Gemma Daly (00:13)
Kayleigh, welcome to the Sewing Social podcast. I'm so happy to have you on today.

Kayleigh (00:18)
Thank you very much. It's lovely to be here. Nice to meet you.

Gemma Daly (00:20)
Nice to meet you too. I was wondering if you could introduce yourself to the listeners.

Kayleigh (00:25)
Yes, so my name's Kayleigh and I am part of the team that run First of Fabrics. We're a family run fabric shop in of England.

Gemma Daly (00:34)
Perfect. Now we're gonna dive straight into everything about First for Fabrics because like you say, it's a family owned business that's been going for 26 years now, I believe. Yeah. And I know you were only 14 when it started and it was your mom and dad that opened it, but what inspired your family to start the business?

Kayleigh (00:45)
Wenty six, yeah, that's right.

So it was a bit of an opportunity that arose at the time. So if you're not aware, the Northeast was quite a thriving hub for garment manufacturer. There was lots of clothing factories around. god, don't ask me to name any, but like Dewhurst, Varroware, and they supplied all of the high street stores like Marks and Spencer's, everything was made in the UK and a lot of it was made in the North East.

And then you know the economy changed, a lot of things started to move abroad, and the local factories just one by one sadly started to close. But they had a lot of stock. Local market traders would come and take the clothing, so a lot of the clothing went to the the local markets, but nobody seemed to be picking up the fabric. So Julie and Bryan she's my mum and her husband, saw that opportunity and initially they took.

just a job lot of fabric to a market stall. I think it was actually in Blythe, which is a market town in Northumberland. and it was great, so they did it again and again and thought we could definitely make something of this and they ended up opening a small shop that was part of the last clothing factory in Blythe. So we were still there when they were closing down the factory. I have some great memories of so we had the little shop at the front

But me and my brother would have the run of the factory, this huge empty space playing with like down the laundry chutes and everything. Bearing in mind we were teenagers. There's no social media back then. We had to make our own fun, so

Gemma Daly (02:21)
Okay.

You

Yeah, yeah,

amazing. Now I loved reading that some of your first customers were those local factory seamstresses. Before the word spread a bit further afield, how has your customer base evolved over the years?

Kayleigh (02:40)
Yeah.

So we get all walks of life in our shop. So from the like I say, the seamstresses, many of whom still are our customers today, it's marvellous to see. And we get teachers coming in for whether they've got school plays or they're looking to do backdrops, we get artists, photographers.

So it's not just the sewing community that we see face to face in the shop. We see all sorts the best one, the best one I heard very recently. Somebody came in and asked if we had any leather because they'd like to make a leather jacket for a seagull. No word of a lie. I'm gonna assume this was a stuffed seagull, a taxidermy seagull. But yeah, do you have any leather for a seagull?

Gemma Daly (03:11)
Yeah.

you

What?

That's amazing.

So obviously things have changed quite a lot over the years and you've got a website and you can reach, well, pretty much anybody now. But what do you think has been the biggest game changer for the business so far?

Kayleigh (03:50)
Biggest game changer, I think, it's a tricky one, is staying flexible, moving with the times. So the shop, the stock, the customers, the way we work looks so different now to what it did twenty years ago. you kind of have to go with the trends because the fabric is available to buy from the suppliers, you know, as the trends change. Opening the website was a an interesting one, so

Gemma Daly (04:10)
Yeah

Kayleigh (04:16)
Brian was adamant, nobody would want to buy fabric online. Why would you buy fabric online when you can't feel it? So we did it anyway because we were we knew we knew which way it was going. And yeah, it I mean it didn't take off straight away. It was a very slow start. But when covert hit and we had that established website, I mean that was just the the main source of our income because we couldn't open the shop, so

Gemma Daly (04:24)
Yeah.

You

exactly. Now I was wondering if someone walked into the shop looking to make their very first garment, where would you tell them to start?

