Former restaurant owner and chef Erik Desjarlais of New Gloucester has moved the retail part of his business – making chefs’ aprons, knife rolls and other leather and woolen goods – to Freeport.

Weft & Warp Seamster has been located at 4 School St. since Dec. 18. Desjarlais has one employee and three apprentices in Freeport, and three other sewers working with him at his workshop in Gray.

Desjarlais, 39, grew up in New Hampshire and following high school graduation, “chased the Grateful Dead around.” He opened his first Portland restaurant, Bandol, in 2002.

Weft & Warp Seamster sells leather dog leashes and belts, wallets, wool blankets and wool hats, in addition to chefs’ aprons and knife rolls. As for an explanation of the name of his store, he said that a weft goes left and right on a loom, and a warp is laid down first, to weave the threads through.

Desjarlais’ wife, Krista Desjarlais, is a chef who is about to open the Purple House on the corner of routes 115 and 9 in North Yarmouth. The restaurant will feature wood-fired bagels and pastries.

The couple have a 5-year-old daughter, Cortland.

Desjarlais answered questions regarding his new business venture for the Tri-Town Weekly.

Q: Can you tell us about your history in the culinary arts business, and how you progressed from chef/restaurant owner to seamster?

A: I started really young, in my early teens. I progressed through my career, opening my first restaurant, Bandol, in Portland in 2002. After that I opened a soup house called Ladle and another French restaurant called Evangeline. Evangeline closed in 2010 and I dove headfirst into textiles.

Q: What types of establishments tend to use your gear?

A: Restaurants, bars and coffee shops use my aprons and lots of chefs and cooks use my knife bags. I also have a lot of retail accounts around the country. The knife bags go for around $200, and the aprons for around $75.

Q: Are your products more personalized than, say, those made by larger companies, and how?

A: I hand-make each one. I mean, I have help – some really talented sewers – but each bag is made to order. Most knife bags are custom.

Q: How did you happen to choose Freeport?

A: After five years of only word-of-mouth sales, I thought I needed some more exposure. A chance for folks to see and touch my goods. (It’s) close enough to Portland but also a destination for people from around the world.

Q: How often do chefs need new aprons and knife rolls?

A: Unfortunately, they’re made so solid, not very often. No, aprons and knife rolls do last a long time, though. And I offer to fix any problems they have. Sometimes the restaurant world can really beat things up. Some cooks and chefs more than others. I’ve done a few repairs, but most of my stuff lasts a very, very long time. I get a lot of return customers who buy knife bags as gifts for their employees or who outfit their entire staff with my aprons.

Q: What are some of your other more popular items?

A: My waxed canvas tote bags, my belts and my travel wallets. And my wool knit hats are already causing a stir and I haven’t even released them yet. I already have pre-orders. All are made by hand in the shop with wool yarn from Maine mills. I’m very excited about them.

Erik Desjarlais says his new Freeport store, Weft & Warp Seamster, is “a chance for folks to see and touch my goods.”