New Location For ABQ Sewing Studio in 2022

Expanding again

About four years ago, I decided to move my business from my home to its current location in Strathroy. When Among Brenda’s Quilts & Bags operated out of my home, I sold the patterns I designed and a few other products online. After ABQ Sewing Studio opened, we added more products and services, including Baby Lock sewing machines, live sewing classes, and loads of fabric and other sewing supplies.

Now, we’re stuffed to the rafters and need to expand again. If you follow our newsletter or are a visitor to the shop, you’ll know all about our expansion trials and tribulations.

Our first expansion plan

A few months ago we had made arrangements to expand into the space next door, and the building owner started with the renovations.

If you’ve peeked through the window next door to our current location to see the ongoing renovations you’ll have noticed they have come to a complete stop. I understand the problem has something to do with a building permit….

It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for our additional space and it’s been so disappointing to see things grinding to a halt.

We need more space for products and classes

We’ve been desperate for more floor space. Since we couldn’t hold in-person classes due to Covid, over the past couple of years we ended up using our classroom space to display products.

But we want to start classes again when it’s safe to do so, which means we need our classroom space back, and if you’ve ever over-filled your home you’ll know just how difficult it can be to pare things down again. Frankly, we don’t want to pare things down, we want to expand with more product and lots of classroom space!

The Baby Lock sewing machines deserve more space too, and with more of your sewing machines coming in each week for repair we are completely cramped for space.

A solution shows itself, thanks to my hair stylist

I was bemoaning this claustrophobia a few weeks ago with local hairdresser Laureen when she mentioned a nearby vacancy. I marched right over to meet the owner, Fernando, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Speaking of history, our ‘new’ building is steeped in it. It was originally the Salvation Army Citadel here in Strathroy. Later it became the meeting place of the local Veritas Chapter 128 of the Eastern Star and later on also housed the Masons of Beaver Lodge. But now it’s Fernando’s and he’s been working on it all winter long.

When I walked into the space it felt like I had discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s so roomy! With about 3,500 square feet, it has loads of room for machines, machine repairs, fabric, fabric and more fabric. And the classroom space!!!! I love, love, love it. I was vibrating with excitement after viewing it, and I wasn’t the only one. Kelley just about popped out of her socks when I took her over.

Just look at this space!

The ABQ Sewing Studio Move

We’ll be moving out of our current location in the next weeks. We’ve got to be out by April 30th. Be aware things will be looking a little out of sorts as we get ourselves moved two blocks east to 15 Centre Street. If we look a little bit exhausted you’ll know why.

I’m anticipating that we will need to close entirely for the last two weeks of April in order to accomplish our move. Although the online shopping cart will still be functioning, let this be a warning that we might not be able to fulfill as quickly as we’d like as things won’t be unpacked all at once.

We look forward to welcoming you in May to our spacious new location.

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