Sustainable Sewing and Community: Inside Bawn Textiles with Bevan O'Daly

In this episode of the Sewing Social Podcast, host Gemma Daly sits down with Bevan O'Daly, founder of Bawn Textiles, a sustainable fabric shop based in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Bevan shares her personal journey into sewing, the story behind the name Bawn Textiles, and how community has become the heart of her business.

The conversation explores the realities of running a small independent fabric shop, from sourcing ethical and sustainable fabrics to navigating the challenges of retail in the modern textile industry. 

Bevan also talks about balancing the demands of shop life with her own personal sewing practice, and why sustainability, inclusivity, and meaningful relationships with customers and suppliers matter so deeply to her.

This episode is a thoughtful look at sustainable sewing, independent business, and the power of creating welcoming spaces for sewists of all backgrounds.

Key Takeaways:

• Bevan's journey into sewing began with a family heirloom sewing machine.
• The name Bawn reflects both Irish heritage and a commitment to sustainability.
• Community support has been crucial for the success of Bawn Textiles.
• Sewing can be a meditative practice that calms the mind.
• Sustainability is a core value for Bawn Textiles, influencing fabric choices.
• Building relationships with suppliers is essential for sourcing quality fabrics.
• The shop aims to create an inclusive environment for all sewists.
• Vulnerability in running a small business can lead to unique challenges.
• Future plans include expanding shop hours and improving the shopping experience.

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Guest Details: 

Website: https://bawntextiles.com/

Instagram: @bawntextiles

Facebook: @bawntextiles

Chapters:

00:00 Introducing Bevan: The Journey of Bawn Textiles
04:25 The Meaning Behind 'Bawn': A Name with History
09:43 Sewing Stories: Bevan's Personal Journey
12:11 Current Projects: Balancing Work and Passion
12:54 The Journey of Sewing and Fabric Creation
14:18 Path to Textile Conservation: A Personal Story
18:33 Balancing Conservation Work and Business
20:21 The Birth of Bawn: From Idea to Online Store
27:21 Building Community Through a Fabric Shop
31:31 The Joys and Challenges of Running a Physical Shop
38:14 Sourcing Fabrics: Ethics and Choices
45:36 The Roots of Sustainability in Business
51:09 Balancing Sustainability with Business Practicalities
57:13 The Role of Home Sewists in Reducing Waste
01:04:02 Future Plans and Business Growth
01:08:32 Fun and Games: This or That?
01:12:48 Outro 

Transcript

Gemma Daly (00:10)
Bevan, welcome to the Sewing Social podcast. so excited to have a chat with you Happy New Year! I was wondering if you could introduce yourself to the listeners.

Bawn (00:16)
Happy New Year.

Absolutely. And thanks for having me, Gemma. It's nice because I met you maybe last summer. You and your family came up to the shop. So for people who haven't met me, I'm owner of Bawn Textiles in Glasgow. I'm originally from Dublin and I set up the shop in 20... Well, yeah, I set up the shop in 2020, but I had been working towards this since pre-COVID. And so it's online and in store.

and it's an absolute dream job.

Gemma Daly (00:53)
It's a dream store. It's absolutely beautiful. And like you say, yes, we, did visit. It was over a year ago now. and I did make a purchase Bevan and I wanted to show you, I'm actually working on it right now. I don't get a lot of time to sew at the moment, but I bought a gorgeous, ⁓ tencel twill and I'm making

Bawn (01:02)
Was it?

You

yeah, that's gorgeous.

Gemma Daly (01:19)
a Marnie blouse. So I just wanted to show you that.

Bawn (01:20)
the kind of

minty colour? beautiful. Yeah, gorgeous. So nice. Well done, you and all that detail.

Gemma Daly (01:24)
The sagey colour, yeah, it's like my dream colour.

Bawn (01:32)
And it's not an easy fabric to work with.

Gemma Daly (01:32)
I'm trying, I've never done that kind of thing. Yeah, it's a little bit slippery, but it's beautiful. So I'll hopefully have that done soon.

Bawn (01:35)
Yeah, yeah,

Yeah, it'll look fabulous when it's Woohoo!

Gemma Daly (01:44)
I was wondering where does the name Bawn come from and what does it mean in like relation to the business?

Bawn (01:51)
So it's a really good question actually, because when I was researching the business and you're doing all you can to make sure that you're well, that it reflects how you feel the business should be. But it's also a name in the whole wide world that hasn't been taken for a business yet. And so you do your. You know, I had a whole spider diagram of names and then I kind of shortlisted to 20 and then 10 and then I.

conducted little surveys around people that I knew. And then when you kind of narrow it down even more, you kind of start to Google that everything's been taken. But Bon was one of the first ones. So B-A-Faada-N, so B-A with an accent on the A-N, is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic for white or fair as a colour or like a colour of your hair.

But even when you Google BAM Glasgow, it came up with like football riots, like protests and stuff. And in the city of Glasgow, where there's a lot of issues, I was like, I didn't want to really be associated with that and get thrown down the Google algorithm. But also one of our neighbour shops is called BAM, B-A-M. I didn't want to go too closely to that.

Gemma Daly (03:01)
Okay.

Bawn (03:17)
Anyway, so I decided to anglicise Bawn, so B-A-N to B-A-W-N, which was, I was kind of just making that up. And then when I Googled that, ⁓ I discovered that a Bawn is ⁓ a meadow, ⁓ like a meadow or an enclosure around an Irish castle. So I was really like, it was a real light bulb moment for the start of the business to feel like, you know,

I don't know, my ancestors were with me somewhere because obviously I wanted to reflect that I was Irish, but also the environmentally conscious ethos of the business. it felt like it was just meant to be. I was, and you know, I kind of worried at the start whether I would name business and then get really like tired of hearing of it. Like, and it's a big responsibility. mean, you have kids, Gemma, like naming a child. Like I don't, I don't have children, but as you're like.

Gemma Daly (04:12)
Mm-hmm.

Bawn (04:14)
you've got to

stick with this and you've got to like it for a really long time. So it's, the pressure to name something was, but I feel like it's perfect and it will always be perfect.

Gemma Daly (04:20)
You do.

that's such a lovely story and very appropriate. So I think you did a great job. So talking about like history then tell us about your sewing story and where it all began for you Bevan.

