Our Story

The Spool Yard was born from a love of sewing and a desire to create an inclusive place of community and creativity, where we can all learn from each other. We have always found the time spent in our respective sewing studios restorative and began to notice that others were rediscovering the numerous benefits of making something with their own hands. We feel strongly that sewing is a life skill that not only allows us to reduce our consumption of fast fashion and disposable goods by altering or repairing what we already own, but also to slow down and appreciate the legacy of this time-honoured craft. We want to empower those who are just starting their sewing journey as well those more experienced to continue to improve their skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Meet the Team

  • Shannon Roome

    Shannon, founder of the Spool Yard, is an entrepreneur and a lifelong sewist who has always dreamed of having a sewing studio big enough for all her friends to come sew with her. She is obsessed with fabric, and will sew together anything that she can wiggle into her machine — quilts, clothes, costumes, canvas, sails, rope, you name it!

  • Julia Petley-Jones

    Julia teaches many of our adult learn-to-sew, garment construction and pattern design classes. She knows a lot about how clothes are made! She has a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion from Kwantlen University and a Master of Arts in Fashion from Aalto University, Helsinki. She spent many years working in the fashion industry in Finland before returning to the Cowichan Valley. Outside of the studio you will find Julia spending time with her family and dog, and enjoying other creative pursuits like soap making, knitting and cooking.

  • Tanya Trafford

    Tanya helps our youngest sewists discover the fun of making things themselves in our learn-to-sew programs for kids. She loves nothing better than starting a new project or attempting to master a new craft (some stick, some do not). She is also a huge book nerd and has worked as a children’s book editor for many years.

In addition to the core team, we are fortunate (and grateful) to have many guest instructors who generously share their expertise in our workshops. More details on them can be found in the individual class listings.