ON Saturday, April 14 28 members of a local sewing community were warmly welcomed to Fabworks Mill Shop in Dewsbury for a private tour of the establishment and to purchase dressmaking fabrics for future sewing projects.

The group were existing students from The Sewing Shed in Ilkley and the trip was organised by proprietor Leonie Pratt who said: "It was a wonderful opportunity to help students select and buy fabrics complimentary for their skin tone and suitable for their new projects. It is much easier to choose fabric in person as you can touch and feel the fabrics."

Fabworks in Dewsbury was a short walk from town's station and the group were aided by the helpful team in store - located in a former working textiles mill. They reported it was bursting with fabrics for all fabric and sewing needs, with the family run shop stocked with high end, affordable, sustainable and dead stock fabrics.

Lisa Haywood, a weekly sewing student added: "It was such a lovely day bringing an amazing community of women together."

The group travelled by train and visited Leeds for afternoon tea on the way home.

The Sewing Shed has been established in Ilkley for 14 years and offers weekly sewing classes for adults of all abilities, weekend patchwork and quilting workshops, afterschool clubs and school holiday sewing classes for children.

For more information www.thesewingshed.co.uk or email Leonie@thesewingshed.co.uk