London is one of the most famous cities in the world, with a wealth of culture, art, and textile history. We took a trip to visit some of our favourite sewing spots – come with us as we stock up our stash in the greatest city on earth
Words by Sophie Tarrant
Slipstitch
Located near the grand Alexandra Palace in North London, Slipstitch has fast become a favourite of knitters and stitchers alike since owner Rosie Fletcher purchased it in 2019. We met up with Rosie to find out what it’s like to run your own textile emporium.
“I love craft and it’s brilliant to get to spend all day thinking about it!” says
Rosie, who was brought up in a home filled with creativity and was taught to knit
by an Icelandic boyfriend at university. “It all started back in 2018. I have a chronic
illness and had been out of work for several years. I started working at the local
craft shop for two afternoons a week, to help build up my stamina. The business went
up for sale and I kept saying to myself, ‘If this was my shop…’
- and then I realised, I really did want it to be my shop!
“It’s fun to play with fabric and notions all day, but I also wanted to share my love of craft at a professional level. Three months after starting my new job, the store was mine. Which is completely the opposite of what you should do if you’re working with chronic illness but it was a big, brave leap and I’m so glad I did it. The shop has changed so much in that time. It’s a riot of colour – if we can display something in a rainbow, we will – and I bought a sofa and lots of chairs so people feel welcome when they come in. If you hang around too long, I will offer you a cup of tea!”
Slipstitch stocks a wide range of knitting and sewing supplies with a concentration on natural fibres such as cotton and linen, and also runs various workshops and drop-in ‘meet and make’ sessions twice per week. “Teaching was always part of the plan,” says Rosie. “We have an amazing space at the back that’s full of light and a huge table that’s lovely to sit around. It’s all part of making Slipstitch a super welcoming place to visit. There’s no snobbery – everyone was a beginner once and you only really learn by getting things wrong. I am not an inherently good knitter, I’ve just made thousands of mistakes and had to work out how and why.”
Rosie tells us that one of her favourite parts of running Slipstitch is being a reliable source of supplies for the local community. “I love that we’ve become that really handy local haberdashery for people in Muswell Hill,” she says. “When you break a needle or need a costum
