The Smocking Bird has been open for more than 30 years, but as of a few months ago, it welcomed a new owner to the shop: Cobbie Llewellyn.
Cobbie has been sewing since her first daughter was born nine years ago, and after having twins, one of whom was born with special needs, she opted to stay home.
“So I just started sewing all the time, and it kind of just became a passion,” she said.
Soon, all of her children were in school, and with her newfound free time, Cobbie decided to purchase The Smocking Bird.
Together with her team, The Smocking Bird provides sewers and prospective sewers with the tools they need to bring their visions to life: fabrics, thread, Janome sewing machines and necessary supplies are all for sale. The shop also teaches classes — perfect for beginners and experts alike — and offers kid classes and summer camps.
Cobbie said, too, that many of the women who have been in the shop for some time are still present, helping customers with patterns or teaching classes. It’s this intergenerational and community feel of The Smocking Bird that makes it stand out.
“[There are] all ages, all levels of sewers getting together and helping each other,” Cobbie said, adding that the staff is extremely knowledgeable about sewing. “It’s really just a place to come and learn and to be with people who have the same passion for sewing that you do.”
She also finds the relationships she has built with her customers and vendors as the most rewarding aspect of her job, which she said is its “own little support system.”
“I think … we’re really a close knit little group, where everyone is there to help everybody else.”
► WHERE: 2831 Linden Ave.
► CALL: 879-7662
► WEB: thesmockingbird.com/
