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When Sacha Egreja was growing up, her favourite afternoon at school was Wednesday, dedicated entirely to needlework. Her love for crafts in general – and her knack for knitting in particular, passed down by her mother – stuck with her for life. Today, she runs one of the few shops in Portugal 100% devoted to sewing and needlecrafts. The Crafts Company opened its doors in Cascais in 2014, and it offers far more than just skeins, yarn balls, threads, thimbles, shears, and sewing kits: it runs a lively roster of courses and workshops alongside a warm, homey tearoom, perfect for stitching or catching up over a hot drink and a generous slice of homemade cake.
“Needlework is making a huge comeback. People want to log off social media, unplug, and reconnect,” Sacha tells Time Out Cascais, sporting a gingham apron. “When we're on our phones, constant notifications pull our focus away. But put the screen away and lock in, and every stitch, every loop pulls you into an almost meditative state. It’s hard to stop. Amongst crafters, we always say: ‘Just one more row!’ It’s a wonderful addiction.”
That passion turned into a full-fledged life project with backing from DNA Cascais (the municipal agency supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and local trade), which drew up the business plan. Sacha already knew the suppliers from her own crafting days. “Instinctively, I knew what I wanted – I had dreamed about this since I was a little girl. But practically speaking, I didn't know how to pull it off.” One thing was certain: a high-street shop needed an edge. “Selling supplies alone wouldn't cut it. I needed classes tied into it. That way, the shop fueled the demand for workshops, and the workshops fueled the shop. A circular economy.”
Post-pandemic, as shoppers flocked online, another idea completed the loop. By sheer chance, the unit next door, owned by the same landlord, became vacant. “Customers kept saying: ‘Sacha, tea and scones would hit the spot right now.’ So we took over the adjoining space and opened a tearoom,” she recalls. Her husband, Diogo, has backed her all the way – and now, fully retired, keeps her company full-time.
To furnish the space, they dipped into family heirlooms. “We’re total romantics, so we had everything from our parents tucked away in storage. The café is packed with their pieces: from the tableware right down to the furniture.” Surrounded by a comfy sofa, armchairs, and tables, there is plenty of room to sip an organic coffee or tea between stitches and knots, paired with a sweet bite.
Under glass cake domes on pedestal stands, temptations include apple crumble tart (€4), pecan-studded carrot cake (€3.50), orange cake (€3), yogurt loaf (€3), chocolate brownies (€2.50), almond tart (€3.50), lemon meringue pie (€4), and fresh scones (€3), ready to be slathered with jam and butter. The counter also turns out mini travesseiros and queijadas, sweet and savoury toasts, ice cream, beer, and wine.
Below the retail floor and tearoom lie the workshop studios. And it’s not just needles and thread: beyond crochet, knitting, sewing, and mending clubs, The Crafts Company hosts letter-writing workshops and doubles as a post drop for pen pals across the globe to exchange thoughts. Written by hand, naturally.
Praça Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro 4A & 4B, Cascais. Daily 10AM-6PM