By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT–The name of a new shop, “Make Modern” is a clue to why the store, already popular in Greenwich and Darien, has come to Westport. The goal of the company is to bring the time-honored crafts of sewing, knitting, needlepoint and many other handicrafts into the 21^st century through classes, camps and special events for all ages.

The shop, at 180 Post Road East in space formerly occupied by Destination Maternity, opens tomorrow, with an open house on Wednesday, July 16 from 3 to 6 p.m.

“For us, crafting is a medium that’s accessible for everyone, but not a lot of places are equipped to teach it,” said Sarah Brindisi, manager of the Westport shop and a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design.

Classes for all

Classes and events are offered there for all ages, she said, but crafting can be a different experience for different ages. Adults may remember taking up crafts such as knitting or crocheting in their childhood, “or learning from their grandmother,” she said.

And for children, handcrafting is often a new experience – but an important one.

“For kids – it’s important for them to use their hands and think critically about things they are making that aren’t math and aren’t science and that are not competitive. It’s so important that it is not competitive … They’re learning things for pure happiness,” she said.

Make Modern is offering crafting camps all summer with catchy names for children in grades 1-3. These one-week camps include “Modern Artists,” Summer Safari,” “Flower Power,” and more. Classes for older children and adults, as well as for young children, will begin in the fall.

Parties

Parties can be celebrated in the shop all year including birthday parties, and adult “Craft and Sip” parties. Anyone throwing an adult crafting party at Make Modern can choose a craft from several choices.

Other services offered at the Westport studio include online shopping for craft kits, sewing patterns, and sew-your-own-project kits. In-store shopping will also be available in the fall.

The shop also has a gallery displaying fabric paintings and other artwork. Artwork currently on display includes fabric art by artists Victoria van der Laan and Shelby Smith, and vintage needlepoint.

Make Modern is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with weekend hours to be added in the fall. Parties can be scheduled all year on weekdays and weekends.

Make Modern
180 Post Road East
Westport
203-655-1985

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Gretchen Webster

^{_{Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, has reported for the daily Greenwich Time and Norwalk Hour, the weekly Westport News, Fairfield Citizen and Weston Forum. She was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman for ten years. She has won numerous journalism awards over the years, and taught journalism at New York University and Southern Connecticut State University.}}