KYN: New Owner Sews New Life into Fabric Store

DULUTH, Minn.– Hannah Johnson Fabric & Sewing Store nestled on East Superior Street in Lester Park has been catering to their crafty customers for 16 years.

And after dedicating more than a decade to the shop, the previous owner decided it was time to retire.

The new owner, Asher Estrin-Haire, is excited to alter the shop in his own way.

“I was here fixing sewing machines and taking in quilts to finish. And when she was retiring, I still needed a place to work. So, it was easier to buy this place and rebrand it more into just a quilt store, but not just a fabric store,” said Estrin-Haire.

Estrin-Haire wanted to transform the now ‘Stitch Craft Quilt Factory’ into a makers’ space. To continue selling the fabrics needed for projects such as quilts, bags, and other accessories.

But he also wanted to provide a community workshop to make those things.

“More into a place where people can drop in and sew, where people can meet, Be social. We have a snack bar in the back. It’s completely complimentary. The bathrooms are free to use. It’s just a very wide, open, friendly space. We were creating more of a community,” said Estrin-Haire.

And with that community, he’s looking forward to sharing what he loves to do with others.

“Oh, especially now. It’s such a creative outlet. It’s very much a stress reliever. And when you come in here, it’s just an escape from absolutely everything out there. And it works really well,” said Estrin-Haire.

One of his favorite parts of running this business, introducing new people to the world of crafting with fabrics.

“And what I particularly love is when younger people are interested in sewing and want to drop in learn how to sew, we have machines that they can learn on. We have places for them to store their machines if they don’t have room at home and a younger demographic to really get into what’s really an incredibly useful skill. We have beginner classes. And if there’s something somebody wants to learn and we don’t have a class for it, we can always do a one on one,” said Estrin-Haire.

Asher, alongside the rest of his staff, is looking forward to beginning classes at the store, or helping out customers with pre-existing projects.

If you’re interested in signing up for one of their classes, you can visit their website for more details.