Christmas hours

We’ll be closing for our Christmas break on Friday 24 December at midday and reopening on Friday 7 January 2022 at 9.30am. Online purchases can be made during the time we’re closed but we won’t be sending anything out till Monday 10 January.

Staff news

Our biggest news is that Gemma will be leaving us in January to spend time with family in Australia. Naturally we’re very sad to lose her as she’s been our go-to person for many things related to the shop for the 5+ years she’s been here. We know that customers will also miss her upbeat manner and encyclopedic knowledge but we’ve had some time to prepare for her departure so each of us is upskilling in various areas. We wish Gemma all the very best for the next phase of her family and work life.

From early in 2022 Toni Stout and Jess Robbie will be more visible in the shop because each will be working 4 days a week. Toni is a wiz on our machines as well as being a quilter, knitter, crocheter, golfer, businesswoman - you name it! Jess, a very talented sewist, is learning the features of all our machines and has taken to knitting and everything else we’ve thrown at her since she joined our team earlier this year.

On Wednesdays recently, we’ve had Susan Allison working with us and we hope she will remain with us for at least 1 day a week in future. Susan was an optometrist with her own practice in Glasgow before she came to NZ some 20 years ago. She’s an avid craftsperson, thoroughly enjoys helping customers and is an experienced and willing performer of the admin duties that keep the shop running.

20 adult classes in first term 2022

The new schedule of classes for first term 2022 went up on the website on 2 December - at https://sewingdirect.co.nz/classes/adults-classes/ and you can book and pay for your place there or in the shop. Places are limited to 6 per class - or 4 if a lot of space is needed for cutting out - so don’t delay. Already enrolments are pouring in so make your crafty New Year’s resolution now and act on it. We’d love to help you upskill!

We owe a big thankyou to Robyn Hambleton (classes@sewingdirect.co.nz) who designs and, thanks to Covid, amends and reorganises our class schedules while keeping all of us in the loop - enrolees, tutors and those responsible for ordering essential items. It’s a nit like herding cats and we sinply couldn’t offer our wide range of classes without Robyn’s expertise and energy.

New stock

We’re constantly on the look-out for new products that our customers will love. New dress fabrics (mostly rayons, viscoses, cotton/silks, merinos, cotton knits) and 100% craft cottons are regular additions to our stock. Recently we’ve also added -

• 4 ply Malabrigo Mechita merino in 6 subtle colours, 378 metres, $36,
• more colours (eg gold, baby pink) of Malabrigo Rios 10 ply, 198 metres,
• linens! we now have more than 50 beautiful linens ( ie100% linen or 60% plus)
• more sock yarns - including handpainted yarn from Countrywide and multi-coloured yarns from Touch yarns and Ashford
• Yarnologie magazine from Australia, the first hard copy edition, 130 pages, $29
• cross stitch cushion kits from The Kiwi Stitch Company
• more needlepoint and embroidery kits from The Stitchsmith
• Broadway New Zealand merino 8 ply wool
• more sewing machines models, including the Janome DC3200, Elna Experience 570 and Singers SC220, HD4452, and 6805C Heavy Duty,
• the new Janome Coverpro3000P
• the Babylock Euphoria (Coverstitch)
• Janome’s large trolley bags for sewing machines - back in stock after an absence of many months

Other stock news - Sewing cabinets have been popular lately but unfortunately we can’t get Tailormade cabinets for the next 6 months or so. We can still get the equally sturdy and attractive Horn cabinets and in future they will be available either pre-assembled or flat-packed. Prices for each of those options will be finalised very soon.

That’s it for 2021 from the team at Wellington Sewing Centre. We hope you have a restful and happy holiday season.