Kayleigh (04:54)
Or I would take them over to our pattern wall to choose a pattern to begin with and I'd tell them to look at Tilly and the Buttons patterns because they are I think great for beginners. I'd help them to choose something woven, because I think that just behaves nicely. And then I'd take them to choose a lovely cotton poplin or cotton lawn to make like a nice like stevie tunic.

or something because that first garment I think has to be a confidence builder. It has to go more or less right and be more or less wearable for them to want to do it again. So yeah, a fabric that behaves in a style that's easy to fit, I think is a a winner.

Gemma Daly (05:39)
Great advice there. Now, one of the things that seems to be going really well for you at the moment is your bag kits. Tell us how these came about and where you get your inspiration from.

Kayleigh (05:51)
so they came about because we wanted to create a kit where everything that you needed to make a beautiful bag is there waiting for you in the right amounts. Because making bags sometimes can be a little bit confusing when it comes to picking the right interfacing, knowing what webbing looks right with the lining and the exterior and the hardware as well.

Our latest

bag kit doesn't have any hardware but sometimes choosing the zips and the the findings that go together again in the right quantities can be tricky. So this I'm trying to remember when our first one was. It was a few years ago.

brain has gone completely blank. A couple yeah a couple of years ago. so we try to do maybe three or four a year. again

Gemma Daly (06:30)
We'll say a couple of years ago at least, isn't it? Yeah.

Kayleigh (06:39)
I'm not very good with strategic businesses. I very much go with the flow. So if a new pattern, a new bag style comes out, I want to make a kit with that. If we get a fabric in that I know is gonna work well for a certain bag, I'll make a kit with that. I'm very kind of open to the flow with whatever we can sort of source at the time. and it makes it

nice for me because I'm not sort of thinking six months ahead and I've got that fixed deadline and by the time it comes to it I'm not very enthusiastic about it. I usually get the fabric, make the sample, sell the box and it's it's just nice and fluid.

Gemma Daly (07:11)
Yeah.

Yeah

and like you say sometimes there is that sort of limited stock of fabric isn't there especially with the one you've just done so it makes it quite exclusive.

Kayleigh (07:25)
Yeah, so the one that we've just done was a seven berry fabric and it was a supplier that closed down, so we literally only had two bolts of it. We managed to work out a way to get the most out of the fabric that we had and yeah, did feel a little bit exclusive and thankfully everybody else thought so too and it was a a great sellout within a couple of hours, so really chuffed with that.

Gemma Daly (07:48)
Yeah,

amazing! So let's rewind a bit and talk about your sewing story. How did you first learn to sew?

Kayleigh (07:57)
So there's two parts of my sewing journey. So when Julie and Bryan opened the shop, I had no idea that sewing was a thing. It didn't really occur to me. I was in school, I loved to draw. I was always very arty, crafty, would make things, draw things. Sewing was never on my radar. I tried to learn a couple of times, like through people who came in the shop who offered sewing lessons, I'd go and it just didn't

Gemma Daly (08:00)
You

Kayleigh (08:26)
didn't really click with me. So I worked at the shop every Saturday until it came to the point where I left school and had to decide what I wanted to do. So this was after my A levels, and I did an art foundation course, and within that art foundation course there was a fashion module, and we designed and made clothes, and I was thinking, this this is for me, this is what I want to do.

So I enrolled in the local university, so that was Northumbria University on a fashion design course and it was although I dabbled in sewing a bit, I would say it's there where I really learnt how to sew because they just threw you in at the deep end. First year project was to make a shirt, pattern, and everything from scratch. Yep. You were given a block, so just a

Gemma Daly (09:11)
my god.

Kayleigh (09:13)
a block and you had to work out how to draft the collar, the sleeves, the cuffs and sew it up without instructions. Obviously tutor led, but no written instructions. So that was fun. Yeah, so definitely caught the bug and throughout my time at Northumbria University, that the making part for me was more exciting than the designing part. I did love to design and I ended up designing menswear.

Gemma Daly (09:23)
Wow. Yeah, definite deep end there.

