All Sewn Up By Material Girls
Sun Herald
Sunday November 13, 2005
You have to spot the opportunity to stitch up a good venture, Louise Hall writes.
BUSINESSES are springing up around the country to capitalise on a renaissance in handicrafts as women return in droves to hobbies more associated with their grandmothers' generation.Professional women, first-time mums and those whose kids have grown up are spending time and money documenting special occasions in creative and personal ways.Gabbie Coburn, creator of online database www.scrapbookingtop50.com.au, said women were choosing to spend their disposable incomes on the latest craft trends. "It's a real addiction I see the latest product and I have to have it," she said.Coburn's website lists hundreds of retail outlets and home businesses that have sprung up in the past few years selling tools, materials and patterns for handicrafts such as sewing, knitting, embroidery and scrapbooking.Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty spotted the growing interest in patchwork and quilting and opened a specialist store in March last year.After meeting at a quilting group, Fielke, 33, and Doughty, 47, discovered they had trouble finding fabrics to create the contemporary look they wanted."We noticed a gap in the market," Doughty said. "All the shops were doing the same thing and we couldn't find what we wanted only bits here and pieces there."Without any retail experience, the two mums decided to go into business: first designing and making commission quilts and then opening a shop, Material Obsession."We gambled on the fact that if we wanted something, there would be other people out there who wanted the same thing," Doughty said.The women took over a home and country store when the previous owner retired and completely reinvented the location for their target market. While some customers disappeared and Material Obsession was fairly quiet at first, news quickly spread by word of mouth. The store now services a loyal customer base including mail orders from around the country. Each of the women's five weekly classes for beginners has a waiting list and Doughty said grandmothers and their grandchildren would often come together, as do groups of friends."They come in with friends and leave with a quilt kit," Fielke said.They have created starter kits for first-timers.Although both women had a background in marketing, setting up a business brought a gauntlet of challenges. Fielke, who has two young boys, and Doughty, who has three school-age children, work full-time in the store. Like most small operations, managing tax payments and maintaining inventory remain the toughest task. "When we got the first tax bill we nearly dropped dead from the shock," Fielke said.After 18 months, the company is viable and remains debt-free. Their next wish is to employ their first staff member to allow the busy mums to spend more time at home."I work a full day at the store then I pick up the kids and help everyone with their homework, get dinner, put them to bed and only then do I pick up my sewing for the store," Fielke said.Both women agree their close relationship is vital to balancing a business with the demands of a young family. And, Fielke said, they enjoy passing on their passion for the craft."It's very much about social interaction, relaxing and having a few hours to yourself doing something satisfying and making something beautiful with your own hands," she said.
© 2005 Sun Herald