Stitching the way

Photo credit: Linsey Rendell

Thread Den is a quaint little sewing lounge in the trendy Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy. Ladies (and some gents) are flocking to the space for all sorts of lessons and to check out the handmade independently-designed garments stocked in store.

Joanna, Kylie and Melissa all have a hand in running the ever-growing store and they work hard to stay ahead of the times - which can be especially tricky in culture rich Melbourne. The three don’t have a lot of spare time to tend to their own sewing machines, but sewing has played a huge role in getting them where they are today.

While Melissa and Kylie were cultivating their love of sewing by cutting up old sheets and altering op-shopped pieces, Joanna was busy sewing on a machine given to her by Prince Charles.

When Joanna was young she attended a sewing class held by the Prince’s Trust charity with her youth group. “[Afterwards] they recommended to the charity that they buy me a mannequin and a sewing machine… so they did,” Joanna says.

Luckily the skills stuck with these lovely ladies because the crafty population of Melbourne have embraced their classes. Thread Den often has a waiting list for their kids and adults classes, and the girls say they get some “weird and wonderful” requests for private lessons.

“We enjoy transferring these skills and giving people opportunities to learn more and seeing their enthusiasm for it,” Melissa says.

You can read more about Thread Den on page 10 of Seam's The Start-Ups Issue!