Travelling sew and sews will be back

Sarah Lancaster (left) and Lolly Beckpancer, 'sew loving' the Far North.

Camper vans are a dime a dozen in the Far North at this time of year, but one stood out from the crowd last week.

For one thing it had a name - Cecil. For another it was laden down with solar-powered sewing machines. For a third, its occupants were intent on sharing their skills while they enjoyed a few gorgeous summer days.

Sarah Lancaster, originally from Thames but having consorted with Americans to the point where she sounded like one, and California girl Lolly Beckpancer billed themselves as a travelling sewing school, the silver lining to the cloud that fell on Sarah when she had to vacate her 'sewing lounge' in Auckland's Karangahape Rd to make way for a developer.

More than 200 people responded to the invitation to crowdfund mobile premises, and so she and Cecil hit the road.

Sarah and Lolly met in Raglan last summer, and last week they arrived in Kaitaia with their unique offer of sewing lessons for those, of any age and either gender, who were keen to acquire what was once a very common home-making skill.

There was more than one reason why people might be keen to learn to sew, Sarah said.

The potential to save money was obvious, but others might want to repair items that had been handed down to them. And for men the motivation might be to spare a much-loved garment from the rag bag.

"Men seem to be loyal to their clothes, while their wives tend to think they should be thrown out when they get to a certain stage," she said.

Cecil had covered much of the North Island last summer, and the South Island last autumn. Now it was the Far North's turn, and Sarah and Lolly were delighted with what they found.

"Kaitaia's the best in Northland for op shops," Sarah said. "There is a great supply of clothes and fabrics here."

Some of that fabric was turned into tote bags, which those who knocked on her door were invited to make themselves.

"A tote bag that's given to you isn't the same as one you've made yourself," she said.

Lolly was a skilled seamstress too, although her passions extended to permaculture, fermented foods and yoga. And both enjoyed the fresh food they found in the North.

"We've been living on watermelons and oranges," Sarah added.

"Northland is amazing for its fresh produce, sunshine hours and friendly people."

They did the touristy things too, practising their environmental message by picking up rubbish every time they went to a beach.

"We pick up rubbish on every beach we go to. If everyone picked up three pieces of rubbish things would be different."

It was the sharing of her skill with a sewing machine that was most rewarding though, and while sewing machines did not come cheap, there could be a way around that.

"People don't sew at home as much as they used to, and there must be a lot of machines stored away in cupboards. It would be so cool to have a system of sharing, so people who want to learn to sew can," she added.

Meanwhile Sarah and Lolly packed up Cecil on Wednesday for the drive south to Raglan, where Lolly is living until she returns to the United States in March, with a brief pause in Kaikohe on the way.

But both said they would be back in Kaitaia at some point, to see Cape Reinga (which they didn't get to this time) and perhaps to set up a sewing workshop.