Shannon Robinson opened her first business venture called Fabric Nosherie two months ago in Old Webster. She named it to build upon the idea that it is a café of fabric.

She’s made the cozy fabric store into an inviting space where customers can settle in by the fire and browse through her collection of sewing books or rent a machine for a few hours to whip up a quick craft. 

The store is in Old Webster along N. Gore Avenue, a street that seems dedicated to the crafter at heart. Her neighboring shops offer things like custom embroidery or stamping supplies.

“I seriously got lucky. I just liked the space,” Robinson said of her store, which is located in the old Heritage Building. 

The Fabric Nosherie offers cotton fabrics in bright modern prints that Robinson said are difficult to find in St. Louis. She also carries sewing notions and teaches sewing classes.

As a mom of four boys, she understands that not everyone has time to sew elaborate projects, like tailored clothes or an heirloom quilt. But creating fun, useful projects, she said, is good for the soul. This is why her store specializes in quick and easy projects for busy crafters, like banners, aprons or tote bags.

The store offers a free craft demo a few Saturdays each month. Currently, she and her assistant, Miriam Coffey, are creating kits for a Thanksgiving turkey craft made of colorful autumn fabric and felt. The bird’s feathers are meant to have messages of thanks written on them in magic marker, either by the crafter’s children or holiday guests. She’s also planning a class on sewing reusable bags to wrap holiday gifts. 

“In January, we’ll have quilt classes,” she said.

The back of her store has a classroom area with easy-to-use sewing machines. When there isn’t a class going on, she rents time on the machines at $6 an hour. Her target audience includes those crafters who already know how to sew, but either don’t own a machine or lack the space at home to sew.

Although this is Robinson’s first business venture, she’s relaxed and confident about her shop’s success.

“I have a husband who’s amazing at business,” she said. Her husband is a long-time entrepreneur and construction contractor. They worked together on the store’s business plan, then remodeled the retail space on nights and weekends. She said they spent two months just on reviving the hardwood floor they found hidden under the carpet.

She has documented her store’s growth on a blog, which also serves as the store’s website.

The Fabric Nosherie is located at 21 N. Gore Ave. in Webster Groves. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more nformation, call 314-968-3794.