Today we’d like to introduce you to Andi Barney.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Not long after realizing quilting was the missing piece in my life, my husband bought me a 1957 Singer 221 Featherweight for my first Mother’s Day in 2010. I took a class to learn how to clean it, and I fell in love with the process. They are the easiest sewing machines to clean and maintain, and they were meant to be maintained by the user. I had no idea that I was mechanically inclined, either!
I was already a collector of antiques and old things, so discovering that there were old sewing machines out there and most of them sewed better than modern machines, I become a hardcore collector. This was before vintage machines were popular again, so I could still find them for just a few dollars, and they just needed a bit of a cleanup and some loving care. I passed on many at the time because the wiring was not in good condition or it was obvious parts were needed, but I didn’t know enough and the internet didn’t offer much advice.
My interest in sewing machines, the different types and capabilities, and the way they work grew from fascination to obsession. At that time, I was making t-shirt quilts on commission for a lady and homeschooling my son, and I found time to tinker with machines. I purchased service manuals when I could and started collecting enough information to figure out how to make repairs and bring machines back to life. It was a lot of trial and error, and the learning curve was pretty great.
My collection grew and grew, and then I started getting requests from friends and avid sewers I met in my quilt guilds. I noticed an issue with keeping the older machines going.
One, dealers would either turn them away without knowledge on how to work on them or without access to parts, and two, many felt that they were judged for the old machines they loved using and were told they were better off throwing the old machine in the trash and upgrade to a fancier, newer model. Those with family heirlooms, especially treadles, just left them sitting in basements, attics, barns, and dark corners unused because they didn’t know of anyone who could get them working.
I started taking machines on a paid, limited basis and working on them in my home in early 2011. Word of mouth spread and more and more requests were coming in. Then in 2015, circumstances changed and I became part owner of Red Hen Stitch Shop, and I moved my service into the shop. It didn’t take long for word to spread, and my business went from hobby to full-blown business. I found a few mentors in Texas that worked with me on learning how to service modern sewing machines, including computerized machines, embroidery machines, and sergers.
I offered service on all machines, but I kept my specialty in restoration, maintenance, and repair of vintage and antique sewing machines. There are so few independent, organic, mechanically-inclined technicians left because most have moved to the dealer model. Our model is to keep machines running, their model is to sell you a new one, so they are vastly different. I have people traveling from surrounding states to have their machines serviced and restored, and many keep up with machines that are for sale on consignment in our shop.
I encountered a problem and great concern last year when my business had doubled yet again, and I realized I needed help. The problem is, there really isn’t a way for someone to learn how to service machines – no real school exists, it isn’t a class offering in any college, and the older generation that have the knowledge either cling to it, unwilling to share, or have passed on. I tried a few apprentices, and while they were amazing people I was proud to have working with me, there just wasn’t a feasible way to get them through training and knowledge in a timely manner. I would estimate it takes a good 18 months to 2 years of hands-on application to really get up to speed on sewing machine service and repair.
That’s when it hit me that there were two huge gaps in the industry – a lack of independent technicians and a way to train them. I started building on the idea of a learning academy in 2016, working out the details of how to train both hobbyists and potential business owners. This Fall we are launching our very first workshops in the Sewing Doc Academy and will continue building our programs into a full-scale trade school. We’ll have very basic classes in cleaning and lubricating vintage machines, and eventually, we’ll have a full certification course for servicing all machines, including modern and computerized.
Not only will we train potential technicians, but we’ll also be adding classes on how to start, build, and maintain a business. We’ll be using our service shop as a prototype to flesh out a franchise program, and we’re open to a corporate partnership – say a national craft store that wants a service location in each of their locations. Above all, I want to make sure the independent technician doesn’t become extinct, and I want small towns to have service centers that will take care of machines. The possibilities are endless.
Has it been a smooth road?
Someone once told me that the greatest danger a business faces is that it will grow to fast. I never understood that statement until I found myself in that very scenario. I am so grateful that I have built a reputation as an honest, caring expert in sewing machines, but machines started coming in faster than I could get them back out.
In 2014, I started teaching my husband how to service machines, mostly because he was just interested. He hadn’t planned on applying the knowledge, as he was working 60+ hours a week in a corporate job. However, in 2016 when business exploded, he left his job to help me with more time-consuming machine issues, such as electrical rewiring and motor service.