Kayleigh (09:42)
for my final collection and when I went on to work in the fashion industry. but the making was just so exciting to be able to go from a sketch to a finished garment knowing that nobody else in the world has this. Like this that was my idea and I've brought it to life. It was so so exciting. Once I left their university, I graduated and worked in the fashion industry, I didn't have time to sew.

you know, life was really exciting. I was in working in Manchester and then I worked in London and I travelled a lot and, you know, didn't really think about taking my sewing machine with me. It sat at home collecting dust. So the second part of my sewing journey came after my son was born. So I came home, came back to First of Fabrics, still didn't sew, but just enjoyed selling fabrics. and I had

a medical episode where I had to learn to walk again and part of the rehab, my left foot was particularly my left leg was particularly affected. the occupational therapist suggested sewing because of the foot pedal and I was like yeah yeah I suppose I suppose I could get my sewing machine out. I ended up buying a new sewing machine, just a little

Gemma Daly (10:38)
Wow.

Kayleigh (10:55)
like two hundred pound basic machine that I could take into hospital 'cause I was in rehab hospital. And yeah, the spark reignited. So that was it. That was nine years ago and I've never stopped sewing. Never stopped sewing since.

Gemma Daly (11:10)
That's amazing. And what a lovely story and how you've come through things as well, Kayleigh. I mean, the funny thing is, I'm an occupational therapist and I've never thought to recommend the sewing pedal for rehab. I'll keep that one.

Kayleigh (11:19)
amazing

Yeah Yeah So it was Absolutely

and it it just made perfect sense. I did buy a machine that had a start stop button just in case I couldn't manage but it was brilliant. I still can't really feel my left foot but the intuition is kinda there. I know when to press the pedal, I know roughly how much pressure it takes, but I've got no feedback whatsoever, so

Gemma Daly (11:36)
Yeah. Can't you?

wow, bless

you. So sort of talking about medical things, you sow stockings for a neonatal unit every year at the local hospital, don't you? And I believe there's quite a personal story behind that as well.

Kayleigh (11:59)
We do, yeah.

there is, absolutely, I'll just get my tissue hang on No, it's not too bad actually. so yes, after I'd been to London, I'd met my partner, we came back to the northeast to to start a family, and I was pregnant with my first child and I ended up having him at twenty three weeks. So he was one pound three, like half a bag of sugar.

absolutely tiny. We were so lucky, unlucky but lucky, that our local hospital is one of the best neonatal hospitals in the in the UK. so yeah he was so well looked after. He had a rough journey very up and down but we, you know

They stood with us side by side the whole way. We felt so supported. It was amazing. And the the ward charity is Tiny Lives. So our son came home in November and we were chatting to the nurses before we left and they were telling us what a lovely Christmas it is on the ward. Like y they make it as best they can for the families. The families have no choice but to be there. And I thought, I wanna do something. I have there's something

I can do definitely. So this tiny baby strapped to my chest, I thought, I'm gonna make some stockings. And of course my mum went, Don't be silly, no you're not, we'll make them. So So the the lovely staff that we had at the time, they rallied and they made 30 stockings for every single baby on the ward, and we delivered them on Christmas Eve that year, and every year since we've made them. And as the ward's expanded as well, now we make nearly 50 stockings every year.

Gemma Daly (13:24)
No.

I'm

Kayleigh (13:49)
So every baby who spends their first Christmas on the neonatal ward gets a a personalised stocking from us.

Gemma Daly (13:56)
That's

so beautiful and I've got goosebumps because it's such a lovely thing to do. Bless you. So you've done amazingly well at the helm of the business's social media account. Do you have any nuggets of wisdom for other small businesses wanting to show up on their socials?

Kayleigh (14:15)
I do know the I found it incredibly embarrassing at first and very confronting. But then I thought, no, just be authentic, be yourself. It's very easy to look at what everybody else is doing and think, I need to do that, or I need to do that, or I need to do that. I think it always works when your authenticity, your personality comes through, and my biggest tip.

Gemma Daly (14:21)
Yeah.