Bawn (04:29)
Yeah, thanks.

it's hard to think back. But my early earliest memory. So my mum wasn't a sewer, by all means. She's not crafty. She's real sporty. And my dad's an architect or was an architect. But he kind of didn't keep didn't have that really in the house. You know, he he was a draftsman. ⁓ So he was really particular about drawing, but but wasn't necessarily creative. Like he had a design and eye for design. All right. ⁓

And my brother and I were kind of into art as kids. And my dad's mother, which I don't remember so much. actually just remember her funeral. I remember meeting her, but I remember her funeral. I think I was eight and she was an amazing maker. And she could turn her hand to everything. She was in the equivalent of the kind of Women's Institute of Ireland. ⁓ and. I remember just her older grandchildren at her funeral.

we were all asked to procession her makes of the altar. And I remember carrying a beautiful pair of sheepskin leather, like moccasins slippers. And I remember being told very carefully, hold them up in this particular way by my uncle. ⁓ And I think then a couple of years later, my dad was, this sounds pretty morbid, but my dad was actually, ⁓

helping his aunt move into a care home and he was clearing out the house and he brought me home her old sewing machine which at the time I had not I think I was maybe I was under 10 maybe 10 or or maybe I was about 11 or 12 I don't really remember and but the sewing machine I'd never used a sewing machine we didn't have one in the house at all and I didn't know anyone with one like I honestly didn't know anyone with one

⁓ but the machine was one of the big black, ⁓ heavy, heavy ones. and you had to screw out a light bulb to then plug the sewing machine in. You just plug it in through a lamp. And, and after a couple of weeks of doing that, I was like, I didn't have a light source to use my sewing machine. was like, but this doesn't make any sense. So we went to a local, sewing machine repairman and he kind of serviced it and put a new plug on it. And that served me for.

majority of my teens. ⁓ I didn't make clothes with it, I kind of made bags and things like that, but I'm essentially self-taught. I kind of tinkered around with it a lot, but I did discover maybe because the machine was the kind of machine it was, I was much more comfortable with hand sewing. I loved embroidery and I loved the slow pace and control of hand stitching and the meditative side of

hand stitching it really, really calmed me And then when I went to I think Santa in my twenties, ⁓ had bought me one of the white singer sewing machines. But I still didn't really get full use out of it. Kind of until

I'm going to say like my mid 20s, did I kind of start being like, I can actually do stuff with this. Why don't I like actually persevere with something? But I so long kind of back and forth, but I ended up doing a master's in textile conservation, which we can talk about, which is majoritably hand sewing. I did start making my own clothes in kind of maybe 2018. So I was 28 then.

⁓ And it was ⁓ a really lovely discovery of like, ⁓ I wish I did this so much sooner. Like, I really wish that I'd taken up, but I really had nobody to feed, like feed that information through or nobody to ask. None of my friends were sewists. I honestly didn't have a community around me at all. ⁓ I didn't know anyone in Glasgow that sewed until I met a couple of people who did.

And then through that was the of like light bulb moment of, well, why don't I actually do this? Yeah, long story short, it's been the journey of a lifetime.

Gemma Daly (09:00)
Yeah, what a lovely story and especially about that sewing machine where you had to undo the light bulb like... Amazing!

Bawn (09:07)
I just, remember so clearly thinking

my dad has brought me this ancient machine. Like, what am I supposed to do with this? But the novelty of like having it passed down was really nice. ⁓ yeah. But it served me quite well. Like they're solid workhorses, those machines, but they definitely smelled like because of the, it was one of the ones that was manual and then a motor had been put on it in latter years. So it really like, smelled like a car engine.

Gemma Daly (09:25)
Hmm.

Bawn (09:34)
And it probably wasn't that safe to use. I could have set the house on fire, I think.

Gemma Daly (09:44)
potentially. So, you get much time to self yourself these days, Bevan? And what sort of projects do you like to make?

Bawn (09:44)
Yeah, yeah.

As the shop is getting busier and busier, I'm getting less and less time to sew, unfortunately. Also because we got a cast last year and he's still really young, so I've decided that it's just not worth my while trying to do it at home. So I try and make time in the shop. So obviously in the lead up to Christmas last year, I didn't really have any time.

I'll come down here on my weekend days off. So Monday, Tuesday I'm off. And if my partner's in work those there's nothing else on, I might come down. And I really, I'm like addicted to making shirts and shirt dresses addicted. Last year I did make a couple of trousers. It was like the trouser saga of 2025 is trying to get.

I notoriously don't wear trousers because I can't get them to fit me, my body measurements, just they don't exist in the shops to my knowledge. so I went through a lot of trouser sagas last summer. The next thing I want to do, because I haven't sewn in a while, is I like to get back in the rhythm of it by sewing a So I've got a bag.

that I want to make in the next week or two after I do my accounts. So that was that's going to be my and that's going to be my reward. ⁓ Yeah, just because of the Christmas, the lead up to Christmas and Christmas and then like actually taking a break over Christmas. I was like, no, like my return is not until February. So you have all of January to do it. So if the shop is quite over the couple of weeks coming, I have a lot of paperwork to do.

Gemma Daly (11:17)
Is that your reward?

Bawn (11:39)
And yes, my reward will be to get back in my sew jo with sewing a really nice bag because I don't have any fitting issues to worry about. And that was just build my confidence back to where it was. And and then we'll I've like I've got a list as long as my arm. got wonderful denim in the shop last year. It's absolutely stunning. And I want to make at least three. My next three garments need to be in this denim. It's fabulous. But yeah, I've got a list.

Gemma Daly (12:00)
Mmm.

Bawn (12:07)
as long as everyone else's and more

Gemma Daly (12:07)
You

Is that the seeded denim? Cause I'm obsessed with that as well. I'm just trying to figure out the right project for it.

Bawn (12:17)
It's no, so I actually got my hands on British selvedge denim. It's only 75 centimeters wide, but it is like an indigo dye. It's absolutely stunning. And one of my customers came in wearing trousers that he made for me the other day. And I was just applauded how beautiful they were because I was like, I want them.

Gemma Daly (12:25)
⁓ yes.

Bawn (12:42)
So wanna make a jacket, I wanna make a shirt dress, wanna make trousers, I wanna make a pinafore.

Gemma Daly (12:45)
I bet and I-

All the things.

Bawn (12:49)
All the things my new uniform, double denim, triple denim, quadruple denim.

Gemma Daly (12:54)
yeah, sounds good. And I feel your pain with the trouser saga because I love wearing trousers and jeans, but like the effort it takes to make them and then making sure that they fit you, it's really hard, isn't it?

Bawn (13:09)
Yeah,

absolutely.

Gemma Daly (13:13)
But we keep trying. ⁓

Bawn (13:15)
we just, yeah, just keep on keeping on. It's a lifelong passion, as they say.

Gemma Daly (13:19)
You

Bawn (13:21)
But at least as sewing goes, you do get better with practice. So, yeah, you're not going to make the perfect pair the first time or the second time, maybe not even the third time. But once I've got them down, they'll be my like Simon Cowell, you know, black t-shirt, black trousers uniform for life. Just I'll order, you know, 50 of them for myself for my lifetime.

Gemma Daly (13:22)
That's it. That's it.

Bawn (13:48)
I might have to keep one of the, I think the denim comes in 50 meter rolls. So I might just have to put aside a 50 meter roll for myself and that can be my, you know, stock supply for the next couple of decades.

Gemma Daly (14:03)
Hilarious. Now you mentioned Bevan that you did some work as a textile conservator. I wondered what the path was that like led you to that and how has it impacted on where you are today?

Bawn (14:04)
haha

The Path is actually a really, really nice one. ⁓ even though I did my master's in conservation, my bachelor's, my undergraduate was in fine art from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. And while I so you do like a first year core year, so you try kind of a bit of everything. And I was like, I knew I was going to do textiles, textiles, textiles, textiles. And then I got into the textiles course and then I kind of had this kind of like.

Without throwing shade, I just didn't want to spend the next three years with the other people who wanted to do textiles. just kind of, I didn't love the fact that the course was completely design focused. So it was all about industry. The ideas that you would make for industry. you'd be designing for, know, like trying to pitch your collection to Dunne Stores or the equivalent like John Lewis or whatever. And I was like, it's just not.

