Interview with Linda Eilers, founder of Linkle Stitch'n bitch Nähcafé

What is the idea behind your shop?

--It is a sewingcafe, it works like an internetcafe but instead of computers we have sewing machines. People can come in and get started for 5 euro per hour even if they have never sewed before they can come here to learn it. But the can also come If they have only got little problems like broken zips or if they don’t know how to sew in sleeves and things like that. We have also got a lot of special machines which people haven’t got at home. And you can also do sewing courses here.

What kind of courses?

--Most of them are general sewing courses that means that everyone has got their own project going on and everyone works in their own level and tempo and I am helping them.

What ist he most normal thing that people sew?

Bags and skirts!

What kind of people are coming here?

--All kinds of people. From 7 year old girls to grandmas with their grandchildren but most of them are women between 25 and 35.

What kind of fabrics do they use?

--Very different fabrics! I would say I’ve had everything here.. leather, jersey, cotton, cord yes I would say everything really...

Are there also fashionstudents who come here and want to learn more?

--Most of them aren’t coming here to learn more they are coming here to use the special machines which they haven’t got at home like overlock and coverock machines.

What do people think about your idea?

--There are more and more people coming who want to do the courses and lots of them are just coming to get help when they are stuck.

When did you found the linkle stitch `n bitch nähcafe?

--5. September 2006

And since then it got better and better?

--YES!

Linkle stitch’n bitch Nähcafé
wrangelstrasse 80
10997 Berlin
Linkle@linkle.de
http://www.linkle.de/
opening times:
Tuesday- Friday: 1pm – 10pm
Saturday: 1pm- 8pm
Sunday: on arrangement.