be able to give to others.

Future Plans

There is still one half more of the stable to convert. This will, in time, provide a large teaching and exhibition space. The wall between the first converted space, and the second, will be removed, providing one large L shaped building.

But for now, even as it is, the stable provides a beautiful space, ready to welcome fellow fabric lovers and quilting pilgrims. The haven is ready. I hope that it will become a special place for many. A place where people are drawn. A sewing hub and a destination. I hope, especially in a new covid secure seeking world, that the idea of buying fabric or sewing in a relaxed, countryside setting will appeal to many and provide a shelter from the daily drum of everyday life. A treasured place where peace can be restored, batteries recharged, inspiration sought and sewing projects completed. That the haven will bring immense joy to others as it already has to me.