Not what I wanted. one of the tutors who was on the fine art course called Anthony Hobbs, just a fabulous man. And I was, he was doing a new, he was the tutor of a new course. was just like a media course. So was somewhere between kind of sculpture installation, ⁓ audio visual, like photography video. and I was like, well,

There was no space left in the sculpture department for me to transfer my place into. So I went to Anthony's course and it was lovely because I got to learn darkroom photography. But I basically used the platform of his course to do like a fine art course with using textiles as my medium. And that was really, really amazing. But after those three years, I think Anthony could really see that

even like as an art, like I love art and I really appreciate art and I still try and be as artistic as I can. But he could tell that my my brain just wants like my working life wants structure and it organisation and it doesn't really want the typical arty farty thinking about absolute gobbledygook.

blurbs on the spot to describe something that's actually quite meaningless. That's just my perspective. I feel like I've got a degree in talking out of my other end. And so he very kindly was like, I know somebody I could put you in touch with. So long story short, he put me in touch with a lady down in Kilkenny who was the door. Well, so her name was Alexis Bernstorff.

And she was the daughter of Anne Bernstorff, Anne Bernstorff, who I believe is still is a really well known Irish painter, but she also worked in like art restoration when she was kind of really active in her field. But she also was a collector of 18th century costume and toys.

And then her daughter, Alexis, kind of through the back door, kind of became her mom's textile restorer and was also doing kind of tapestries for private clients and stuff like that. So I actually for about a year went down one day a week to kind of shadow and work with Alexis. And it was through Alexis that I got in touch with somebody else.

I got my first kind of conservation job at Castletown House, which is a really gorgeous kind of stately home just outside of Dublin. It was part of the Guinness family. Desmond Guinness bought it in maybe the 50s or from the state because I think it was quite dilapidated. Anyway, long story short, I came into conservation kind of

Gemma Daly (17:55)
Mm-hmm.

Bawn (18:03)
through my undergraduate, but just through connections and getting to know people and them getting to know you. ⁓ then I, so I think I graduated in 2012 from my BA and then it took three years kind of work experience in various museums and institutions in Ireland and then came over to Glasgow in 2015 and did a two year MA in conservation. ⁓

And I worked with that for a couple of years and I'm still doing that today. I work freelance. And so I've got some more coming up potentially for other museums here in Glasgow in the new year. But I kind of I'm in a position where the shop is more or less my bread and butter. And my passion really and the conservation, well, it's an amazing profession. I wasn't really enjoying it as a Monday to Friday nine to five. It's.

physically very difficult, it's mentally very taxing. a huge responsibility on your shoulders if you don't work with a supporting institution, like you're not working with a museum. So yeah, that's again, a long story short,

Gemma Daly (19:13)
Absolutely, absolutely. I wasn't sure if you were still doing that work on the side, but I guess it's quite a nice combination of the two, isn't it?

Bawn (19:21)
Yeah, and like the work as a free as freelance goes in Scotland, the work doesn't come very often. But I've built up like really nice contacts and and I think as well, like conservation as a profession, it can be very expensive for individuals and institutions to afford. So often you're kind of you might quote for something one year and then they might get funding or grant for the work to be carried out the following year or even the year after that.

So sometimes it's quite a process and I can totally understand that. And it's a nice way to kind of future plan, well, I've potentially got that coming up and I can make space for that in these couple of months. And I know the shop won't be that busy or I can plan to have somebody assist me in the shop on days that I can't be here and things like that. So it works really well.

Gemma Daly (20:10)
Yeah, that's really interesting. I hadn't actually thought that you'd have to plan that in advance, but I totally get it with the funding side of things really interesting. So you, you mentioned that Bawn started in 2020 and it started online, didn't it? Is that right?

Bawn (20:21)
yeah.

Yeah, so I think it well, I'll actually go back to another little story. So I think it was the summer of 2019 or I think it was even the summer of 2018. A friend of mine was kind of looking, looking to me for advice. She's like, I really don't want to, I'm not loving what I'm doing. Can you, and we were thinking, oh, we could set up a small business. And like she was thinking, oh, I'd love to set up a creative business.

And I gave her the idea. was like, there's a gap in the market for a really lovely fabric shop in Glasgow. And she was creative and I studied with her and she was kind of like, she kind of went in a different direction. But I was like, I'm just going to bank that, that I've, you know, and then the next year, a really good friend of mine told me about, essentially years ago, my dream job had come up in Dublin. And at that point I was really settled in Glasgow.

And it was just through that conversation when she said, would you think about moving back to Dublin for this job? And I was like, not a hope in hell. Like it's not my dream job anymore. Like it was in, it was a conservation job. I was like, no, I just can't do that. and then it really occurred to me, was like, I actually, that makes me realize that I don't want to do this full time. I don't really actually love the job enough to then move country again, even if it meant moving back to Dublin.

I just didn't want to do it. I didn't want to up my relationship here. I had started to build friends and you know, and then it was a ⁓ light bulb going, well, maybe it's time to start thinking seriously about this lovely fabric shop idea that I absolutely think could possibly be a winner. And I remember ringing my mum because very kindly, my mum did financially support my masters.

significantly. And obviously it's not very easy thing to tell somebody that has spent a lot of money on your education to kind of throw it back in their face. But I kind of wanted to be open and honest with her. she was like, it sounds amazing. But obviously I've kept the conservation thing going. I, know, so not totally thrown it back in her face because but it's very much it was a difficult conversation to kind of tell somebody who's put a lot of

Gemma Daly (22:36)
Hmm.

Bawn (22:42)
trust in you. But yes, that was was summer 2019 and I basically gave myself gave myself until Christmas 2019 to really think about it to be like, is this maybe is this viable? Like, is this something that you want to pursue? And by December, if you think it is, then I think you need to start going to business gateway meetings and learn about opening a small business. And I think by October I was like, I'm doing it.

I'm doing it. So, and then lockdown hit and I was very, I was very lucky in a sense. mean, lockdown was so difficult and rubbish for so many people, including people around me, very close to me. was very and a lot of things changed in my life as a due to COVID. But what really was the shining beacon was being at home full time.

And I technically wasn't on furlough. That's a long story, but I was essentially being paid in full to do a job that I couldn't do from home. And I was like, well, what can I do? I can really push this business through. so by, I think I went back, I was working at the Burrell Collection at the time and I had to, was, we were asked to go back in July

Gemma Daly (23:42)
Okay.

Bawn (23:56)
with all the social distance and all the mask wearing. think we were like conservation and like logistics were the only people in the building. Everyone else was still working from home. so I did that. then by but the business was really ready to go. And I think in August 2020, I launched the online website. And obviously, you're kind of it was the tail end of the peak of the sewing thing.

of, you know, lockdown in sewing. But I think because I still didn't really know anyone who was a sewer, I genuinely didn't really I wasn't part of the sewing community. And I was kind of just I had my little like like horse blinkers on and those things that horses were to block outside view my peripheral vision was not there and I just kind of went forward without influence of.

all of what was going on in the UK at the time. Obviously I knew the whole scrub thing was happening, but I knew nothing local to me, And I think, so yeah, it just kind of hit the ground running to the point where, so that was August 2020. And then in November 2020, I was only barely in business. was absolutely still in nappies.

