KATIE

We visited Katie Squire at the Merchant & Mills Residential Sewing Retreats in Rye.

What is your background, and how did that lead to you teaching at the Merchant & Mills retreats?

Katie. My mother taught me how to sew when I was about eight. As a teenager, I always loved making and dipping into all sorts of creative stuff; being experimental, I tried making my own clothes. In high school, I studied textile design and art; I loved both subjects.

By the time I’d completed my exams, life was starting to happen; I went to study an Art Foundation course in Leamington Spa. I did ceramics, textiles, life drawing, sculpture, the whole shebang.

After that, I had fun for a while. I travelled, living in West Africa for a bit. I ended up in Sydney, where a short holiday turned into a year of living in Australia.
I was working cash-in-hand jobs, waiting on tables, etc. I remember making a lot of clothes when I was living in Sydney.

When I came back, I moved to London. I wanted to indulge my creative urge, specifically textiles. I studied a Textile Design Foundation at Morley College in Waterloo. At the same time, I worked at restaurants in the West End.

Off the back of that Foundation Course, I applied for a degree at Central Saint Martins. I was 27 by this time, a mature student living in London. I didn’t think I would be accepted onto the course, but I was. I did a BA in Textile Design, which was print, knit and weave, in year one, and then specialised in weave.

While studying, I worked at a restaurant in my neighbourhood, East Dulwich, Peckham area. Waiting tables helped pay my way a bit, alongside borrowing a load of money.

I was 30 when I graduated. The day after the private view of my degree show, my Mum had a stroke and died days later. Then everything changed. All the wheels fell off; it was entirely unexpected and sudden. My Brother and I had everything to deal with, emotionally and practically; my Dad passed away when I was young. So, I didn’t do anything with my degree. I didn’t go to my graduation. I retrieved my major work but didn’t collect anything else from uni.

My creative life stopped, but real life carried on. I was made general manager of Franklins restaurant, where I’d been working. I was there for three years in that role; then, I was asked to rejoin my old team from the West End. I moved to another company, where I became an operations manager for a large group of restaurants in London. I did that for around ten years; it was hard work and fun, but I wanted to be out of London by this time. I craved space.

I wanted to make room and time for creativity again, but I didn’t have the head space to work it out. I moved from Peckham to Pett Level, worlds apart, and I got a puppy, Warwick. My boss asked me to stay. He gave me three months off; I trained my dog and got to know him. Then, I went back as a consultant for a year and commuted from Rye to St. Pancras two to three days a week. Until I decided I needed to stop all that, I needed freedom.

How did you first encounter Merchant & Mills?

Katie. It was about to be my 40th birthday, and my good friend said, I’m going to take you to a shop; if you owned a shop, I imagine this is what it would be like. Then I discovered Merchant & Mills (M&M) and fell in love. On a Saturday in December, I met Michael Jones, who was so sweet, friendly and chatty. It was a much smaller shop back then, but still, I spent around four hours there. I was smitten.

Keen to keep in touch, I contacted Michael and said I’m sure everybody wants to work for you, but this is what I do. Please remember me, that sort of thing. Then I met Carolyn (RyeZine No.3), and she said it’s great to meet you; we don’t have anything for you now. But we had connected.

Then something came up on Instagram from Warp & Weft in Hastings Old Town. They were looking for a freelance machinist. I already knew the shop, it’s beautiful. I messaged and then met them; I didn’t have a CV but wore a dress I had made from a M&M pattern. Brett, the tailor, and Leida were so warm I started working with them immediately.

I worked alongside Brett for three years. I made a collection of female made-to-order garments and occasionally did some bespoke stuff with Brett. I could sew when I took the job, but I learned so much more from him.

"Being with Brett for those three years was equivalent to doing another degree, undoubtedly."

Katie Squire

Elwen, Katie and Sophie at the Merchant & Mills Retreat.

Out of the blue, Michael sent me an email saying you may know Merchant & Mills had the building renovated with a view to opening a sewing school, and we wondered if you’d be interested. I said yes, absolutely. I’d had spells of teaching, including at Canterbury College as an undergraduate on the Fashion and Textiles Foundation.

I was introduced to Chrissy, who had worked for Carolyn almost from the beginning of when M&M came to Rye, an amazing seamstress. We opened the school; Chrissy and I were the teachers. We ran a mix of classes, experimenting and seeing what worked best and soon into that journey, we decided to run a residential retreat.

We had six machines in the studio, so six spaces. We initially used Whitehouse in Rye (RyeZine No.2) as accommodation. We advertised two dates for the retreats, and they sold in minutes. Those retreats were magical; they went amazingly well, and we all loved it: the people connection, passing on skills and knowledge and watching people grow.

Carolyn and I talked; I said we could find a house. It’s about more than just having six humans at six machines. It’s a retreat; it’ll help create that vibe.

We hired Marta’s house, St John (RyeZine No.5), for more retreats, and that worked really well. It was all going beautifully; we had a calendar ahead of sold-out retreats, and it was a joy to lead them; then COVID-19 hit. Everything halted, and all the dates were cancelled.

Like every business, we adapted to the situation. The upstairs teaching space at M&M became like a mini factory while the team fulfilled retail orders. I worked with Joe Snelling in Roderick’s photography studio for six months and made some online tutorials; it was intense. After that, I led the pattern development for a time. It was uncertain when we would open the school again.

We’d put an advert on Instagram for a retail team member just before COVID-19, and Elwen got in touch. She was living in North Wales at the time. Elwen had graduated from university in Falmouth and had loads of experience working in fabric shops. I knew she’d fit right in when she arrived at the studio. She’s very passionate about sewing and fabric and has a gorgeous style.

