The Craft Lounge

What happens when three really smart women from Leonia come together and open a business dedicated to promoting the creativity of moms? The Craft Lounge is what happens. Meet Susie Levy, Kathy Pecht, and Jen Ballot, three talented women who have audaciously opened a new business in an old-fashioned kind of way. In an age where we’ve exchanged human interaction for Twitter, texting, I.M-ing., and Listserve, they are re-connecting the community by inviting people to dis-connect their cell phones and computers to engage with each other in an environment they personally designed to promote face-to-face communication.

At The Craft Lounge you can shop, take a class, host a party, or just meet friends. Furnished with many of the original pieces that resided in Susie and Kathy’s grandparents’ pharmacy and soda shop that served Leonian’s for many years, there is a palpable warmth and agelessness that permeates your experience. If space could be described as having an old soul, then The Craft Lounge personifies it. The obvious care and thought put into creating the exterior design of their shop has revitalized Leonia’s downtown and serves as a model for future redevelopment.  

Walk through the front door and get ready to be surprised--this is not your glitter and glue gun kind of craft store—think “museum shop” because what you’ll find here are small one-of-a-kind works of art. The Craft Lounge encourages the works of Leonia’s many professional painters, photographers, and designers as well as works from the incredibly talented people whose full-time “day jobs” mask their creative genius. The quality of the items they create in their “spare time” will make you wonder how you fill your spare time.   

Here’s a sampling of what I saw: jewelry that is not only stunning by design, but unique conversation pieces; hand-designed greeting cards that belong in frames, not envelopes; fashionably knitted scarves that you would expect to find in high-end boutiques; and baby quilts that are heartbreakingly gorgeous.

          Their collective story began some years ago when Kathy decided to organize a weekly Friday night knitting circle so she, Susie, and Jen (a teacher, graphic artist, and publicist) could get together outside of play dates and school events.  Somewhere in the middle of knit one, purl two, they discovered that despite their differing professional backgrounds, they each harbored a latent dream to open a store for high quality hand-crafted goods; a store that would also function as a gathering place where women could just come and hang out, and, if they wanted, learn how to knit, sew, make soap, candles, greeting cards, you name it.

They expanded their knitting circle to include other women who wanted a place where they could meet and work on their craft, be it knitting, quilting, jewelry design, or anything else. So successful were the Friday night circles that they began hosting private craft fairs.  Inspired by the sales from these fairs they organized a craft fair for Leonia Arts in the Leonia Library. The overwhelming response from the community inspired them with a, “build it and they will come” mentality, and so The Craft Lounge was born.

          The Craft Lounge offers classes for children, pre-teens, and adults. There are also parent-child classes, as well. For children, there are workshops in soap making, handsewing, and knitting. For preteens and older, there are classes in beginner’s machine sewing, embroidery, scrapbooking, knitting, and more. Adults can learn to knit, sew, crochet, embroider, design greeting cards, and make candles, soap and more. The Craft Lounge can accommodate up to 12 people for children’s birthday parties or girls night out. Imagine having your child’s birthday party at The Craft Lounge—you won’t have to worry about goodie bags because they get to take home what they create. In the words of co-owner Susie Levy, “Who needs another pencil or eraser?”  I couldn’t agree more.

          Check out their website at thecraftlounge.com for store hours and a list of classes.  Better yet, stop in and meet these three remarkable entrepreneurs; their genuine enthusiasm and passion will awaken your inner artist.