Local Shop Freya Jones Spinning and Fibrecraft Celebrates First Birthday
Freya Jones Spinning and fibrecraft will celebrate their first year of their bricks and mortar shop on Sunday 8thOctober.
Aylesbury High School and Bucks New Uni graduate Freya Jones is planning two weeks of activities and demonstrations with eminent local artists and workshops to celebrate the first birthday of her self-titled shop. The only one of its kind in Beds, Bucks or Herts, her spinning, weaving and felting shop is a riot of colour much loved by woolly enthusiasts and mixed media artists.
It hasn’t been an easy road to success. Freya was diagnosed with ME aged 12 which progressed in a downward trajectory until she was left bed bound and walking with a stick, “at 22 when you have to crawl from your bed to get a glass of water and the highlight of your month is going to the supermarket but having to borrow a wheelchair, life can seem incredibly bleak.” But when she had a break in the clouds of her health she grabbed it with both hands, “I found spinning by chance and the therapeutic nature of creating something beautiful whilst moving your limbs in a low impact way inspired me to push myself harder to get better – it gave my day a purpose” Over the next few years she continued to improve and embarked on learning everything she could about the craft. Then in August 2016 when she was driving past the place of so many happy memories, The Bucks Goat Centre, and saw a unit for let sign, she knew she had to take it.
Freya Jones is so much more than a shop full of lovely things, with her care and understanding of being disabled, in pain and ultimately being isolated Freya has created a community of like-minded individuals who can escape their daily concerns and lose themselves in achievable, low cost crafts. Over the first year she has created a haven for joy, “It’s my R&R, whenever I feel down I can go to Freya’s and be inspired, have a laugh and come away full of enthusiasm” says Elinor, a regular at Freya Jones. “It’s my happy place, ” says Sarah, another customer.
Freya Jones also supports local makers and stocks a variety of handmade yarn bowls, felting kits and hand sewn knitting needle rolls all created by individuals. “It’s important for me to help showcase local crafts people of which we have so many in the area!”
Freya Jones has also helped create Buckinghamshire Art and Crafts, based at the Bucks Goat Centre is a collection of crafty businesses, Handmade Books by Ros, Fabric HQ and Obsidian Art Gallery currently make the line-up but they are working towards even more creative businesses joining the site.
“Two years ago I couldn’t have even imagined that I’d be standing here today, I’m so proud and so humbled by the incredible positive response. I’ve been very lucky and I look forward to celebrating our 1stBirthday and then our 2nd,5thand 10th!”
Find out more atwww.freyajones.comor pop in store to see for yourself.
Freya Jones
Unit 1, Layby Farm
Old Risborough Road
Stoke Mandeville
Bucks
HP22 5XJ