Callum is the Owner and Managing Director of Barnyarns & Sew Centre, bringing over 13 years of industry experience to the leadership of both companies. As a young business leader with a keen eye for detail and a natural talent for spotting opportunities, Callum has driven the growth and success of the business. His strategic vision, commitment to customer service, and hands-on approach have earned him the respect of both his team and the wider industry. Under his leadership, Barnyarns & Sew Centre continue to thrive, setting the standard for excellence in the sewing market.

Simon has been a key member of the team since 2022 and has played an important role in the growth and success of both Barnyarns and SewCentre. With significant experience in growing companies throughout his career, he brings valuable insight to both strategic planning and day-to-day operations. Working closely with Callum, Simon helps drive key initiatives and supports the continued expansion and development of the business.

With over 30 years of experience in the sewing and textiles industry, Jon was instrumental in shaping the strategic vision and long-term growth of Barnyarns. His deep industry knowledge, sharp commercial insight, and commitment to customer service established Barnyarns as a trusted name among sewists and businesses across the UK. After decades of leadership, Jon recently sold Barnyarns to Callum, passing the torch to continue the company’s evolution while ensuring its core values remain strong.

Janet is our dedicated in-house educator, leading all of Barnyarns’ sewing machine courses and customer training sessions. With a passion for teaching and years of hands-on sewing experience, she helps customers get the most out of their machines—whether they're complete beginners or looking to build new skills. Janet’s friendly, approachable style and deep knowledge make her classes both informative and inspiring, ensuring every customer feels confident and supported on their sewing journey.

Chris is a key member of the Sew Centre support team, handling both customer support and sewing machine logistics. Whether he’s helping customers with queries or ensuring machines are safely delivered and set up, Chris plays a crucial role in keeping everything running smoothly. With a focus on friendly service and efficient operations, he ensures that every customer receives the support and care they need—before, during, and after their purchase.

Kate is Head of Amazon and eBay Logistics and plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day operations of the warehouse. She oversees marketplace logistics and fulfilment, ensuring orders are processed efficiently, accurately, and on time across all platforms.

With a hands-on approach and deep operational knowledge, Kate supports the smooth running of warehouse operations while continually improving processes and workflow. Her attention to detail and leadership are essential to maintaining high service standards and supporting the ongoing growth of the business.

Back in 1979, Ian Macpherson, the sales director of MacPhersons, based in Nottingham, made history by introducing the world's first automatic colour-change industrial embroidery machines. This groundbreaking innovation revolutionised the embroidery industry, replacing the slower single-head machines and enabling leading brands such as M&S, Littlewoods, Hugo Boss, NIKE, and Ralph Lauren to have multi-coloured logos produced at over five times the speed of the older machines.


As the technology evolved, multiple embroidery heads were introduced, enabling a much larger colour choice and higher speed. However, this rapid progress also shone a spotlight on the quality of embroidery thread required to run the machines at maximum speed. At the time, the only available thread was primarily thicker cotton, lacking any sheen and with a limited colour range. Moreover, the cotton thread was prone to breakage, causing costly production stoppages. It was crucial to find a more reliable and high-quality thread to keep pace with the ever-evolving embroidery industry.

In 1993, Ian and Sara embarked on a new venture and established Madeira UK from the comfort of their own home in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. As a true family affair, boxes of stock formed corridors within the house, and their children, Alastair, Jonathan, and Karen, eagerly helped unload wagons, pack orders, and carry bags of mail to the post office. As the business grew, Madeira UK relocated to larger premises in Boroughbridge before finally settling into a purpose-built warehouse in Thirsk. There, Ian and Sara continued to run and operate Madeira Threads UK LTD until their retirement in 2002.

Callum established Sew Centre, a specialised dealer catering to Bernina, Janome, Babylock, Bernette and Pfaff Sewing machines. Sew Centre is your go-to destination for an exceptional shopping experience, covering all your machine needs, from servicing and repairs to aftersales. 

These endeavours have transformed Sew Centre into a dedicated portal for sewing enthusiasts in search of top-quality products, dependable repair services, and expert guidance.

Ian Macpherson

8th June 1936 - 26th August 2021

Sara Macpherson

11th June 1942 - 2nd October 2021