The Stitching Barn in Eatonton is keeping the art of stitching and quilting alive in a quaint boutique devoted to the craft. Allyson Lakeman and her mother, Becky Pitman, opened The Stitching Barn in May 2009 when they discovered there wasn’t a specialty shop for stitching and quilters.

“My mother and I realized there was a need for a specialty shop in the area, and we felt it would be a desired shop. My mother owns the store, and I manage it. My mother and I both love to sew and quilt,” Lakeman said.

Lakeman is a veteran of the craft, as she has been sewing for 35 years. Her mother has been sewing since 1980, and taught Lakeman how to sew.

“I have a background in fashion design. I bring fashion and color expertise to the table. My mother specializes in home goods and quilting. Together, we can just about handle any question about quilting or sewing, as well as give advice on the best products to use,” Lakeman said.

Not only does the specialty shop sell the best-rated products on the market, the store also offers classes to help customers begin or continue their passion for sewing and quilting.

“We have classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners. We’re always looking for new clientele. We conduct ‘open classroom time’ for women to get together, work on their products and talk. We pride ourselves on our warm and welcoming atmosphere. This policy has helped us build a family-type atmosphere,” Lakeman said.

Beginning Sewing classes take place on Thursday afternoon. Typically, the classes hold one or two people at a time. This small number helps to maximize the educator’s effectiveness as well as increase the student’s range of one-on-one knowledge.

“We don’t like to take more than eight people at a time. We also offer classes on Saturday. We offer something for everyone. We try to send out a newsletter online to let our customers know what is new in the store, new classes, and class times. Anyone who signs our Guestbook is e-mailed our newsletter if they would like it, and it comes out once a month,” she said.

The Stitching Barn no longer carries knitting supplies. The store focuses on stitching and quilting.

“We feature top notch quilting supplies sold only in specialty stores. We also have someone available to help piece projects together, whether it is machine quilting, or hand quilting. No matter the project, we’ve got everyone covered,” Lakeman said.

Lakeman teaches the Beginning Sewing class while Pitman teaches the appliqué class as well as a quilting class. Joan Lucas also teaches a quilting class as well as other classes designed to help students become more experienced and more organized quilters.

“Joan does a fabulous job teaching the quilting class. She is so organized and knowledgeable, but she is also very relatable as well,” Lakeman said.

The Stitching Barn is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The store is located on 105 Clack Circle, Suite 400, in Eatonton. For more information about the classes offered or the products available to assist with your latest project, call The Stitching Barn at (706) 485- 0028.