Corby haberdashery shop never had it sew good as keen crafters make face coverings

A Corby town centre wool and haberdashery shop owner has seen her busiest day in seven years, as crafty home sewers have been picking up material for face masks.

Belinda Wood, proprietor of Bella Knit, located on the balcony above Corporation Street, has had a constant stream of customers eager to buy fabrics and elastic to fashion their own bespoke coverings.

To keep up with demand, Belinda has drafted in extra help from family and friends with the shop doing three times the normal trade in one day.

She said: "It was a record-breaking day - It's gone mad since the announcement about the face coverings. Yesterday was manic. I had a queue stretching down the balcony."

As well as stocking hundreds of different fabrics, she has also been making and selling triple-layer face masks for adults and children.

During the lockdown period she donated homemade scrubs bags to the Corby Community Hospital staff. The business kept going with home deliveries for the lockdown crafting community.

She said: "A lot of people have taken up knitting, sewing and cross-stitch during lockdown. It's given people something to do.

"Recently I've had a rush on buttons so people can finish off their lockdown garments.

"The most popular fabrics are tartan, skull and crossbones, and poppies."

Helping during the corona crisis have been Belinda's mum, Diane Campbell, and friend Tina Keogh who has been doing the home deliveries.

Belinda added: "I would like to thank my customers for their loyalty during the crisis. I really appreciate them."

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