Gather Here

What Gather Here does

Gather Here is a single-location specialty craft retailer and studio based at 1343 Cambridge Street in Inman Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, operated by owner Virginia B. Johnson. The company sells fabric, yarn, sewing machines, notions, patterns, kits, books, and accessories through both a physical showroom and a global e-commerce storefront at gatherhereonline.com. It holds exclusive regional dealership rights for BERNINA and bernette sewing machines, spanning entry-level to professional models priced from $299 to $16,499, and curates a multi-brand fabric and yarn assortment including Atelier Brunette, Cotton + Steel, Fableism Supply Co., Kelbourne Woolens, Liberty of London, and others. The company also operates an in-house sub-brand called 'gather goods' for needle felting kits in collaboration with Eling Chang of Migration Goods.

The business is differentiated from a pure retailer by three professional service lines that anchor recurring revenue and customer stickiness: edge-to-edge longarm quilting services using a BERNINA Q24 Q-Matic machine ($0.03 per square inch, $75 minimum); in-house sewing machine repair and service for all brands performed by certified technicians Meghan and Alvaro (priced at $125-$200 depending on machine tier, plus $60/hour for repairs); and large-format A0/CopyShop PDF pattern printing on a 36-inch wide-format printer ($5 first page, $2.50 per additional page). Additional value-added services include scissor and knife sharpening through a third-generation Boston-based partner, quilt repair via Stephanie Cave, and a calendar of classes and workshops including free 'meet your machine' sessions with BERNINA/bernette purchases. The company maintains active community-building touchpoints across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Ravelry, Pinterest, an email newsletter, and a blog branded 'gather.make.repeat.'

Gather Here is a privately held, bootstrapped, Filipina-woman-owned business with no disclosed venture capital, private equity investment, or institutional funding. The company holds a 4.88-star rating across 397 verified customer reviews and has earned regional media coverage in the Boston Globe, Boston.com, and Boston Magazine. Operating geographies are concentrated in Massachusetts for physical retail, with global reach through e-commerce shipping. The company has 16 employees and shows no indications of M&A activity, capital structure changes, or external investor involvement in the available data.

Name

Gather Here

Legal name

gather here

Website

https://gatherhereonline.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gather Here is a Cambridge, MA-based specialty craft retailer and studio selling fabric, yarn, BERNINA sewing machines, notions, and patterns, complemented by in-house longarm quilting, machine repair, and pattern printing services for hobbyist and serious makers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Supplies Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Quilting & Patchwork Shops (CRALADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Yarn, Knitting & Crochet Supplies Retail (CRALACAF), Sewing Machine & Serger Retail (CRALADAD), Pattern & Sewing Instruction Retail (Patterns, Books, Classes) (CRALADAH), Notions & Sewing Accessories Retail (Thread, Needles, Zippers, Buttons) (CRALADAG)

Keywords

• Fabric retail store
• Sewing machines
• Yarn shop
• Longarm quilting services
• Craft supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time sales of fabric, yarn, sewing machines, tools, notions, patterns, kits, books, and accessories through both physical store and e-commerce platform.
2. Longarm Quilting Services: Edge-to-edge machine quilting priced at $0.03 per square inch with $75 minimum. Additional services include binding, backing preparation, and rush orders at 25% surcharge.
3. Sewing Machine Repair & Service: Service pricing ranges from $125-$200 depending on machine type. Repairs billed at $60/hour plus parts. Embroidery module service at $75 additional.
4. PDF Pattern Printing: Large format printing service for PDF sewing patterns. First page $5, additional pages $2.50 each.
5. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase, driving future revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gather Here is a fabric, yarn, and sewing machine retail store with an attached studio in Cambridge, MA, offering curated craft supplies alongside professional services. The retail assortment includes BERNINA and bernette sewing machines, fabrics and yarn from multiple premium brands, sewing/knitting/weaving tools, patterns, kits, books, magazines, and gift cards. The store complements product sales with three contracted services: edge-to-edge longarm quilting on a BERNINA Q24 Q-Matic, large-format A0 PDF pattern printing, and in-house sewing machine repair and maintenance by certified technicians.

Product overview

Gather Here is a fabric, yarn, and sewing machine retailer with a studio in Cambridge, MA, offering a curated selection of craft supplies alongside professional services. The core product portfolio spans fabrics (cottons, linens, rayons, woolens from brands like Atelier Brunette, Cotton + Steel, and Fableism), yarns (various weights and fibers from brands including Hedgehog Fibres and Kelbourne Woolens), and BERNINA/bernette sewing machines. The business operates on a unified retail-service model where products are complemented by three key service offerings: Longarm Quilting Services (using a BERNINA Q24 Q-Matic for edge-to-edge quilting), PDF Pattern Printing (large-format A0/Copy Shop printing), and Sewing Machine Repair & Service (in-house technicians servicing all brands). The store also carries its own brand of accessories, patterns, and kits, plus gather goods needle felting supplies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• gather goods: Needle felting kits and supplies created in partnership with Eling Chang of Migration Goods

