Melinda Noble only opened her Sew Productive store in Acton at the back of 47 Mill Street East a little over six months ago, and she's already doubled her footprint by annexing the front of the building as well and created some curb-side appeal at the same time.
The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday drew dozens of people and local politicians to the event, who mingled among the state-of-the-art sewing machines, work tables and colourful bolts of cloth. Noble admits she's spent countless hours preparing the new space. “The walls have been painted nice and bright so it looks like a studio rather than a typical retail shop,” Noble said. “It means that my conviction about a community wanting a one-stop shop for sewing was well founded. We're a completely accessible shop that functions as a learning hub for local crafters, knitters and sewers.”
On hand to cut the ribbon and deliver a welcoming certificate from the Town of Halton Hills were Mayor Lawlor and Councillors Albano, Hilson and Somerville. Mayor Lawlor also congratulated Jon Hurst on the renovations but Hurst later denied being much of an accessory. “It was all her,” he said. “It was all Melinda. She painted the walls white and refinished the floors. All I did was hang up a wire for a quilt.”
“I think it's great when you have a local business owner that starts small and builds up. There has been a lot of work put in. Melinda really cares about the community; she brings different groups in here. I think it's really exciting for everyone,” added Councillor Alex Hilson.
Noble attributes some of the success of the grand opening to the chalk drawings her eight-year-old daughter Jocelyn did on the sidewalk to promote the store.” She’s my artist. She was drawing a rainbow and put an arrow to the store and also made a sign: 'All are welcome'”.
Noble's husband Steve Kolozsvari was also supportive of his wife's enterprise. “She started out with 600 square feet and now she has got 1,300. There's lots of room to hold the classes in the back. The sewing world is a huge world. It's not just one type of person that does quilting or yarn work, it's people from all walks of life.”
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