Gemma Daly (25:00)
you

Bawn (25:11)
And this premises came on, like I was told

about this premises, which is in the exact location that I wanted a shop to be. And the landlord was a bit hesitant because I'd only been in business for about three months and I was about to take on like essentially like a fully legally binding lease. And but actually he was so good about it. And I think what stood to me is that during Covid when I had nothing better to do.

I put together this really fancy, creative business plan and I could give him all these sorts of mood boards and all sorts of figures and survey results and da da da. And he was like, you know what you're doing. I was like, I do you think so? So he was. Yes, so that was the start. so I got the keys six months later. So it wasn't like I got the shop in that November.

I signed the lease and I got the keys at the end of March 2021 and renovate. had to do a lot of renovations on a shoestring budget. But with the help of I did a Kickstarter early 2021, which the community sewing community that I had gained huge amounts of trust and support from in the matter of less than a year.

I think raised about 17,000 pounds to help me fund like the furniture fit out and like to redo the floor and to put in like proper lighting. None of it went on stock. know, like the stock has all been like organically generated through But yeah, the shop premises opened. It just so happened that the first weekend was I think the first of March, the first of May.

the first weekend non-essential shops were allowed open legally. So it just felt like a lot of the stars really did align for a lot of decisions and a lot of these milestones just happened to just fall into place really naturally. And it's not gone unnoticed in my eyes at all. I'm not religious, but somebody is looking out for me somewhere and I'm very grateful.

Gemma Daly (27:21)
That's a really lovely story and not like it was meant to be.

Bawn (27:25)
Totally. Yeah, absolutely. And there's been like, I've not looked back.

And I even when I think when I do look back to when I opened the shop originally, I mean, I look at the photographs and I was like, who was I kidding, the place was so bare. Like there was nothing in here, but people have faith and people had support and there was just so. And even to know if there's still customers that I have today that are like that placed online orders day one and they come in and.

Gemma Daly (27:32)
You You

Bawn (27:54)
You know, people have had kids and people have had, you know, weddings and or marriage breakdowns. And.

I've just like. I've not I've grown there has been a community has grown around this shop. And it's it's staggeringly beautiful It's like it's just incredible, the life stories, I feel like there might be a book in it. In years to come.

And just the connections to people. Like obviously I've got friends and family in Ireland, but I've never been able to connect with people in a way that I have done in the past. And I've made lifelong friends that I just don't think would have come my way if I wasn't positioned in the shop in this way. yeah, it's just become this little hub of absolute

gratitude as well.

Gemma Daly (28:41)
That's really beautiful, Bevan. And I did want to talk to you about community because it is a common thread that comes up through the podcast and so much meaning and you know, just so much is generated via the people that we talk to in various ways, like me through the podcast, you in your shop. But you know, you're positioned in...

Like a very creative area in your community, aren't you? Is it Pollock Shore Road? Yeah.

Bawn (29:12)
Yeah, yeah, there's lots of independent

creative businesses around here.

Gemma Daly (29:17)
And I wanted to sort of mention that your website, you encourage people to check out other local businesses. So for example, hiring a sewing machine or getting your scissors sharpened. And that all sort of brings it back to that community element.

Bawn (29:35)
Yeah, I absolutely and I know it might not sound business savvy, but in my eyes, a successful business is one that puts the customers first. So if you can put the customers first and put their needs first, the finances will come to you. So if you start thinking finances first, well, that is just that's just.

a business, isn't it? It's not this business though. It's not creating a warm environment, a safe environment and a welcoming environment for anyone you aren't engaging in your community. Glasgow is amazing for that as well because I think even without other businesses around me, like it was for example when I got

news of this premises coming up, it was through another local business who I had befriended because I had really admired what they were doing. ⁓ And so they shared that information with me and it's always kind of paying it forward, I think. ⁓ So I've picked the brains of many a business owner and I'm more than happy to share what I've learned to people who are starting businesses in the future because it's, you know, like

Let's be open and honest. Because then everyone wins, you know, be kind, be generous and that generosity and kindness will come back to you.

Gemma Daly (31:01)
Absolutely, absolutely. And I fully, I'm fully on board with that.

Bawn (31:07)
Don't get me wrong, there's

Gemma Daly (31:08)
I wanted...

Bawn (31:08)
hard days. There's hard days.

Gemma Daly (31:11)
There always is, but hopefully we can come through them in general, in life in general, with kindness and support of each other. yeah. I wanted to ask you, so like we mentioned, you went from that transition from online to the shop, which was quite quick, but what do you love about running your own physical shop?

Bawn (31:15)
Yeah.

Mm.

Gemma Daly (31:35)
apart from the community aspect that we've just mentioned.

Bawn (31:39)
know it sounds a bit, maybe a bit naff. And obviously you've been in the shop Gemma and it's maybe changed a bit since you were in. ⁓ But I absolutely loved, what I love about the shop is a physical space, is having the creative control to design it the way I wanted. So I had a vision in mind that actually didn't look like any, typical fabric shop. ⁓ It is quite small, but it's, ⁓

Gemma Daly (31:46)
Mm.

Bawn (32:06)
Like I designed all the furniture and have local cabinet makers make it. And it's all So it's all changeable and movable. And so if I ever grow the space like the identity of the shop can come with me into a new four walls. But actually the the shop as its presence and soul can travel.

So there's obviously the physical element of the shop is the space itself. But yes, you say the community is getting to know people and it's getting to know. It makes it allows me to get to know Glasgow better as well. So even people who aren't my customers will come in. I mean, I remember this is no word of a lie. My mum was here last last year sometime and she doesn't she's not really she doesn't like to be.

like front and centre, she'll come to the shop and she'll be very happy, but she'll sit in the back room, in the freezing cold back room and read her book and make a cup of tea. She's like, no, you just get on and I'll just listen, I'll just listen. ⁓ And I was like, mum, just come out and sit beside a heater at least, you know. But there was one day she was in the back and somebody just walked past the shop. There's a man in his 50s who's walked past the shop and he just felt compelled to come in and tell me how beautiful the shop was.

Gemma Daly (33:05)
It.

Bawn (33:27)
He I've never seen him since I'd never seen him before. just love the fact that he came in on a day that I was really pleased that my mom could and my mom was like, who was he like what I was like, I have no idea. I've never seen him. But obviously, he just felt that he was very welcome to come in and pay a very high compliment. And there's there's lots of that that goes on. there's yeah, I mean.

Gemma Daly (33:31)
.

Bawn (33:51)
I don't know where I was going with that story, I just, it kind, I remember kindness

and like even, you know, when you're walking down the street and you see someone with a lovely hat, I'll be like, you have a gorgeous hat on and they'd be like, oh my God, thank you. I was like, it costs me nothing to tell you that you look lovely, you know? But yeah, all about kindness as much as I can be. Some people wear on my patience but yes, I'm only human at the end.

Gemma Daly (34:18)
That's right, that's right. But it goes to show that kindness has a lasting effect, which is really On the flip side to that then, with any business, I'm sure there's challenges along the way. Can you let us in on any challenges that you've had to face so far with running Bawn?

