My love of sewing began at an early age, when my mum taught me to sew by hand, and then by machine, around the age of 8.

Making my own clothes became a fun and rewarding activity, as a teenager, and, watching a man making dresses in Affleck’s Palace, Manchester, when I was 13, made me realise that sewing could be much more than a hobby. I bought one of his dresses that day and continued to learn about garment construction both at home and at school.

If you’d like to watch me demonstrating sewing techniques on live television you’ll find links in this blog post. You’ll see French seams, easing in sleeves to armholes and much, much more!

At 17 I was offered a dressmaking apprenticeship. I jumped at the chance. In my spare time I made my own clothes and taught myself as much as I could, often staying up late to perfect a new technique.

I attended private pattern cutting lessons, which really opened my eyes to the possibilities of making a pattern to fit perfectly. Pattern cutting continues to fascinate and excite me every day and I love to share my skills with others.

When I was 20 I was offered a job with Betty Foster at her studio. It was an amazing opportunity to learn even more about pattern cutting and to work for a woman I’d watched on television. We made bespoke pattern blocks at the HQ in Crewe, Cheshire and travelled to sewing shows at the NEC, among other destinations. I found it fascinating to observe Betty Foster talking to audiences about adapting patterns to fit their own body measurements. I would then dash from the room she’d given a talk in, to the stand where we sold bundles of fabric, patterns and haberdashery to enthusiastic customers. They were fired up and ready to purchase books and materials. I loved the creative buzz of it all!

After working full time for eight years, I decided to study for a qualification in Fashion and Textiles. This broadened my outlook and enabled me to add to the skills gained in the work place.

My creative and technical skills have taken me to India, Italy and the US, working in small scale clothing production, teaching one-to-one sewing lessons and the City & Guilds Fashion syllabus.

With a love of the outdoors and as someone who finds a tremendous amount of inspiration in nature, I studied Practical Horticulture at City of Bristol College in 2013/2014. I discovered there are many more connections between fashion/textiles and horticulture than I first thought. I’m often absorbed by colour, texture and shape whether I’m designing, sewing or gardening. I enjoy combining nature and textiles as themes for the creativity for wellbeing sessions which I run.

To find out more and view a gallery of images click here