Twill: New Yarn and Fabric Store Opens Today

Sandy Zielie and her business partner, Susan Chiappini, are looking forward to creating a close-knit community space inside their new venture, Twill, a specialty knitting and fabric store at 100 Main Street.

Zielie said the two friends decided a few months ago to pursue their dream of opening a storefront dedicated to knitting and sewing. Zielie is well versed in all things knitting, spinning and weaving, and will run classes for those interested. Chiappini is an accomplished seamstress and will teach sewing, classroom style. They will also run school vacation and summer camp workshops for kids.

There is a couch and chair set up with tables, like a livingroom, where anyone can pop in for a lunch break, to sit and knit or chat while picking up some tips and techniques from fellow knitters, Zielie said.

"Everything just came together so fast. We had both, independent of each other, thought that this space would be perfect, and now, here we are," Zielie said.

They will cater to all skill levels, beginner to advanced, hoping to revive the art of handwork, something that has mostly been lost to this generation, Zielie said.

On Monday Zielie was unpacking yarn while visiting with her godparents, Dora and Bill Sullivan, who stopped by to see how things were coming together. Zielie, now of Wilton, grew up in Nashua, next door to the Sullivans.

Dora Sullivan has been friends with Zielie's mom since they were 5 years old.

Sullivan said she s looking forward to picking up where her crocheting skills left off years ago. "It's very exciting, she said.

Zielie was a longtime customer of Nashua's former downtown yarn show, which was owned and operated for many years by Beverly Vasquez, who died in June after battling cancer. Zielie is hoping to rekindle that same spirit of community at Twill, for those who enjoy the art and craft of working with textiles.

Although Zielie and Chiappini will be having a grand opening in the next few weeks, the registers will be up and running as of today, Oct. 2. Zielie is hoping people will continue to stop by and say hello.

"So far it's been great – people, my fellow merchants – everyone's already been so welcoming," said Zielie, who retired officially last week from her position as Development Director for Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton.

There is already a great yard store in Wilton, The Woolery, and Zielie said they didn't want to compete. Knowing Nashua once had a thriving knitting and sewing community, Zielie just saw a chance to revive that.

"This is going to be a whole new phase of life for me," Zielie said. "Up until this generation, this sort of thing was the most common way for women to gather. We're hoping that's what Twill will become."