Bawn (34:23)
It does, yeah.

few things that come to mind is the main one that I find that I try not to think of too much is, you know, I run this business mainly by myself and the lovely Jen Hogg who you've had on your podcast and everyone knows. Jen also comes in to help me cover when I'm on holidays or she was helping me at Christmas time with the busyness. and also I've got Eva who also helps in the shop as well.

But generally speaking, there's only one person here at a time. So whether it's me or Eva or Jen, you know, and there's a vulnerability in that. You're wide open to the world. There's only one door in and one door out. And that again brings it back to, you know, all of our local, the local shops around here. share a WhatsApp group and an Instagram group, and it's mainly for security. So there was only one time that I've had to use the

Can someone come and please help me out of a situation here? Not a major situation, but a situation nonetheless, or a potential situation. three doors down, Niall came to the rescue. you know, so there, yeah, so one of the issues is just the vulnerability of running a shop. And I suppose just to say that that's also the main reason why the shop is card only, so no cash.

And it's not against a cashless society. It's purely for my security and Jen's security and Eva's security that, you know, the threat is reduced. Should there ever be one? It's never been the case. And the other thing that I do find difficult because I'm a natural introvert, kind of forced to be an extrovert. So I can kind of

And I don't mean to say it in a kind of a negative way, but you have to choose to switch it on and switch it off. So when I'm in the shop, it's kind of switched on. But what's difficult about that is it's almost like having and I don't mean to call my customers toddlers, know, it's like the you're being asked a million questions a day and they're so tiny, they're minuscule.

Gemma Daly (36:34)
You

Bawn (36:43)
But like, so one person asks you, do you have this? And that's a tiny question from one person and it's totally valid. But when you're asked a tiny question so many times a day or also when you're not in the shop and you still have messages come through your phone, you just feel like I'm constantly giving Yeah, it's very exhausting. I think as a result, it has trained me out of.

Like I don't mean say having deeper conversations with people, but so many conversations are so surface level. And again, this isn't like shade on customers, but I cannot count how many times I was asked, you looking forward to Christmas? And I had to give the same answer or just at the weekend, you're like, did you have a nice Christmas? And I had to give the same answer. I just feel like a broken record sometimes, which nobody else notices but me. So you kind of try and keep it.

zipped but I think it is hard when ⁓ and even using social media sometimes you you feel like a broken record is trying to promote something that you feel like the whole world already knows about but you have to remind yourself that actually no you have to put yourself out there and yeah it's yeah I think there are two quite difficult things

obviously sourcing fabrics is also hard because it's all ⁓ done And that, you're limited there. So that is also an ongoing struggle is to find new suppliers that fits within the shop's ethos. But I would say there's a three main difficulties.

Gemma Daly (37:55)
I mean. ⁓

Yeah, and on that vein then, Bevan, because I was gonna ask you about that.

Like how do you choose your fabrics that you stock and what questions would you ask those suppliers before you work with them?

Bawn (38:28)
kind of complex, complicated and not complicated at all. think having started the business with a sustainable goal in mind, it means that I don't have to change my viewpoint on anything. So my viewpoint and my ethics about sourcing has been the same from the get go, which I think is really easy. I'll just.

byline and say that the shop was kind of doing a net zero process two years ago, which we're now net zero. But essentially the shop has always been net zero because shop isn't having to change anything from when it started. And that's just a side note. But also, so in terms of choice, I think what you'll notice and what most people will notice is

I don't really stock pattern fabrics. I've got the odd gingham, but there's no printed fabrics. It's all plain maybe one or two stripes. And that's an environmentally conscious decision on my part. Just A, to reduce another level of processing, but B, to offer something that actually very few fabric shops offer.

It was my intention to always have the space as a space for everybody. And as a result, without kind of gendering people, I've got a lot of female customers, male customers, trans customers, non-binary customers. I've got a lot of people who don't fit that ⁓ feminine profile of prints that are available in many, many great

around the UK. So I'm really pleased that that choice was made early on because I'm not that person. So I feel like I can stand behind the fabrics that I choose because I essentially choose them for me and people who identify in, you know, wearing block colours and colour nonetheless, but block colours, quality fabrics.

And also to note that when I have done the circular, this is something that has just came to mind is when I done the circular sales the last couple of years, the majority of items that people were trying to sell were all patterns because people, think, whether it was consciously or subconsciously, they are really attracted to them. But do they want to wear them? And they fall out of fashion. And I think as a

circular fashion point of view, know, solid colors will stay in circulation a lot longer or they'll stay in your wardrobe a lot longer because they are safe. They're so safe and you can mix and match them in so many different ways more than you can with fashion fabrics. But by all means, if you're pattern mad and more is more, that's wonderful. You go for it.

And I don't know if you like Jenny from so confident sewing school and really nearby. So we're kind of polar opposites in terms of business. So when people come to me looking for pattern fabrics and they want somewhere to walk in, I say you go to Jenny and when Jenny has people being like, I'm looking for just like a really plain green linen, she's like, go to Bevan. So I think there's room for everybody. But yet the and obviously with the certifications,

Gemma Daly (41:24)
Mm-hmm. you

Bawn (41:46)
it's it's been a lot of work, but it's been a slow process of building relationships with suppliers that can offer the certificates for sustainability. like organic certificates or like European flax is like the linen certificate in Europe. there's all sorts. It's all on my website. But it's building relationships with those.

suppliers that will support a small business like myself who might only want to order 20 to 50 meters and you go to any of these trade shows and sometimes the minimum order is 3000 meters and I was like 3000 meters wouldn't even fit in my shop you know and that's just one fabric and the other thing to note is unless it comes with a certificate the shop doesn't stock anything dead stock

Gemma Daly (42:13)
Okay.

Bawn (42:39)
I personally don't believe that it is and people may disagree with me, but I actually don't believe that it's a sustainable choice unless it is a sustainable fabric. it it's kind of what's the word kind of kicking the can down the road? It's passing the book. it's basically big fashion houses still overproducing the wrong types of fabric and then having an out to pass it on.

That's just my personal view and that's the view that the shop will take forward. So yeah, I don't stock dead stock ⁓ unless it has come with a certificate sustainable origin and traceability.

Gemma Daly (43:13)
Yeah, I really appreciate that. And going back to like stocking solid colors. Now I am a lover of solid colors. I wear loads of them and I agree you can mix and match really well. You can wear them multiple times and not get bored of it.

What I didn't think about that you just said was that we were or we are gendering people through prints or what we stereotypically think of as a feminine print that had never crossed my mind. So that's really interesting.

Bawn (43:48)
I think that like what's interesting as a result is I didn't really anticipate how many male identifying customers I would have. And I have so many and and really I've got so many because there's not very many other places they can go to get fabrics. And they're all amazing sewers. If you know, some were at the very beginning of their journey, some of them are better at sewing than I am.

which many people are gonna just say. But I just, I love building that relationship and even though there's a bit of pink on the walls, I try and keep the shop as kind of just like non it's really not that girly ⁓ Sometimes I might light a scented candle, but men like candles too, But yeah.

Gemma Daly (44:18)
You

you you

Bawn (44:40)
I just love the way that the shop has been built from the beginning

is very, very true to how I wanted it to be perceived and how it is being perceived and how it's being

Gemma Daly (44:46)
. .

