The quaint town of Sedbergh is known as England’s Book Town. Amongst the book shops, is the wonderful Patch and Fettle, a Vintage emporium, treasure trove of eclectic nic nacs, with a focus on crafting and sewing.
Proprietors Avril Whittle and Barbara Donaldson opened Patch and Fettle a year ago, and it is a truly charming place to spend half an hour looking through the vintage clothing and book selection.
But what makes this place so interesting for crafters is the focus on antique tools, fabrics, trims, patterns and reference books that line the shelves.
From whimsical knitting patterns to more serious compendiums on pattern cutting, there is a wealth of ideas waiting to be rejuvenated into today’s crafting movement.
The overall feeling of the shop is one of regeneration – these might be vintage/antique pieces, but in today’s frugal times, it is a true pleasure to be able to reuse something and feel the history that goes with it. Each piece has a story and the shop owners are happy to share it’s past.
Avril has spent 30 years as a book dealer specialising in crafting titles, and also has a book shop within Farfield Mill , just outside Sedbergh. On leaving, we were charmed by the ultimate green shopping companion, Smartie, the Shetland pony, with his paniers waiting to be filled with groceries.
Patch and Fettle will offer a mail order service, and are currently developing their website. I left feeling that we are realizing the true importance of ‘handcrafted’ in today’s consumerist society, and that handmade is nothing new – just something we all lost sight of for a while…