About Us
Welcome to the-sew-op!
In the summer of 2016 Suzanne decided to create a maker's space so that she could share her love of sewing with students of many ages. She located a store front in the heart of the village of Wickford, RI. With large windows people could pass by and see us sewing and creating. The-sew-op was developed to be a community space where students (ages 9+) could learn to sew or complete projects with guidance. We offer individual or small group instruction, as well as seasonal workshop sessions. When our local quilt shop closed, many of their students came to the-sew-op seeking quilting classes, so we added those classes to our general sewing classes. As our class selection grew, so did our staff. We currently have 12 talented teachers at the shop.
One of the biggest challenges for our students is finding quality fabrics in our area, so we started carrying fabrics for our students. Our stash grew quickly (no surprise!), and now retail sales make up about 50% of our business. The majority of our fabrics are quilt weight cottons, but we also carry a small selection of knit and woven garment fabrics.
When Covid hit, we had to cancel all of our classes and decided to set up an online store to assist with curbside pickups. Now we are shipping throughout the US and to several other countries. So, if you visit or live outside of Rhode Island, we are happy to ship our products to you!
In September 2021 we moved to a larger space to accommodate our students and fabric stash! Although we no longer have large windows, this bright, spacious studio is a dream come true. We believe we need to continue to evolve and welcome your ideas for classes and supplies you wish we would offer.
People have gathered together for centuries to sew. The-sew-op is as much about community as it is about sewing instruction. We enjoy seeing our young students mature and develop friendships with students from other towns. We also enjoy seeing friends, parents & siblings learn to sew together. Our motto is creating-community-one-stitch-at-a-time because it is much more fun to sew with others. We share our talents with local hospitals and agencies through our Sewing for a Cause open sew. Feel free to discover more about who we are and what we offer by following the links below. If you live near us, please stop by as we’d love to meet you and show you what we offer. Better yet, come sew with us!
I hope to see you soon!
Suzanne