Bawn (44:54)
And long may continue the shop has been going from strength to strength from the beginning, but it was a really slow start given it was kind of COVID post COVID like in the grand scheme of things. It was a very new business. Because also I get people like every day of the week being like, Oh, are you new? And every shop owner will get this even if they're there 25 years.

But I'm really pleased that like the last year in particular has been fantastic. hopefully this year will be absolutely like.

Not good.

Gemma Daly (45:24)
Brilliant, and I hope so too, because I think you've built like a fantastic inclusive space from everything you've been saying. So yeah, let's hope it keeps going from strength to strength.

Let's go back to sustainability because this is a huge part of your business, Bevan, isn't it? And it would be something that I know you really well for, but I wondered like, where did that all start? And can you break down why it's important to you and your business?

Bawn (45:56)
terms of kind of breaking it down to my own viewpoint is I think growing for example, like my mom's parents came from nothing. So my mom's mom came from nothing. the house that she grew up in is now.

fallen apart in a field somewhere and the house that then the rest of the family moved in. There's not even a road to that house. this, you know, that house is still standing in a ruin, but they had nothing and but they were very successful people in their own right. We don't need a lot. We're in a land of overconsumption and that always I'm always fighting with myself about should I have a business? Should I be actually contributing to commercialism and things like

So that's one element of it. And the other element of it is, suppose, like my dad and my mom and my dad instilled in my brother and I about kind of you might want something, but it doesn't mean you get what you want. And what you do, what you should be buying for yourself if you buy something at all is by the best you can afford and by the best quality. So my dad was a stickler for quality.

Like he wouldn't buy something unless it was absolutely perfect for him. Like I remember my mom got something for him and she took something. She got something from the framers back and it was a millimeter out and my dad sent it back. Because he was like, well, I'm paying you for a service. It needs to be perfect. But it's just in terms of like a stickler for detail and quality like that. That was the house we grew up in in a very nice way. like the

The morals of kind of that stick with me. And what I've noticed is growing up in kind of the fast, the height of fast fashion is that the quality of what's on offer is just declining and declining and And I think that was also a main reason why I started sewing. I think I find it hard to know, but like tactfully.

it like in a tactile way, like I can feel something and know that it's a natural fiber. I can feel something and know that it's majoritably natural and it's so synthetic. Like some people don't have that and that's fine. it's something that I probably learned subconsciously throughout my life. And and I think just. You know, as a person in the world,

making choices every day about what you buy and what you surround yourself with. It was a no-brainer as to the way the world is going is not exactly in the nicest way. And I kind of wanted to take back some control about what choices I was able to make. the shop was kind of built.

Gemma Daly (48:41)
Mm.

Bawn (48:44)
by taking back control about what's on offer. And if it's not on offer that I can buy, well, then I need to make it. I need to make this business. I need to make this business work for people that want what I want. you're kind of preaching to the choir in the sense that you're offering like really, really top quality fabrics to people who want top quality I think it.

It was an easy choice to make, if that makes sense. it's like, didn't want plastic bags. like as a tactile and design elements is like, that just doesn't float my boat at all. So while some things are. And like, obviously at the core of it are sustainable choices. They're also design choices because that's what my brain wants. Or that's, you know, like that's what the design of the shop is.

It's just not plastic and I'm probably going, I'm probably not ⁓ being very eloquent about trying to describe this, but in a nutshell, it's the sustainability of the shop was quite easy to do because that's what I wanted to do. I think the hard part was getting, I mean, the easy thing is finding fabrics that are natural fibers, but it's not going that extra mile to get the items that are certified

and also like sometimes limiting your choice is quite a useful thing as a small business, because you're not completely overwhelmed by the whole choice of the world of what to stock. sometimes having less choice is an easier choice. and I find that even as a small shop, people come in and there's like, people don't get very overwhelmed in here because

there's a limit to what they have to look at. And the chances are they're going to come out with a couple of really nice things. I think a compliment that was paid to me by Jen Hogg a while back was that she said, I can come in here and not a single thing is ⁓ regret buy or a impulse buy in a sense that nothing's a dud. Absolutely nothing is bargain bin. Nothing.

I'm really happy that she felt that way. And hopefully others do too.

Gemma Daly (51:05)
Absolutely and like I I've been in there so...

The only thing was like, which of these beautiful fabrics do I buy because they're all really How do you feel like you balance like your ideal sustainability goals with the practical goals of running a business then? So you mentioned there a little bit of conflict.

Bawn (51:13)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, A lot of the time it's, well, finance will dictate a lot. essentially just as a business, I don't have anything on credit. So everything that the business buys, the business has in the bank. So you're kind of, and also there's only a finite amount of space in the shop. So in terms of choice between what's available and what I can

financially purchase and what I have actual space to store is limited and that is not a bad thing for me.

But I, yeah, I mean, I might just stick out like a sore thumb in this community because I'm, well, anti-dead stock, I'm anti-fabric stash. I don't think it's a separate hobby, personally. ⁓ I just don't think we need to consume that much. ⁓

So I have a couple of wonderful, wonderful customers and I love them dearly. And sometimes I think they actually just love and support the shop so much that every time they pass, they feel like they have to come in and buy something.

only because they want to come in and buy something, not because I'm putting any ounce of pressure on them to buy anything. You know, I actually love when people come in and enjoy the shop and then leave. mean, it's totally like I do not mind. Some people will come in and buy two buttons. Wonderful. You need those two buttons and that's all you need? Perfect. You buy those two buttons and I'll see you in six months time for another two. I don't mind. Yeah, I yeah, there's a couple of people

Gemma Daly (52:43)
You You

Bawn (52:54)
who will be like, should I buy this? I was like, have you made the last, not

that I'm like, have you made the last thing you've made? Have you bought? ⁓ But I do encourage people to go and think about things if they're not sure. ⁓ And that's also what's lovely about being ⁓ in a community, in an area that actually a lot of my customers are within walking distance where they live locally. So they can just pop in, have a look, go home, have a thing.

come in the next day or like a lot of customers might you know if they're making let's say so my lovely customer Penelope has been making a patchwork kind of waistcoat she made one for herself and she's making them for a friend so I think on one occasion she bought bits of the fabric and then she bought another bit of the fabric and then when the fabric bit is done then she came in and she bought the wadding and the backing fabric and actually and I've just ordered some

restock of bias binding for her that she was running of what she needed before Christmas. ⁓ But like people will come in in stages and buy what they need when they need it and not kind of constantly stock up on stuff that actually is, you know, just maybe going to add to the stash. But also, can I just say that I'm a person who is kind of naturally gets stressed by having too much stuff. And it's anxiety inducing for me to

be surrounded by stuff that I'm not using or like I will often do, not that I have much to clear out, but sometimes I'll do kind of a Vinted or a charity shop run of probably things that in the future I'll regret getting rid of because I just feel like if it's not being used, it's got to go. And also by having that mentality, it means that you're trying very hard when you do see something that you want. I have to think to myself.

Will this eventually go on vintage or be passed on to my mum or will this end up in a charity shop? If the answer is yes, like to do another little rethink about do I want to, of course I impulse buy stuff. I'm only human. But yeah, and generally generally speaking, I don't encourage overspending. I mean, I'm very happy when people buy what they want. And if that means the bill comes to X amount.

