By Scott Reid
A former textiles teacher has launched a sewing initiative in Shetland after trading the bustle of London for a slower pace of life. Helen Barwick, founder of Shetland Stitch Club, moved to the area鈥檚 North Mainland with her husband and rescue dog in November 2024. After years as head of textiles at a busy London secondary school, she visited the islands during a particularly stressful period at work, with that break leading to a 鈥渂it of a reset鈥. Her venture is described as a 鈥渞oving sewing initiative鈥 offering sociable, skills-based sessions in community venues across the isles. The first to pilot was the Lerwick Sewing Social, a weekly evening meet-up where people could work on their own sewing projects with guidance from Barwick if needed. To help get her idea off the ground, she secured a modest loan from BizBritain through the British Business Bank鈥檚 Start Up Loans programme, using the funding to buy a number of sewing machines. From this autumn, Shetland Stitch Club will grow its offering with six-week courses and more sewing socials in different locations. Barwick said: 鈥淭hat first holiday was a bit of a reset. The landscapes, the wildlife, the sense of calm – it all just made sense. We came back a few times and realised, we don鈥檛 actually want to live in a big city any longer. 鈥淭here are so many talented knitters in Shetland, but not many places focused on sewing. People told me they鈥檇 love to alter or customise clothes but didn鈥檛 know where to start, or didn鈥檛 have the right equipment. Others just wanted a space to sew with company. 鈥淪ewing often needs a lot of kit and space, so it鈥檚 not easy to do at home. Shetland is an amazing place, but it can feel isolating – especially in the winter – so I hope the stitch club helps people to connect.鈥 Alongside her business, Barwick works part-time as a front-of-house supervisor at Mareel, Shetland鈥檚 arts centre. The British Business Bank鈥檚 Barry McCulloch added: 鈥淗elen has clearly spotted a gap for sociable, skills-based sewing sessions in Shetland – and her story shows how small businesses can make a big difference locally.鈥