The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio in Marikina Is an Artist’s Haven
"[Having a hobby] is essential," Cecille says.
(SPOT.ph) With all the chaos life brings, how does one keep sane? Now that is a good question. Here’s a suggestion: get a hobby. Journaling, knitting, painting, touching grass (this is a joke)—take your pick. Heck, try them all! You’d be surprised to know that there are a lot of things you can learn and a walk inside the Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio in Marikina can give you a clue. Fair warning though, you won’t be able to resist getting sucked into the wormhole of arts and crafts once you do. Kind of like what happened to its owner, Cecille Tubungan, whose eldest daughter Ceryl taught her how to crochet around 2016.
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What is The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio?
If we were to describe The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio, it’s truly a crafter’s haven, one we wish we had as a kid growing up. It’s the epitome of what having a supported hobby feels like—a safe space to breathe and create without worrying about work or life.
The high ceilings and glass windows overlooking a park in Marikina Heights with big trees sprawled around it add to the tranquil vibe. Birds fly in and look over from time to time, chiming in tune with the chill music that echoes through the space. Think of the nature sounds you sometimes play at night to help you relax. They have a cute and friendly alpaca (mascot, in case we need to emphasize) inside called Paco to cheer you on, even when you get a stitch or knot wrong.
There’s a little bit of everything for everyone inside. From stickers, keychains, and colorful pens you can use for journaling and calligraphy; beads to make the perfect friendship bracelets; canvases and paint for painting to a space dedicated to Tamiya racing—which is courtesy of her two sons. Tables are scattered inside the studio, intended for crafters who just want to take a little break from their homes and create something in peace in a different area, or maybe meet people from the same community. Workshops are also held here, in case you need assisted guidance getting into something new.
The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio started in… well, Cecille and her family’s attic. “Since [crochet] ‘yung hobby ng anak ko, ‘yung friends niya ginagawan niya ng wearables. Ako, actually, tinuruan niya mag-crochet,” she recalls in a sit-down interview with the SPOT.ph team at their studio. Our audience is a mountain of yarn, in varying textures and colors, stacked on top of each other in organized chaos. It makes sense why she started to hoard them so much that it has taken over their Marikina home.
“Napuno ng yarn ‘yung attic namin, tapos bumababa na sa stairs; sa hallways ng second floor. Nagkaroon na sa sala, sa office, and [kahit sa] kitchen meron na,” she continues. The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio started purely online in 2017 and offered purely yarn.
With all the yarn overtaking their homes and visitors-slash-buyers getting a free tour of their place when they shop in person, they felt like they had no privacy. This is when the family moved all the yarns to a showroom—which also isn’t that far from the studio—that’s about one-third of their current store.
It has been a year since the studio was built and the crafts available inside have grown since then. Recently, 3D puzzles and Legos, as well as soap and candle-making kits have been added to their wide range of merch and hobbies.
But if Cecille is being honest, they didn’t have any idea how to operate a studio when they were starting. Cecille’s main job is in the F&B industry. “We’re very conservative here. Lalo na nung first year, as in we don’t have any idea how to run an art studio. Galing kami sa online tapos puro yarn lang siya. Pero sabi ko, let’s just take this one at a time. Tapos nagdire-diretso na.”
Her family is very hands-on with the studio, with each sibling (there are four of them) having a part to play in the ops. Ceryl is in charge of the online shop, taking turns manning the counter with the rest of her siblings, Gilmar, Colleen, and Keith. They have a pretty interesting dynamic when it comes to running the studio. Cecille herself has that go-go-go attitude. But overall, it’s teamwork between their family.
They have part-timers, and Cecille has known them ever since they were little kids.
What are the things you can see inside The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio?
They source their materials—yarn, especially—from around the world, along with longtime local suppliers and partners like Common Room and Craft Central. Their stickers are also from local and small businesses. You might be able to spot familiar designs from their selection. “Ang target talaga namin, mag-invite ng mga new artists,” she says.
What sets them apart is it’s also a space where you can make said art and hold everything under one roof. While there are loads of shops that sell the goods, most, if not all, of said spaces are just really meant for people to buy inside and just focus on one hobby. The Attic Yarn, in every way, is a one-stop shop: It sells you all the tools you could possibly need, offers tips and tricks on how to start, and provides a space for your creativity and need for a change of pace. And still, there’s more to be done.
“Madami pa kaming gustong ilagay,” Cecille shares.
She adds, “May mga ibang pumupunta dito na may hinahanap sila—let’s say art materials—na wala kami na hindi namin alam na meron pala ‘nun. Once na malaman namin and alam namin na madaming naghahanap, nilalagay nadin namin siya.” Air dry clay you’d have to have shipped from abroad all those years back? You can find blocks of it on their shelves.
A day in the Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio
The operating hours of the studio are from 12 noon to 8 p.m. and they are open from Mondays to Sundays. They usually close for workshops and other events.
According to Cecille, for the first four to six months, there were mostly families and teenagers on the weekends. Now, their regulars are students. Maybe because of the fact that the studio itself is surrounded by schools.
After office hours, parents come in. On the weekends, barkadas and families abound. “Mommies come in with their kids tapos ‘yung daddies nasa Tamiya area,” she shares.
“[Getting a hobby] is very important, lalo na ngayon,” she says. “In the pandemic, too. Natutong mag-slow down ‘yung mga tao. Tapos ‘yung hobby na meron sila before, na-try ulit nila. Mas madaming nag-craft after pandemic.”
“It’s an essential.”
Everyone can get a hobby, and it’s never too late to pick one. Cecille and her family’s stash of yarn might have outgrown their home, but it only opened the doors for bigger, better things to take form. Now, The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio nurtures their own hobbies alongside like-minded people in search of creative outlets and elusive materials.
“Madaming pumupunta dito, [reason being] hindi sila makagawa at home. Madami daw tao, ganon. So, dito may time talaga sila [for themselves]. ‘Yun talaga ‘yung goal ng The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio.”
The Attic Yarn and Hobby Studio is located at 3/F, West Drive Commercial Center, West Drive corner Champagnat Avenue, Marikina Heights, Marikina City. Open daily from 12 noon. to 8 p.m.