Gemma Daly (54:58)
Yep.

Bawn (55:11)
Yeah, by all means,

Gemma Daly (55:11)
you

Bawn (55:12)
if that's what you want to spend, but there's no there's no pressure on people to buy what they don't need whatsoever. a caveat of that statement, of course, is that all the fabrics and stuff that's good to measure is done by the half meter. And that is purely kind of a business management choice that it's easier to manage stock in that kind of quantity rather than selling the quarter meter or.

full meter and there's also a psychology about price and you know whether you have to double the price or quadruple the price and then you're kind of misleading customers if you feel like you're advertising the quarter meter as the meter price because some people aren't that too in tuned with how fabric is sold so I always double check with people who I feel like might not have been in before or who might be new to sewing is like before I cut this do you mind that I just double check that you're aware that

Gemma Daly (55:37)
Hmm. .

Bawn (55:59)
This is the price per half meter. And most of the time people say, yeah. And some people are like, can I get that out of a half a meter less? And I'll be like, let's do the maths. And maybe you can, maybe you can't, but actually the quality of the fabric, you know, and also people don't want to be short. So by having a half meter less of fabric, it might mean that you have to come back and buy another half meter in the future and then or by ordering another half meter in the future.

It's not actually enough for a full sleeve. So you have to buy a full me for the next time. So you're trying to kind of. ⁓ yeah, and going back to a previous question about difficulties is actually managing people's expectations is something I also find difficult. That's something that I could have said earlier on. But yeah, that's. It's tricky when you put your heart and soul into something and, you know, people come in and ask, do you do this? And it really hurts me to say no, I don't, because.

Gemma Daly (56:29)
This is it.

Bawn (56:52)
I mean, the shop is small. It's not, it's not going to have everything. And when people come in and ask for things that they would like, and probably very rightly assume that I would have it and I don't. is like, I don't, you know, and I, it hurts. It really hurts that you're not kind of delivering what you really want to deliver to people.

Gemma Daly (57:08)
Yeah.

Like you say, you can only fit so many things in that shop and what you do fit in is beautiful and I wish I could shop in a way that that person does, you know, do a bit and then go back and get the next bit but there's just not enough of these beautiful shops around. and then you have to, you're sort of forced to go online aren't you?

Bawn (57:32)
That's true.

Yeah, and I do feel for, mean, I do have a base in Glasgow. I'll get quite, I've noticed quite a lot of like, ⁓ like tourists will come to the shop. But there'll be tourists, I've had tourists from like Iceland being like, I'm coming in, I'm getting my boiled wool because they, wherever they are in Iceland, it's easier for them to kind of pick it up here while they're on a weekend away. I've got daytrippers from Aberdeen. apparently this

there's no fabric shops in Aberdeen or there might be like one little quilting shop in Inverness. I don't think there's anything in Stirling. I don't think there's anything in Dundee other than maybe so confident if they've got a little shop. So there might be small

shops, but they might be, you know, quilting only or upholstery only or and but there's very few dressmaking fabric shops in Scotland and Newcastle, I believe. But I'm just.

Gemma Daly (58:20)
Mm. .

Bawn (58:34)
I'll be corrected by your listeners. But I have noticed day trippers and like weekenders coming in because there's really nothing around them. And it's so much nicer shopping in person for fabric. And I truly believe that if the shop didn't have a premises, I don't know if the business would have survived online. that's just I think seeing is believing. And when you're talking about quality fabrics for the

you know, for the increased price that, you know, it's a little bit more expensive than maybe what other people are used to buying fabric for. But the quality of that fabric has to be seen to be believed. And it's not something that's easily sold online because you can't feel it and you can't feel the weight and the quality of it. And the colors are always hard to tell. And I do my best.

I think if I did the maths, would say, I don't know, 75 % of my sales walk in the door and a lot of them will be locals and tourists combined. I'm very grateful. I mean, I'd love if online did a bit better, given that that's kind of a worldwide thing, but I can totally understand that my customers want to feel the fabric first, you know.

Gemma Daly (59:49)
That's a really interesting point though, because it sort of sounds like if we want to be buying better, there needs to be more opportunity in person to feel it and to look at it rather than just on a screen.

Bawn (1:00:02)
Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, it's like if you, mean, shopping for clothes online, if you do that, you're, you know, you might buy two sizes and send one back or, you know, it will be a complete no. And then you send it back. And it's just like kind of wasting your time, wasting your money. But if you actually took the bus into the city center and tried on one or two sizes there, and then you, A, get a sense of whether you actually like the garment in person.

And B, you get to try it on for size. Not that you can try on fabric for size, but you can actually see the finish on it. can see, yeah, seeing it in the flesh will save you time and money. And I mean, is that all what we're trying to do? Save time and money?

Gemma Daly (1:00:47)
Yeah,

and save resources at the same time. You know, it's all impactful, isn't it? On that vein then, what role do you think that home sewists play in reducing textile waste?

Bawn (1:00:51)
Totally, absolutely.

Excellent question. Do they? That's my question. Do they?

I think out there maybe I feel like it's two very different camps of people who shop the high street, whether it's fast fashion high street or not fast fashion high street. But you're buying into a system where it's mass production, but also fabric is mass production. You know, so it doesn't actually it doesn't have that added labor cost of cutting and like

Yeah, pattern cutting and finishing and labeling and like, but there, you you're still buying into an industry that's probably over saturated with roles and roles of fabrics in warehouses all over the world. And then the other question I'm kind of kind of tinkering with is.

Well, obviously, whole zero waste pattern movement or practice is really popular. And yes, that does reduce your fabric consumption. But a lot of patterns, you've got a lot of waste. And so I think I suppose it's encouraging creative people to use that waste creatively. So patchwork, even little embroidery projects. But I can see how and I'm not an expert in this side of

like in manufacturing of garments, but you can see how potentially there's a lot less waste per unit of clothing potentially if they're being made mass produced in that way that they're, you know, pattern cutting, maybe two garments into one. so, you know, using the waste for the next garment, you know, if that makes sense.

yeah, I think that's a question that will maybe forever remain unanswered.

think we can only do our best as home sewers. And if that means like just using your scraps wisely or passing them on to a friend or passing them on to a school who might do creative projects. And I recently used a lot of my scraps to make a tailor's ham for myself. And I can tell you that there's a that is a heavy ham.

Gemma Daly (1:03:00)
Okay. .

Bawn (1:03:11)
There's a lot of fabric scraps got into that and my scrap in like

definitely reduced by half if not more. And so yeah, it's finding useful, ways to use your waste and.

Yeah, I think also not having, personally not having a fabric stash feels less wasteful to me as well. I'm only buying what I'm using if at all possible. you know, if you're planning the next couple of makes and you feel like, I don't really want to be telling people what to do.

Gemma Daly (1:03:32)
Yeah.

Bawn (1:03:42)
But I suppose I'm in a lucky position where having a fabric shop, can come here on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon when the shop is closed and pick my fabric at my leisure. And not everyone can do that. some people have to buy a few things at once when they have the time and the resources to do so.

Gemma Daly (1:03:53)
Mm-hmm.

