Creativity has always been a passion for Ōamaru newcomer Angela Gudex.

Angela is participating in the latest round of Revitalise Our Places Ōamaru (Ropo) pop-up shops with her upholstery and sewing business Revamp and Revive.

The shop is in the former Health 2000 building on Thames Street, between Paper Plus and Badger & Mackerel.

The mother of two almost-grown sons started sewing when she was eight years old on a treadle sewing machine, “because my mum wouldn’t let me on the electric”, she says.

“She was very crafty and I followed in her footsteps.”

Her introduction to the working world was sewing for a Glassons clothing manufacturer when she left school at 17, and then for Macpac - making tents in her early 20s, until the manufacturing was shifted to China. 

“I could still make those tents from scratch, I remember them so well,” Angela says.

She “dabbled in doing markets and things” while raising her two boys, and now sews clothing and sells it, as well as doing repairs and alterations.

Angela has 10 different machines for a range of uses, and can fix horse covers, and even car and boat upholstery.

Now that Angela’s youngest son is 16 and leaving school, she plans to move permanently to Ōamaru from Dunback where she has been living.

“I've been running my business down there, just sort of puddling along, but it's next level here, and I can see a future of employing people and teaching others, keeping this industry alive,” she says.

Angela loves restoring old furniture and giving it a modern twist. It’s more sturdy and better quality, she says.

“Mum and I did a course when I was 16, and I absolutely loved it then, because we did our captain's chair, and all the lounge chairs, and couch.”

She has a supply of fabrics and samples, and will be in her Thames Street pop-up store until 5 September while also on the hunt for a more permanent premises.

Angela also wants to run basic, non-sewing, upholstery workshops to restore footstools and children’s chairs.

“Just the way to fold the fabric and how to put it back together . . . and they'll be evolving into different ones as time goes on.”

She is always on the lookout for new restoration projects and is currently trying to sort the logistics of getting 22 second-hand chairs here from Queenstown.

“I'm hopeless. I have a four-bay shed at home, and two bays are full of furniture.”

Ropo is a Waitaki District Council-led initiative to temporarily fill empty shops in Ōamaru's town centre with businesses.

Angela has appreciated being part of the Ropo project, as it's given her the opportunity to see what having a place in town is like.

“Cause I'm not a town person. I've grown up in farms, so I don't really like town much. So for me to be here, it was like, oh, do I really want to do this? 

“But with my son leaving home I need to be really busy, because I'm going to be an empty nester and it's not much fun living out in a small place by myself.” 

Revamp and Revive is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and Saturdays 10am to 2pm.