AN ONLINE shop for sewing and crafts is opening a bricks-and-mortar store after seeing revenue rise 100 per cent in a year.

My Sewing Box was run from Christchurch by mother-and-daughter team Angela and Amy Gilbert.

The business, which sells fabrics for quilting and dressmaking, haberdashery and ‘sewing notions’, is planning to open in Kinson early next month.

The business started online in 2014 as a “fabric boutique and creative hub”, aiming to go beyond the offerings of traditional arts and craft stores.

It launched fabric subscription boxes two years ago, with more than 140 people signing up and more than 160 orders for one-off versions of the boxes.

Amy joined the team full-time in February, bringing experience working for well-known brands Docrafts and Hobbycraft. Revenue rose 100 per cent last year.

Amy said: “Being able to use my wealth of experience has definitely given us a strong advantage in being able to set up a space that so many of our customers are crying out for.

“It’s not enough just to drape some pretty fabric on a mannequin nowadays; creative types crave tangible project ideas and interesting product displays that tap into their way of thinking and get them excited about how they can use your products.

“We’re all about creating a rounded experience with our shop, offering ‘social sewing’ sessions to meet like-minded people and create our own community, running classes to expand your skills, and pushing the boundaries of fabrics and textiles with our range of other creative supplies such as weaving kits.

“We hope we can be a real asset to the creative community around us, and more than just a place to buy stuff. The lovely thing about being part of the crafting community is that it is built on support, encouragement and learning, and this is something we have built into our business too.”

The business received funding from the start-up help service Outset Bournemouth around two years ago, which helped it grow and afford the shop.

The shop will offer fabric brands such as Makower, Michael Miller and Riley Block, and was this year appointed the only Dorset stockist of Lilerty fabrics.

The My Sewing Box shop, at 38 Kinson Road, Bournemouth, opens on Saturday, July 7, 9am-4pm, with live demonstrations, a pattern swap, sign-ups for classes and refreshments.