Good read

“There’s so

much love, creativity and uniqueness in the handmade world.”

80 MOLLIEMAKES.COM PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP LEFT AND BOTTOM): WILL IRELAND

CRAFTING A COMMUNITY

WE CHAT TO MOLLIE MAKES HANDMADE AWARDS 2018 WINNERS LOUISA AND MEL OF THE FIBRE LOUNGE ABOUT THEIR PASSION FOR BRINGING MAKERS TOGETHER

Words: HANNAH CARR

Louisa Sheward and her BFF (Best Fibre Friend) Mel McLoughlin only started The Fibre Lounge last year, but they’re already living their best craft lives – and helping others do so, too. Winners of the 2018 Mollie Makes Handmade Champion Award, for Louisa: “Community is key to everything we do.”

The Fibre Lounge has blossomed from an online store to a bricks and mortar shop – something the pair always wanted as a base for their community. Plus, they’ve got a yarn subscription box, workshops, retreats, a indie yarn store campaig n, an Instag ram challenge and a YouTube vlog thrown into the mix too. It’s a lot to fit into one sentence, let alone into a year of business. But, it just shows how passionate they are about promoting the craft community any way they can.

“There’s so much love, creativity and uniqueness in the handmade world,” says Louisa. “I love to see people embrace that creativity, whether it’s on a personal level or developed into a business model.” It’s this passion that led them to open their Hertfordshire store in 2018. Mel started crocheting later in life, but her interest in crafts has grown rapidly, spurred on by her pal. Louisa has been crafting since she was five, when her grandmother first taught her to crochet. Since then, her love for all things creative has bloomed. “I wanted to share the crafts I love so much with others,” Louisa explains.

A GOOD YARN

Their “boutique-y yarn shop of treasures” stocks everything from luxe hand-dyed yarns to pins and notions, much of it from indie brands. The pair launched their campaign, Keep Yarn on Our Streets, within a only few months of opening the store – a make or break period when they realised the challenges high street yarn shops face. Encouraging makers to take their custom to local independent yarn stores, it’s been backed by over 60 high street yarn shops so far.

So why are they keen to help other yarn stores thrive? For Louisa and Mel, it’s crucial to keep them alive not only to support small businesses, but also as hubs for the creative community. “Yarn shops are so much more than just places to buy yarn. They offer a community of support,” Louisa points out. “Crafts are about bringing people together, learning, talking and sharing,” adds Mel.

The pair have branched out into workshops and retreats to spread the crafty joy further. Both see these as another opportunity to bring talented designer-makers to new audiences. Their retreats have various themes and locations, with the next one themed around crochet and self-care. “I love hosting retreats because of the feedback we get,” says Louisa. “Our customers go away refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge.”

Closer to home, they host workshops for adults and little ones in the shop’s cosy basement; a “mini haven for makers” with soft lighting, tea on demand and a crafty book nook. Everything from weaving to yarn dyeing is covered by guest tutors and The Fibre Lounge team. And, in addition to this, they organise stash swaps and other free events, all of which enhance that sense of community.

HANDMADE CHAMPIONS

It’s clear that championing craft threads through everything Louisa and Mel do, but initially they weren’t planning to enter the Mollie Makes Handmade Awards. Worried about rejection, they felt the fear and did it anyway, so how did they feel when they found out they’d won the Handmade Champion Award? “It was lovely to get such recognition in such a short space of time,” shares Mel, while for Louisa, “it really meant the world”.

Since winning the award last year, they’ve received a lot more focus on their business. There’s been local press coverage, and customers are always curious about the award, which is proudly on display in the shop window. Mel’s eager to encourage other makers to enter this year’s awards: “Go for it and believe in yourself.”

So what’s next for The Fibre Lounge? “We’ve got some big things on the back burner, but can’t divulge too many secrets!” says Louisa. Whatever they’re working on next, we’re sure it’ll be just as inspiring as their journey so far.

Visit www.thefibrelounge.com to shop their yarny goodies, and for more information on their upcoming crochet retreats, craft workshops, yarn subscription box and more. You can also find them sharing creative