Midweek Mugging: Patch Halifax

This week’s Midweek Mugging recipient is Christina Pasquet, owner of Patch Halifax.

Located at 2571 Robie St., Patch offers customers both the materials and knowledge to create their own clothing, quilts and other items. The store sells fabrics and sewing patterns, while also providing classes and machine rentals.

Pasquet, who is from Halifax, has an educational background in textiles and fashion. She previously worked in theatre and retail, and decided to open her own store while on maternity leave.

“I felt like if I did go back to work I wanted to make it really matter, and this was just something that I always wanted to do, so I did it,” Pasquet said.

When selecting fabrics for the store, Pasquet said she stays away from synthetic materials and looks for fabrics she knows could be used in a variety of different ways including for quilts, home decor and clothes.

“Definitely my favourite part is helping people choose fabrics for projects,” Pasquet said. “I love it, I could do it all day long. When people come in and are choosing fabrics for classes, for quilts, for clothing, finding what they want—that’s the joy right there.”

Pasquet said she originally intended Patch to be retail only, but quickly saw the need for classes.

“At first it was going to be a fabrics store, because I wanted to be selling something that I loved, and then the class component just kind of came along,” she said. “And now I realize they are just so complementary, and it makes so much sense.”

The classes are open to beginners and don’t require previous sewing skills. Currently, one of the more popular courses is learning to create a jersey dress, but Pasquet said she finds the demand changes depending on the time of year.

“It tends to vary seasonally, for instance at this time of year clothing classes are really popular, because in this climate people can actually start wearing the things that they can make,” she explained. “And then in the fall and winter, I find that quilting is a little more popular.”

There are six students per class, allowing people to get a hands-on experience and ask lots of questions, Pasquet said.

Sewing machines are also available for rent by the hour, for those who don’t have the space or resources to work on projects at home.

Pasquet said Patch attracts people across a range of interests and skill levels.

“It’s a mix of [making] clothing and quilting, and also sometimes people just come and will be like, ‘Wow this stuff is beautiful, I want to take a class so I can learn how to use it,’” she said. “So people come in from all different directions, which is really fun.”