We gradually worked on increasing his knowledge and application, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up without him. My customers are amused when I tell them he taught me to sew, and I taught him to service machines.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our shop focuses on two different aspects: one is vintage and antique machines, and the other is routine service and maintenance and minor repairs on all machines. As a quilter, I can remember the frustration of having to drop my machine off for just an annual cleaning, and not getting it back for 8 weeks. This became an even bigger issue when I was using my machine to make a living – 8 weeks is a long time with no income!
So I vowed to have machines for the least amount of time possible. We started an appointment system that has no additional charge. On our website, you can schedule an appointment – you drop off your machine any time during business hours on that day, and unless there is a need for parts or major repair, you’ll have your machine back in 3 business days or less. Even without an appointment, we try to have the machine less than 3 weeks for routine service.
We charge $67 for mechanical machine service, $82 for electronic/computerized machine service, $82 for serger service, and $140 for embroidery machine service. Other services we offer are repairs, gear replacement, motor service, electrical rewiring, treadle restoration, and consignment sales.
We don’t charge a “bench” fee, which is a fee sometimes paid just to look at and assess the machine. If we don’t fix the machine, either because the machine can’t be fixed or the customer doesn’t want to make the investment, the customer owes us nothing. All full service and restoration comes with a 6-month labor warranty, which means it’s free to bring the machine back in for service during that time – if there’s an underlying problem with the machine that we couldn’t catch right away, it’s not fair for the customer to keep paying to bring it back in.
I built my business based on my experiences, both good and bad, with other shops. I have always promised that I would be the Queen of Customer Service. Sewing machine operation isn’t always cut and dry, and I always felt that knowledge or aftercare was lacking. I once had my sewing machine serviced in a local shop well before I knew much about machines. I thought that I was only going to pay $80 for cleaning and service, but when I picked up my sewing machine, which wasn’t ready until 9 weeks after I dropped it off, I was handed a bill for $140 with very little explanation.
Also, I guess I was using the wrong bobbin in my machine, as there was a sticky not on the machine that said “the wrong bobbin”, but nothing telling what bobbin was in the machine, or what bobbin I should be using. I had no idea that so many bobbins existed, and each model uses a specific type. I was left on my own to figure it out. It makes me sad that if customers know my name but haven’t met me, they expect to meet a grumpy old man when they come into the shop for the first time because that has been the experience of the past in most shops. If you know me at all, I am anything but! Sewing machines and using them should be fun, not a burden.
I am very passionate and very fun-loving in regards to sewing machines, and I want to pass on as much of that to as many people as possible. It only recently occurred to me that most technicians are not quilters or sewists – they purely know machines from a service, business standpoint. So I think that approaching service as a quilter adds to my skills as a technician. Sure, sometimes the green hair and tattoos are a little unexpected, but there is generally a sense of relief that I am approachable and treat my customers and their machines like family.
There is a charity component to what we do, also. We plan to pull potential apprentices from the learning academy, and we’ll use their training as an opportunity to continue to service machines for free for local charity efforts. As a personal interest, we would like to extend scholarship opportunities to the previously incarcerated and others that have a hard time finding suitable employment. We want to offer a full range of classes that are not only machine and business-related but also includes soft skills.
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity at this time to service or repair commercial/industrial machines or longarm quilting machines. We also cannot do house calls. But we hope to add these services as we gain more technicians.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Metro Atlanta is definitely a great place for service business! There is a huge demand for sewing machine service and not enough supply. One of the struggles is that traffic makes it difficult to get to a service shop. I am so grateful to have customers that are willing to drive from south Atlanta to Marietta to have their machine serviced because they trust my work. But I know it isn’t easy. We could have a dozen of our service shops in Metro Atlanta, and it still wouldn’t be enough to keep up with demand.
Pricing:
- Mechanical Machine Service starting at $67
- Electronic/Computerized Machine Service starting at $82
- Serger Machine Service starting at $82
- Embroidery Machine Service starting at $140
- Motor Service and Electrical Rewiring starting at $60
- Gear Replacement starting at $180-$250
Contact Info:
- Address: 22 Trammell Street SW, Ste. B Marietta, GA 30064
- Website: www.SewingDoc.com
- Phone: 770-794-8549
- Email: atlantanw@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewingdocandi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SewingDoc/
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