Kayleigh (14:43)
is to follow an account called the Business Secrets Club. So there's a lovely lady who runs it, Martha You might have heard of her. She's are the nuggets of wisdom that come from that woman are brilliant. And again she really encourages you to to look at your own business, look at your target audience, and make the content your own. She gives you little hints and tips and you know a couple of skills but

Gemma Daly (14:51)
Yeah.

Kayleigh (15:10)
ultimately she gives you the confidence just to just to crack on and go for it. Not everything works. I've had some real flops some ones where I thought, I wish I hadn't done that. But it's just it's good fun. Really good fun.

Gemma Daly (15:17)
You

Yeah,

well I love watching your reels and your stories and more than anything I love your voice, Kayleigh.

Kayleigh (15:27)
thank you.

That's very kind. I used to be more Geordie. Before I moved to London, I was proper Geordie. But my work colleagues couldn't understand me and I've definitely softened my accent over the years. And I live with a Yorkshireman, so there's probably a bit of Yorkshire twang in there as well. So thank you. That's very kind.

Gemma Daly (15:33)
It's so soothing!

You

well I love it.

So do you have any exciting plans coming up for the business or your own personal sewing?

Kayleigh (16:05)
Yeah. so bag boxes, although they're brilliant, I have a little plan to s take a little sidestep away from bags just for a little while. I think our core audience might have enough bags. So I've definitely got a few ideas up my sleeve that I'm gonna release over the summer.

Gemma Daly (16:20)
You

Kayleigh (16:28)
There's things I can't talk about that are very, very exciting. So I would just encourage anybody who wants to know what we're up to to follow us 'cause there are gonna be some some very exciting things going on towards the end of the year.

Gemma Daly (16:30)
That's fine.

Absolutely, we'll watch this space. We've got to stay tuned. So I'm going to do things a little bit differently this week. I normally do a game of this or that, but I'm actually going to do a quick fire round. So are you ready? It might not be that quick. We'll just see how we go. So most underrated fabric in the shop at the moment.

Kayleigh (16:43)
I know.

Uh-huh. I think so.

Chambre. Do I need to expand?

Gemma Daly (17:12)
No,

you're fine with that.

A fabric that you wished more people sewed with.

Kayleigh (17:19)
Ooh, cotton lawn.

Gemma Daly (17:21)
one sewing notion that no one should be without.

It's slow fire.

Kayleigh (17:26)
It's not so quick fire, is it?

It's definitely slow. I'm looking around like a seam gauge.

Gemma Daly (17:36)
What's one sewing myth you'd love to bust?

you

Kayleigh (17:41)
That not every project works out.

Gemma Daly (17:44)
Biggest sewing trend this year.

Kayleigh (17:46)
Be the barrel trousers, isn't it?

Gemma Daly (17:49)
I love a bit of barrel trousers. Favourite sewing pattern at the moment?

Kayleigh (17:56)
that is a

Ooh I've sewn so many things I've really liked this year. I'm gonna say the Sew liberated Madrone pants.

Gemma Daly (18:00)
You

Ooh, interesting. What do you love about the sewing community?

Kayleigh (18:10)
That everybody lifts each other up. We are not here to tear one another down.

Gemma Daly (18:15)
I love that. And the last one, if you could leave the listeners with one piece of sewing wisdom, what would it be?

Kayleigh (18:23)
Don't overthink it, just do it. In life and sewing.

Gemma Daly (18:27)
Love it.

Absolutely. So where can people find you, Kayleigh?

Kayleigh (18:34)
If you're local to us in the northeast, you can find us in Benton, opposite the big Asda, and you'll know what I'm talking about. Or if you're not lucky enough to live near the Northeast, you can find us on Instagram, on Facebook, or on our website, 1stforfabrics.co.uk

Gemma Daly (18:51)
Perfect. And I'll obviously link all of that in the show notes, but I just want to thank you for being an amazing guest on the Sewing Social podcast today.

Kayleigh (18:59)
thank you. It's been lovely to be here.

Gemma Daly (19:02)
You take care.

Kayleigh (19:03)
thank you.