Lydia’s Enjoying the ‘Fabric of Life’ in Suffolk
New retailer moves to Stonham Barns Park to spread fabric happiness to those who love to be creative
Lydia’s Fabrics is a new outlet selling fabrics for dressmaking, upholstery, costume making and much more besides.
Based at Stonham Barns Park in Suffolk, the new shop is the creation of Lydia Tyson, a mother of four children and grandmother to seven grandchildren, who has been matching people to fabrics for the last 20 years.
Originally from The Bahamas, Lydia came to the UK in 1991 and worked as an auxiliary nursing assistant in Hackney, London. She later moved to Worthing, West Sussex with her family and began selling ethnic goods at local markets as a hobby. The hobby then developed into a fabric supply business when a fellow-stallholder offered her two of his fabric stalls to run. Her mother was a seamstress and so creativity was a part of her upbringing. She made the change and has never looked back.
‘I have always loved matching people with the fabrics they need, whatever it is for’, says Lydia. ‘It’s all about sourcing the most practical and beautiful fabrics and then helping customers to make decisions about their creative projects.’
Many of Lydia’s original customers were specialist in nature. She supplied schools with fabrics for plays and dressing up days, theatres with costumes and a college with fabrics for its creative design students. Her largest customer of all bought fabrics for historic re-enactment days to make replica costumes including tabards, dresses, coats and cloaks.
Now stocking every fabric from designer dress material to Irish linen and upholstery fabric, Lydia is hoping to use her expertise to help customers from Suffolk and Norfolk to find the materials they need for their own individual or business requirements.
‘I can be working to find the right silks for a customer’s dress one day and plaids and cottons for home interior projects the next. Everything from blackout fabrics and table protectors to something beautiful with glitter overlays for a dinner dance or prom. Two days are never the same and it’s what I love doing and so it hardly feels like work at all.’
‘I feel blessed to have moved to Suffolk for a quieter pace of life and I enjoy everything about spending time here. When I moved here I only had one friend living in the county but know I am meeting people all the time and feel like I have made the right move for me. I love the country walks around Suffolk and I feel like I belong here already.’
Lydia moved to Ipswich this year. She first came across Stonham Barns Park retail complex there when her friend took her there for a coffee.
‘I had seen Suffolk on Escape to the Country and my friend was showing me properties around Ipswich and she brought me to Stonham Barns Park which gave me the idea for the location of my shop.’
Lydia’s Fabrics offers a full range of dress, quilting, craft, wedding, costume and home furnishing fabrics. Designer fabrics are also available.
Retailers at Stonham Barns Park include Carters of Suffolk, Chintzy Lamp, Future Presents Now, Harpers Furniture, Hemingstone Frames, Hot Tub Village, Ideal Interiors, Merit Sheds, Stonham Village Stores, Suffolk Bridal Outlet, The Beauty Barn, The Book Cellar and The Little Dance Barn. New retailers opened include SUP Den, Betty Loves Les, Lydia’s Fabric and Stephen Watkins Art Exhibition Outlet.
Stonham Barns Park has been awarded the VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark. This verifies that the whole site meets the Government and public health guidance on Covid-19 and that site has all the required health and safety processes in place including the NHS Track and Trace scheme.
For more information about retail outlets at Stonham Barns Park please contact 01449 711111 or visit www.stonhambarns.co.uk
