Its our birthday!

This week we celebrate our  Birthday at Millie Moon.  It has been 4 years since we opened the doors to our little fabric heaven to share with the world. Looking back at early pictures we had very little stock but a lot of enthusiasm and ideas. Although I don't think either of us realised quite how much the business would grow in such a short space of time. After opening in 2008 we started the Sewing school in 2009. In 2010 we moved to bigger premises and in 2011 we opened our 2nd shop in Wells. What will 2012 bring...?

Millie Moon in Frome

Millie Moon Wells

  

We have seen our range of stock grow to include, Moda, Riley Blake, Michael Miller to name but a few and of course kept the original favourites of Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, Tilda and Tanya Whelan, beautiful wool felt, pompom trims and rows of ribbons. Jelly rolls, charm packs and Layer cakes fill the shelves with their stunning mix of colours. Waddings, vilenes and a huge selection of basic haberdashery, may not be so pretty, but a real necessity for all crafts.

   The Millie Moon Sewing School has gone from strength to strength. There was a whole generation that didn't sew and struggled to sew on a button. We set up the sewing school not just to cover the basics but to really inspire and create confidence in people's abilities and choices. Workshops in a wide range of crafts, not just sewing.

We also offer 1-1 tuition, birthday parties, baby showers and hen dos.


Also, our lovely little Sewing club on 1st tuesday of every month, brings together a group of ladies with similar interests to share, inspire and chat about their projects. This club has been going for over 3 years. Come along and join in.

Kids are so creative and keen to learn, that kids workshops were soon added to the schedule, as well as birthday parties. We want to inspire our children to have fun with craft and colour.  So that there isn't a generation that misses out again. (All our kids tutors are CRB checked)

All our Tutors and employees are artists in their own right. Between them their creativity covers a wide range of areas from quilting, dressmaking, ceramics to textile artists. They are bloggers, authors, run etsy/ folksy shops, have studio spaces, websites and are established businesses in their own right. All with a passion for arts crafts and textiles. All truly inspirational people. We are honoured to support them and other local designers by stocking their work in our shops.

Freemotion machine embroidery with Angela Lai Yen

Teach me to sew with Angela

Ceramic button making with Jo Luckstead

Dressmaking workshops with Anne Baillie-Smith

Patchwork and Quilting with Caroline Frances-Payne

"make me a dress" By Alexandra King

Collage with Gaynor Ringland

 

Millie Moon is our love and our passion. We have worked tirelessly together as business partners and believed in each other as sisters to create a business and a brand we adore and are very proud of.


Juggling our young families (5 children between 2-12 years) keeping house and in the beginning with full time jobs, this has been a true labour of love. Working late nights and weekends we couldn't have done it without the support and love of families and friends. 

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big

" THANK YOU"

 to our families, the team, the tutors, our lovely customers, our followers on twitter, facebook and the blog, thank you for all being so enthusiastic, inspirational and supportive.

Here's to another exciting year ahead... what will it bring? 

Watch this space.............

Big love

Rachel and Becki x

Please take a look at our website for products and workshops. The new season schedule for workshops will be available soon.  www.milliemoonshop.co.uk

Introducing Caroline Frances-Payne

Hi my name is Caroline, my passion is colour, Patchwork and Quilting.

I became interested in quilting when I lived In germany. I made a little jacket for my small daughter with material already quilted. They had some fabric in this gift shop in the town centre. I was enthralled by the little patterns on the fabric and would spend hours creating garments.




After a move back to England, ending up in Tidworth, I would get hooked on Readicut rugs but the passion for fabric was still burning.

We moved to Frome in early 1982, after a few years I was invited to join Frome quilters, thats when the passion really too off, I became a fan pf appliqué and would love to cut out loads of 'Sunbonnet Sues' using fabrics from a lovely little shop in stoney street. My girls got used to me frequently visiting and buying fabric which was small and dainty. My passion for colour came later when on a workshop by Carole Lizbeth I was blown away by her bold use of colour. I was hooked. Next came a workshop with the legendary Kaffe Fassett at the American Museum in Bath and I was overwhelmed by his thinking. From 3 simple templates you could achieve anything. It was all down to the pattern and colourways of the fabric.

Then along came Millie Moon to Catherine Hill. Vibrant and bright and full of colour. Glorious quilting fabrics on my doorstep. I soon became a regular at the shop and the girls offered me the fantastic opportunity to share my love of colour. I have now been teaching patchwork and quilting with them for 4 years. Each group, new and nervous is a wonderful challenge to me, I love to see them develop into positive people each week and by the end of the course the look on their faces says it all. Its lovely to see that the joy of such a craft is not lost forever and we can make this happen by introducing them to patchwork in many ways and watch it grow.

    

I live in Frome with my husband Charlie and our 2 Jack Russell's, Doris Day and Moo Cow. I sew everyday and get my fix of colour and creation. Come and join me.

By Caroline x

Carolines next beginners Patchwork and Quilting workshop begins on Wednesday 13th June 6.30-8.30pm for 6 weeks in Frome.

Caroline also runs an 'Introduction to Patchwork' workshop once a month. The next available is;
Wells:  Sunday 20th May 10.30-2.00pm
Frome: Tuesday 19th June 1.30-4.30pm

Caroline is also available for 1-1 tuition

Call the shop to book your place. 

Knicker making workshop with Flo Jo Fancy Pants

Sunday 5th February and the snow fell in Somerset, however nothing stopped 3 of our lovely ladies from making their way to the first Knicker making workshop at the Wells shop. Erica from  "Flo Jo Fancy Pants" travelled from Bristol to teach our group how to make their own beautiful knickers.

They all picked their fabric from Millie Moon, to match with the beautiful trims that Erica had brought with her. Elasticated lace trims in every colour were pulled from her bag. Girlie Tanya Whelan Rosie dot Pink, Retro blue stripes and Colourful Kaffe Fassett, all very different fabrics to match the ladies different personalities. Ruth, Sue and Patricia worked very hard only stopping to drink tea and eat Homemade carrot cake muffins. 

All ladies were very happy with their finished knickers, beautiful cottons, lace, ribbons and bows. A very girlie morning.  The next Knicker workshop is in the Frome shop on Saturday 24th March. The kits are available to buy in both shops.

A big thank you to Erica and Flo Jo Fancy Pants for a lovely morning.