By Grace Allen

If you build it, they will come. For Norfolk resident Stephanie Gillette, that belief has become a guiding truth. When she couldn’t find a creative community she could truly connect with, she decided to start one herself.

Born from a love of craft and a respect for the planet, Heirloom New England is a creative co-op bringing together artisans and conscious consumers. Rooted in the traditions of handwork and reflective of modern-day sensibilities, the Norfolk co-op serves as both a curated marketplace for local makers and a gathering space for community members to learn through hands-on classes.

When Gillette founded the co-op in 2022, she didn’t have to try very hard to attract like-minded people. After hosting some makers markets, she had come to realize there was a strong desire for a place that local artisans could call their own. 

“This whole crafty community just emerged like in the Wizard of Oz, when the Munchkins just pop out from everywhere,” she said, laughing. “It’s a place where people value things made by hand, so it became a beacon for creative people. They felt seen. The growth has been very organic.”

Gillette, 39, grew up on Long Island, New York -- home, she jokes, to a proud tradition of mall culture. She spent every weekend of her teenage years at the mall, where occasional purchases at Nordstrom introduced her to clothes made of higher-quality fabrics and superior craftmanship. But she also liked thrifting, combing the racks for vintage items and igniting a passion for sustainability.

“I’ve always loved things that have a story,” said Gillette. “I love something that has a patina and a history to it. And I truly think that everything we need in terms of home décor and fashion already exists. We don’t need anything new. It’s all here. We just have to find it.”

Gillette espouses “slow shopping,” a mindful approach to buying by making deliberate, thoughtful decisions, resisting trends and advertising, and prioritizing quality over quantity. 

“I think it’s very easy for any of us to walk into a Target or HomeGoods and buy something if we feel we need it or we want to feel good,” she said. “I want folks to be more considered and thinking about the objects they’re buying for gifts or for themselves. Does it have a story? Is it from a local person in your community who’s at the top of their craft? Instead of buying something inexpensive that might not last or we won’t keep around, let’s invest in something higher quality that we can take care of. That’s a big part of what we’re trying to do.”

She’s also seen a surge in the popularity of handcrafts, especially in younger people, driven in part by the need for creative expression as well as digital detox. At Heirloom New England, Gillette teaches students from eight to 80 years old and says the mental health benefits from the break in screen time can’t be overstated, especially for children.

“The biggest thing is that they’re not looking at a device when they’re in class,” Gillette says. “So much of our lives are digital now and the chance to step away from that and connect with people in person, to do something with our hands, really feeds the spirit. We don’t usually feel better after picking up our phones. But when we disconnect and make something beautiful, or just talk to someone else while we work, it changes everything. That kind of organic interaction is something we don’t get much of anymore.”

Gillette says that sharing creative experiences through classes and workshops has become a meaningful way to build community. When her Thursday night knitting classes began three years ago, no one knew each other even though many had lived in town for decades. Now, if a member gets sick or needs a ride to the airport, someone is ready to step in and help. 

“Many of us don’t have family nearby, so these connections have become like an extended family,” she said. “I feel like I have this whole cohort of retired aunties I can lean on and support.”

That same spirt of connection extends to the younger students. Children can quiet their minds after a busy school day and create something tangible while mastering a skill and then teaching it to their friends. Not everyone has a grandmother to pass along those heirloom skills, she points out.

Gillette learned to sew at age five from her own grandmother, and later taught herself to knit and crochet. She worked in yarn shops while studying art history in college, and eventually became an arts administrator at a local college. She married her college sweetheart and moved to Norfolk 13 years ago. When COVID hit, she decided to become a stay-at-home mother to her two boys, now 7 and 10. It was a leap of faith to open Heirloom New England, but she leaned on her ability to recognize, appreciate, and create beautiful things. 

She calls knitting her heart hobby and her home base, craft-wise, but she also enjoys needlepoint and counted cross-stitch along with crochet and sewing. In the new year, she plans a “slow fashion” series to teach people how to make their own clothing.

Gillette would like to inspire people to examine more closely their relationship with goods, espousing a stewardship of the earth by mending, caring, and honoring what they already have. Along with teaching time-honored techniques at the co-op, her desire to create a network of belonging for creative people is coming to fruition.

“We just don’t have enough spaces in any of our suburbs for people to connect,” she said. “I hear from so many that they don’t have time to invest in themselves. But having that date with yourself to take two hours and make something with others, I think it’s so valuable. We’ve lost connection and that’s not a way to live a whole life. It can be pickleball or book club, but I think it’s important to nurture yourself, participate in something with others, and find a place that sustains you and where you feel part of a community.”

As the co-op continues to grow, Gillette hopes its spirit of creativity and connection will ripple beyond its walls. For now, she’s content that the community she once couldn’t find is flourishing—because she chose to create it herself.