Friends Anna Chudnovsky and Sarah Ruddle proudly displayed the long strips of bias tape to which they'd stitched upside down triangles, fashioned from a variety of fabrics.

Chudnovsky, a new mom, planned to hang her cheery banner in her baby's room and recently married Ruddle was so enthusiastic about the project she said her husband was going to have to contend with multiple banners festooning their living room. "Bunting banners are the new beaded curtains for our generation," the sewing newbie declared.

Lili Nedved and Henry Sinha opened Spool of Thread, a drop-in sewing lounge, class space and designer fabric shop last month.

They ditched their "serious" jobs--Sinha was an engineer, Nedved worked as business analyst for a venture capital firm--to do something more hands on and fun. They spent five months renovating an old warehouse space at 649 East 15th Ave., on the same block as French bistro Les Faux Bourgeois, creating a bright gallery-like setting with artistic touches. One hundred and fifty yardsticks deck the front counter and scattered buttons covered in epoxy fill dents in the concrete floor.

The couple wanted to create a community for sewers who are usually connected to electric outlets, unlike knitters who can clack their needles at coffee shops and on the bus. They provide space to those who would otherwise spread out projects on their dining tables only to stuff partially finished works back into their closets.

Sinha expected traditional quilters to flock to Spool of Thread, and the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is holding its next meeting there, but he and Nedved have been surprised by the profusion of people dropping in to sew clothes, decorations for weddings, curtains, and, in one case, a barbecue cozy. They've drawn mostly young women, but also men, one who's working on a T-shirt line and another keen to generate a slew of messenger bags.

Visitors pay $8 an hour to use one of Spool of Thread's six sewing machines, large cutting table and dress forms. Visitors are required to take Spool of Thread's Sewing Machine 101 course ($35) or to have basic skills before dropping in. Sewers who've mastered the basics can learn how to make place mats, aprons, A-line skirts and bags.

Nedved and Sinha know of sewing lounges in Toronto, London, U.K., Portland and Seattle and they insist getting crafty is not a trend.

"The art of sewing just keeps evolving," Sinha said. "It's really a lifelong hobby."

Nedved, whose sewn for 20 years and used to make and sell bags, insists once making things becomes a part of your life, it's hard to give up. She credits the Internet for inspiring wannabe artisans.

Including the course and the fabric they purchased, Chudnovsky and Ruddle estimate they each spent $75 Tuesday night.

"Not cheap," Chudnovsky said, but they got to try a new skill, be creative and productive and participate in a group activity that was more fun than boot camp.

crossi@vancourier.com