In 2019 at age 11, Flynn started hand sewing and thought he would like to explore further and asked for a sewing machine for Christmas.
His grandmother, Jenny Koorey, was delighted as she is an avid sewer and quilter and, in the early 1990s, was one of the founders of the Arcadian Quilters, which still meets and exhibits to this day.
He practised his newfound sewing skills by making hair scrunchies and ties and went on to make a decorative bed pillow and bandanas for dogs.
In March 2020, the world as we knew it changed – mask-wearing became the “norm”. Flynn began sewing masks at the end of the homeschooling day, refining the design and receiving guidance with colour and pattern matching the fabrics with the help of his grandmother. Friends and locals began placing orders, and over the coming weeks, he spent every spare minute sewing face masks, selling well over 100 over the following months.
Fast forward to the July 2021 school holidays, and kids are home in lockdown. Undeterred by this, Flynn searched for a new sewing challenge and began making tote bags, once again enjoying putting colourful fabrics together and being proud of the final outcome. Since mask-wearing became mandatory, Flynn has sold more fabric face masks to locals and continues to keep a good supply for anyone interested in his wares.
As always, Flynn is excited to begin a new sewing project. His oldest brother Isaak has recently started working in a hospital and wears scrubs on duty.
The challenge Flynn is about to embark on is to find some interesting fabric designs and sew scrub caps!