As a company, we started looking at a long game. I couldn’t do everything I needed to do on my own. So Elwen joined me in the pattern development and sewing department to learn how we sew. When she arrived, she was already skilled and talented but needed to understand how M&M sew to teach on the retreats to become the second teacher as Chrissy is now retired. Elwen is phenomenal; it’s not just about sewing. You need many skills when running the retreats, teaching, hosting, and holding space; you need to be able to welcome everyone who arrives each time with kindness and curiosity. A big part is ensuring they each have a wonderful time and enjoy their journey.

As Elwen’s role develops and she takes on more, we must future-proof the school’s longevity. Right now, Elwen and I have got it, but what if one of us falls off the edge of the planet? So now we have Sophie on board. She was part of the retail team and is really into sewing, our patterns and the cloth, with a background in teaching.

Elwen is now training Sophie for a six-month journey. It’s like this nice cycle. Elwen gets to pass on her knowledge, affirming how much she knows, alongside teaching on retreats. She’s now bringing Sophie up to be able to host and teach.

Walk us through a retreat?

Katie. Students arrive Monday afternoon at the Merchant & Mills house, The Grove. Six strangers arrive by train, plane, or car. Most are coming to us alone and travel to us from all over the world. I’ve had quite a dialogue with them before they arrived about what they’d like to make while with us. Even so, many of them are a little nervous when they first arrive. They can pick any M&M pattern. We welcome any skill level with open arms. We’ve had people who have never threaded a needle, let alone used a sewing machine, and students with years of sewing experience. Everyone does what they want to do at their own pace.

Sewing is a very mindful process; I’ve found it to be very healing, like walking. We teach traditional techniques, focusing on taking time and doing it well. When the students pick their project and work at their own pace without needing to compare themselves to anybody else, it’s a beautiful, unique, and often transformative journey.

We all meet at The Grove, and of course, it’s filled with beautiful cushions, quilts, curtains, and blinds; all the textiles are made from Merchant & Mills fabrics by a team of M&M sewers; everything is beautiful. The Grove was Carolyn’s love project for two years; she continually adds artworks, often
from local artists, textiles, ceramics and found objects. It’s inspiring to everyone who stays.

We settle them in and get to know each other for a few hours. People have described coming to see us for retreat as a kind of pilgrimage; some are a bit nervous when they arrive, but the warm greeting settles them almost immediately. Six strangers start chatting and eating together. They’ve always got their stories to share, and they get close relatively quickly. Of course, we also span a massive age range, which is beautiful. We share lunch with the retreaters each day. You have these eight humans sitting around the table from around the world, and what connects us all is our love of sewing.

"When a new class arrives at the Retreat, it feels like you're about to make new friends, and you are interested to know how they will gel as a group and how the week will pan out, which is exciting!"

Sophie Pendrell

On Tuesday morning, the students arrive at the shop and say, oh my goodness, awed by it all: the cloth, the display, the studio space and the gorgeous M&M crew working there. It’s inspiring and a lot to take in. A maker’s mecca results from a people-focused company, creative thinking and hard graft. With all the beautiful samples in the shop, you’ve got these six strangers playing dress up for about two hours, which is fun. Some people know what they want to make, but many change their minds a few times, whether around the pattern choice, the clothes or both.

Tuesday and Wednesday are full sewing days, with lots of learning, tea, cake, and delicious lunches. On Thursday, we break out for two hours in the afternoon. By this time, no one is sewing; no one knows their own name! They’ve all focused on their projects, learning many new things. So we step away from the studio for a couple of hours; some go and explore Rye, check out the shopping or visit Camber. Most often, they spend time downstairs with us in the Merchant & Mills shop, looking at and talking about clothes and matching them with patterns. We love doing that, too; it’s a fun afternoon.

Friday is another full day of studio time; there’s a lovely energy after the break the day before. Some people finish their first project and start another. New makes are being tried on throughout the day; it’s all buzzy. They’ve spent the week sewing, getting to know each other and all the crew who work at Merchant & Mills: the shop team who create the displays and look after all our customers, the guys delivering new fabrics from our warehouse, the people supporting in all the various roles, the shop dogs! Carolyn comes by throughout the week and chats with them about their projects, which is special. They’ve all been part of the M&M team for a week. Hearts full. We wrap up at four o’clock.

"The end of a Retreat is pretty emotional. There is a deep joy because you've met, connected, and are typically vulnerable with new people. It's a remarkable week, so saying goodbye is a bittersweet joy. It's not always goodbye because we often hear from previous guests."

Elwen Brindley Rowell

Elwen and I deploy our inner elves and sort the studio out. Then we head out for supper. Sometimes in Rye but often in St Leonards. They’ve been in Rye for five days, so it’s nice to go somewhere different. Pat the Bus picks us up in the minibus, of course. It’s a nice ride through the pretty countryside, and they see the sea. We enjoy a farewell feast of a delicious sharing menu for a couple of hours. It’s a beautiful end to the week, often with an emotional send-off. It’s about arriving as strangers and leaving as friends. I have genuinely witnessed a transformation for many students over the week while they were here. It’s a truly magical experience for them and all of us.

A shout out to the whole Merchant & Mills team, who are all integral to making the retreats a reality.

Also, read Carolyn Denham’s story here

Katie Squire - Teacher
Residential Sewing Retreats

Merchant & Mills, 14a Tower Street, Rye TN31 7AT
www.merchantandmills.com
Instagram. merchantandmills
Instagram. katiesquirecoach