Modren

Having struggled through the trials of 2020, Sandra MacLeod’s sewing machine broke down for the last time.

Sandra runs Modren, making contemporary bags and accessories with heritage textiles.

She knew that with a new and more modern machine she would be able to increase the speed she worked at, and open up more opportunities for new business, but was unable to raised the capital required.

Isle Develop CIC contributed towards the cost of a new sewing machine, which as Sandra herself says, “is a game changer”.

This couldn't have come at a better time. My previous sewing machine was a proper workhorse, so finding out I'd 'worked it to death' really wasn't welcome news. This grant was a lifeline.

Sandra went on to tell us, "I knew it's replacement needed to cope with some heavy duty sewing, but covid and Brexit had left the coffers pretty bare. The back up machines were struggling to do the work, and timeliness were stretching out as they were slow and cumbersome.

"This grant was a lifeline. It meant I could actually not just recover my pace but improve it.

"The new machine is both faster and stronger, while still being easy to use. It opens up batch manufacture as an option, extending the products I can make efficiently. This gives me a wider customer base, which addresses the seasonality we see in buying patterns for smaller items.

"It's also remarkably strong, meaning I can extend the products I've been making at the higher end using heavier leathers and more complex construction techniques. These bags tend not to be prone to seasonal purchasing, and help me extend into more premium markets.

"An actual game changing grant, from the game changing phenomenon that is isle20."