Products and services

• Longarm Quilting Services Edge-to-edge machine quilting services using a BERNINA Q24 Q-Matic longarm, accommodating quilt tops up to 104 inches wide with no length restrictions; priced at $0.03 per square inch ($0.04 for t-shirt quilts) with a $75 minimum and standard design patterns. Additional binding and backing services available.
• PDF Pattern Printing (A0/Copy Shop) Large-format printing service for PDF sewing patterns in A0 or Copy Shop size (36 inches wide) on a wide-format printer; first page $5.00, additional pages $2.50 each, with color printing available by request at no extra charge.
• Sewing Machine Repair & Service In-house repair and maintenance services for all sewing machine brands, specializing in BERNINA and bernette, performed by certified technicians. Basic service starts at $125 (mechanical) and $145 (computerized); BERNINA 7 Series $170, 8 Series $200; repairs billed at $60/hour plus parts; rush service available for 25% surcharge.
• BERNINA Sewing Machines Premium Swiss-engineered BERNINA sewing machines and sergers sold through exclusive dealership, ranging from $845 floor models to $16,499 for top-tier machines; includes 9 Series (B990), 7 Series PRO, 5 Series, 4 Series, 3 Series, and Q Series Longarm machines.
• bernette Sewing Machines Entry-level to mid-range bernette sewing machines including mechanical ($299–$499), computerized ($599–$1,199), sewing/embroidery combinations, and sergers ($699–$2,399), rooted in Swiss design.
• Fabric Curated fabric assortment spanning cotton, quilting cotton, canvas, chambray, denim, flannel, knit jersey, lawn, voile, linen, rayon, wool, sustainable fabrics, pre-cuts/bundles, and remnants, sourced from brands including Atelier Brunette, Cotton + Steel, Fableism Supply Co., Kona, Liberty of London, Merchant & Mills, Ruby Star Society, and Windham.
• Yarn Diverse yarn selection organized by weight (lace, fingering/sock, sport/DK, worsted/Aran, bulky/super bulky) and fiber (wool, merino, cotton, linen, alpaca, bamboo, mohair), including superwash, sustainable, US-grown, local New England, and hand-dyed yarns from brands such as Hedgehog Fibres, Kelbourne Woolens, Lion Brand, Malabrigo, and Woolfolk.
• gather goods Needle Felting Kits Needle felting kits and supplies offered under the gather goods sub-brand in collaboration with Eling Chang of Migration Goods, featuring basic and deluxe kits with wool roving and felting foam.
• Gather Here In-House Brand Products Store-branded merchandise including enamel pins, stickers, temporary tattoos, sewing patterns, YETI water bottles, notions bags, and gift cards.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Stephanie CaveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Stephanie Cave to offer quilt repair services and custom memory quilts as additional finishing options beyond gather here's own longarm quilting services.
• Eling Chang (Migration Goods)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Eling Chang of Migration Goods to offer unique, high-quality needle felting kits and supplies under the 'gather goods' brand.
• Third-generation Bostonian sharpenerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with a third-generation Boston-based sharpening service to offer scissor and knife sharpening for customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Connecting Threads: Online-first fabric, yarn, and notions retailer offering its own brands at value pricing. Competes with Gather Here for online craft shoppers seeking basics, kits, and tools.
• Purl Soho: New York-based indie fabric, yarn, and sewing studio with curated premium brands, classes, and a strong content/blog presence. Operates a similar 'curated, design-forward' positioning to Gather Here at a national scale.
• Fat Quarter Shop: Online-only quilting fabric and kit retailer known for pre-cuts, bundles, and designer collections. Directly comparable in product mix (quilting cotton, kits) and e-commerce-first distribution model.
• JOANN: Largest U.S. specialty fabric and craft retailer with both physical stores and a national e-commerce site. Directly competes with Gather Here on fabric, notions, sewing machines, and classes, but at a much larger scale and with a mass-market price positioning.
• Missouri Star Quilt Company: Hamilton, MO-based quilting-focused fabric retailer built on YouTube tutorials, online sales, and a destination retail experience. Closest direct peer in terms of quilting-centric assortment and community-driven content strategy.
• Modern Domestic: Portland, OR sewing studio and fabric store combining curated apparel fabrics with a heavy emphasis on classes and a BERNINA-equipped classroom. Conceptually similar in-store experience: studio, classes, premium machines, and apparel fabrics.

Broad incumbents

• Michaels: Largest North American specialty arts and crafts retailer with a wide assortment including fabric, yarn, and sewing machines. Competes for the same discretionary hobby dollar but lacks Gather Here's premium curation and service depth.
• Hobby Lobby: National big-box arts, crafts, and home décor retailer. Overlaps with Gather Here in fabric, notions, and yarn but at a much broader assortment and lower price points; competes primarily for casual and entry-level crafters.

Others

• BERNINA of America: Manufacturer and parent ecosystem of the BERNINA/bernette brand. Acts as the supplier and partner that gives Gather Here its exclusive positioning; comparable as a benchmark for authorized-dealer economics and brand standards.

Emerging players

• Spoonflower: Custom print-on-demand fabric and home décor marketplace. Overlaps with Gather Here in designer cotton and sustainable fabric trends, and competes for the apparel/sewing maker who wants unique, small-batch textiles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gather_here
• Facebookfacebook.com/gatherhere
• Instagraminstagram.com/gather_here
• Pinterestpinterest.com/gather_here
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gather-here

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gather Here