Castle Sewing Centre

Buying a sewing machine online is a gamble. At Castle you sit down at one first. The showroom has machines set out on tables, ready to try, from Brother, Bernina, Janome, Pfaff, Bernette and Singer, with walls of quilting fabric and notions around them and a separate classroom at the back.

What’s in the shop

• Machines: sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, sergers and long-arms, from beginner models (a Janome was listed at $349.99 when we checked) up to serious embroidery machines
• Fabric: quilting cottons, batiks, bright prints and pre-cut bundles
• The small stuff: needles, thread, feet and accessories
• Help: individual lessons when you buy a machine, plus repairs, including older machines

One thing to watch on their online store: fabric is often priced per 10 cm, not per metre, so check the unit before comparing.

Classes

Group classes in sewing, quilting and embroidery run through the year, from quick beginner projects (open to teens and adults) to longer workshops. They’re booked and priced separately from the lessons that come with a machine. The class calendar has the current dates.

Three generations

James Castle opened the business in 1942. His daughter Irene and her husband Jim Bulman took it over in 1982 with their son Clint, and Stephannie joined in 1986. Clint and Stephannie have run it since Irene and Jim retired in 2002. For decades the shop was on Fraser Highway on the Surrey side. When SkyTrain construction came through in 2023, they moved into the bigger space on 86 Avenue.

Before you go

They’re open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 5, and closed Sundays. Call 604-574-5333 or email [email protected]. Some older directories still list the Surrey address, so use 86 Avenue.

For more independent shops around here, see Shop Local in Willoughby and our things to do in Willoughby and Willowbrook.