Heidi Wilkinson at left looks up while discussing craft classes with Cindy Dunham Saturday morning, Oct. 1, at the Crafter’s Cave in Wilton. Dunham opened the shop, located at 305 Main Street in February. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

WILTON — Crafter’s Cave at 305 Main Street in Wilton has been open since February but is still unknown to many in the area.

“I would like to see more foot traffic downtown,” owner Cindy Dunham said Saturday morning, Oct. 1. “People don’t really know I am here yet.”

Dunham, who also works at the Wilton Town Office said she started making her own clothes for school, has been sewing since she was nine years old. “I then proceeded to make my children’s clothes,” she said. “It wasn’t until I came back home in 1998 that I got into quilting with my neighbor.”

Fabrics in a variety of colors and patterns fill shelves while quilted wall hangings and other projects adorn the window Saturday morning, Oct. 1, at Crafter’s Cave in Wilton. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

More than 100 fabric choices line parts of two walls in the space she shares with Mainely Scuba.

“The whole shop idea was James Smith’s – the owner of Mainely Scuba,” Dunham said. “He commissioned me to make a quilt about six years ago, then I made him a gift. His grandfather was a lighthouse keeper in Nova Scotia. I Googled the lighthouse, got a picture of it and made a stained glass quilted wall-hanging of that lighthouse.

“He said you need to have your own shop. For two years he hounded me, said “I will rent you half of my shop,” so here I am.”

Dunham offers a variety of classes, among them knitting, crocheting, tatting, binding techniques, making bowl cozies, making rope bowls, and sewing machine maintenance. Classes are very flexible to whatever the customer needs – not everyone has a Saturday off, she said.

“I have a broad range of classes, Dunham said. “I can teach how to sew right from taking a sewing machine out of the box. I can show how to set it up. Maintenance on a sewing machine is critical. It should be cleaned at least after every project, sometimes during a project depending on what it is. Threads and other things can get caught inside.

“I am willing to teach anyone nine years old and up, so long as they can sit and listen to instructions.”

Creating things – as she calls it “playing with fibers” – is something Dunham enjoys. “I do all kinds,” she said. “Thread, cloth, rope, whatever strikes my fancy. Pinterest drives me…a lot.

“It definitely is something you have to take time to do and have the time to do. I don’t watch television, I like doing things to keep busy.”

Tatting bookmarks and snowflakes for Christmas trees are other things Dunham does. “I will do those at home,” she stated.

Dunham’s son, Evret Greer is her partner, mans the shop Mondays and Tuesdays when his schedule permits and while Dunham is at the town office. “He sews, does quilting, bowl cozies, cross stitch, crochet,” she said. “He’s great at pairing up fabrics, he loves doing it.”

Dunham now uses a cutting system when quilting. “I have gone from hand cutting to a rotary cutter to a cutting system,” she said. “It really changes what you do, speeds the process considerably. It saves my wrist, it is an investment.”

Currently working on an exploding heart pattern which Dunham said is “pretty intense,” she noted she could cut out the pieces in a fraction of the time with much less wasted fabric.

There are a lot of books available to peruse in the shop for those looking for a new or different craft idea, Dunham said. She also takes consignments for the small crafter needing a place to display their work. “A lot of people do crafts at home, then wait for craft fairs,” she said.

Now that Imelda’s Fabric and Design in New Sharon has closed, Dunham also does alterations. “I haven’t come across anything yet I haven’t been able to alter,” she answered when asked if there were limits on what she could alter.

“I meet a lot of people at the Town Office,” Dunham said. “I usually have something up on the wall there that I have made. I like downtown Wilton, it’s a quaint little town. I would like to get people into crafting. There is so much down time for some people.”

Crafter’s Cave is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Facebook page is found under Fiber Crafter’s Cave [because Crafter’s Cave couldn’t be used, Dunham said]. The telephone number is 207-320-9320.

Meet the makers

Several craft-based businesses have opened in Wilton in the last few years. Calling themselves “The Village Makers of Wilton” they are planning special events on the second Saturday of the month to “Meet the Makers.” From 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 8, Nov.12, and Dec. 10 demonstrations and light refreshments will be offered at Vera’s Iron and Vine, 319 Main Street; Nicki Lynn’s, 327 Main Street; Crafter’s Cave, 305 Main Street and October Moon Creations, 20 High Street.

In 2019 Lisa Jansky reopened October Moon Creations – which first opened in 2004 – after moving to Wilton. Her shop is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday or by appointment. A unique collection of handcrafted gifts for mind, body and spirit is offered, according to the Facebook page. “I do so many different things – wooden signs, home decor, jewelry, bath and body,” Jansky said Wednesday.

In addition to Crafter’s Cave, Nicki Lynn’s opened and Vera’s Iron and Vine relocated in the “green block” downtown this summer.