It's a tricky one, isn't it? And I don't think anybody has one answer that fits all. And that's where it's hard to offer advice, but if we can all do small things that help, then we're going in the right direction. Do you have any exciting plans, Bevan, or any changes for the business that might be coming up?

Bawn (1:04:05)
Yeah.

Absolutely.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Gemma Daly (1:04:29)
or even your own personal sewing plans.

Bawn (1:04:32)
Small changes to the shop this year will be, ⁓ well over Christmas I kind of did some DIY so I've built some bit of fabric storage so there's one or two things that have been sitting in cardboard boxes you know discreetly in a corner being like that'll be fine just sitting in a cardboard box and so I've built some furniture and I've ordered another probably what will be the last piece of furniture for the shop because

Gemma Daly (1:04:43)
. .

Bawn (1:05:00)
I think that'll be now the shop at absolute capacity in terms of ⁓ storage availability. So that's coming, which will kind of, it won't necessarily increase the stock offering, but it will ⁓ improve the usage of the space. yeah, having that extra piece of furniture will kind of spread out.

what is now kind of an overcrowded space, so it's more accessible for people. And what else? Well, I've redone the stockroom over the Christmas, re-jig that. That's quite helpful. The only main change that might happen, which I think will probably happen around springtime, is I'm going to maybe extend the opening hours a little bit. So I currently open 12 till 4 on ⁓

Wednesday. So I think I'll make that a full day. And once I think maybe April comes around. And so up until April last year, the shop only opened Thursday, Friday, Saturday and 12 till four on a Sunday. And that was fine as the shop was kind of, you know, you'll still have your quiet days. I don't get me wrong. But so I last year introduced the Wednesday 12 till four thinking that will take weeks, if not the full year to kind of

I mean, I could be sitting here on my own every Wednesday until people realize that I'm open. But actually that was really successful really early on. So I think I'll probably end up making that a full day. And yeah, I think I'll keep my 12 till four on a Sunday, mainly because Glasgow is pretty asleep until midday on a Sunday. And when I do run workshops, they're usually on a Sunday afternoon.

or Sunday evening. it's nice to kind of finish the shop at four and then turn the place around. And then it just means the workshop can happen from about half or five until five, six, seven, eight. And you're kind of home by nine. Whereas if the shop open till six, it's a very long day otherwise. But I can't think. I've not got grand plans other than that.

take the years it comes. And obviously, like, I think it's a gradual process of like learning, like, there's a couple of fabrics that are like, maybe slow, slow sellers. So you're kind of always reflecting on what's working and what's not working and moving with the flow of that. ⁓ And that's also what's lovely about being a solo you know, a business owner end of story is that if you want to make changes, well, they can happen that day. They don't have to, you know,

seek approval from anyone. ⁓ But I do also want to balance that with some level of consistency and reliability. So I'm not changing the scope of the business every second But yeah, so I think the yarn, if I get maybe one more yarn supplier, that would be nice. I'm kind of thinking I could do with another pattern.

like a pattern company and where I would put that I don't know maybe not the last piece of furniture I will buy and who knows but yeah I'm you know what I'm I'm trying to be kind to myself and kind of retain a level of work-life balance sorry that's the phrase and

Gemma Daly (1:08:00)
Yeah.

Bawn (1:08:19)
So not putting

too much pressure on myself to make promises that I may not be able to keep. I will, as things arise and I feel like I can change them, then they will happen.

Gemma Daly (1:08:33)
Lovely. And I think that goes with your sort of slow ethos and just small tweaks here and there. That's lovely. So to tie up the interview, Bevan, I like to do a little game of this or that, if that's okay with you.

Bawn (1:08:38)
Yeah.

⁓ yes please.

Gemma Daly (1:08:49)
So first of all, spring, summer or autumn, winter?

Bawn (1:08:55)
Autumn, winter 100 % all the way. I'm not a huge fan of the heat. I like the sun, just not the heat. And I love wrapping up and I love wool. So I love layering, layering all this fabric, all this wonderful fabric you can actually wear more of in the autumn, So yes, I'm an autumn and winter gal.

Gemma Daly (1:08:57)
Interesting. Yeah.

A meal out or a takeaway?

Bawn (1:09:19)
and meal out, meal out. So my partner is a chef. So we do like to treat ourselves to some fancy, fancy things. But by all means, like I, you know, love a five-guys but no, yeah, we've got some, we've got our sights on some nice restaurants coming up soon.

Gemma Daly (1:09:27)
Amazing.

Very nice. ⁓ A twirl first or dive right in?

Bawn (1:09:44)
I think it depends. think trousers, toile also think if the fabric is, if you're not that confident and you've got, you've spent money on the fabric and you don't have space to f it up, then I think toile toile the bit of it that you think is a problem. So.

And yeah, so I am toile for some and dive right in for others.

Gemma Daly (1:10:16)
I'd agree, I'd agree. Tea or coffee? Yes, you Scissors or a rotary cutter?

Bawn (1:10:20)
⁓ can we do this or that? like coffee for the first half of the day and tea for the second half of the day. Cool, thanks.

Scissors, personally can't get up with the cutters. much faff getting the cutting mats and scissors. I love, love, my scissors.

Gemma Daly (1:10:47)
I agree on that one. Wovens or knits?

Bawn (1:10:51)
woven, they behave, they are, they do what

Gemma Daly (1:10:55)
And sewing for yourself or others.

Bawn (1:10:58)
myself. I'm a selfish sewer. Because I get so little time to sew. It's all for me, babe. It's all for me. Unless I'll do... No, I will, if it's on my own terms, like I made my mum a shirt for Christmas because I thought the fabric she really liked.

Gemma Daly (1:11:07)
Yeah, I don't call it selfish.

Bawn (1:11:20)
But like she didn't ask me to make her anything. So I think if it's on your terms, then I'm okay with this. But I can't, I won't be taking advantage of  shall we say.

Gemma Daly (1:11:27)
Yeah.

No, definitely not. Especially when time is so precious.

Bawn (1:11:36)
So precious, yeah.

And also when you've got the kind of, I don't know if it's a combination of like imposter syndrome and meeting expectations and well, you could put so much work into something that actually somebody's like, could you not just, I'm like, my God, you've no idea how hard this is. So I think it's just, it's too stressful sewing for other people. Yeah, me, myself and I.

Gemma Daly (1:11:46)
Yeah. Yeah,

I get that. So where can people find you Bevan?

Bawn (1:12:02)
can find me on Instagram is the main social media platform. So that's just Bawn Textiles ⁓ or the website is www.bawntextiles.com. And there's also like a chat box in there that is not an AI chat box that chat box comes to my phone ⁓ and it's me responding to you. So,

And I have Facebook as well, but that's kind of just linked in with Instagram. ⁓ And you can find me at 613 Pollock Shores Road, Glasgow.

Gemma Daly (1:12:33)
Amazing. Well, you've been a fantastic guest today. Thank you so much for joining me and spending your time with me on the Sewing Social podcast.

Bawn (1:12:36)
⁓ thanks.

Delighted. Thank

you so much.

Gemma Daly (1:12:44)
you're welcome. You take care.

Bawn (1:12:46)
See you later.

Gemma Daly (1:12:47)
Bye.