In the 60's, I messed around with my Mum's Singer starting when I was about 8, during school holidays. I found the instruction book and just followed the instructions! I really enjoyed the secrecy, ( Mummy would have been at work and would not have liked the thought of me messing with her expensive machine) I never made anything till I was 12 and had needlework class once a week. The teacher Mrs Fennel, was a really lovely patient older lady ... Read Full Bio »

In the 60's, I messed around with my Mum's Singer starting when I was about 8, during school holidays. I found the instruction book and just followed the instructions! I really enjoyed the secrecy, ( Mummy would have been at work and would not have liked the thought of me messing with her expensive machine) I never made anything till I was 12 and had needlework class once a week. The teacher Mrs Fennel, was a really lovely patient older lady who taught us what I thought was boring stuff like different seam types, buttonholes, collars, gathering, cuffs, that we had to make as samples and glue or Sellotape into a large folder , One day we were told we were going to buy ourselves a dressmaking pattern and make a garment of our choice. The excitement of going out on my own and choosing fabric, buttons interfacing, everything I needed according to the instruction on the back of the envelope is still with me. I made up my blouse. It was red and yellow awful patterned with a peter pan collar, a yoke, many buttons and long, wide sleeves that gathered into close-fitting deep cuffs with 2 or 3 buttons! ( It was 1972, they were allowed to be horrendous!, Aah, the boring classes came into their own! I still have that same feeling of excitement nearly 40 years later when planning a new make! Now though, I am interested in taking my sewing to a level where I can make my daughter the clothes she wants to wear - more tailored and classic styled pieces to mix and match. I want also, to be able to fit to individual women. I love giving made things as gifts or, giving purchased items in wrapping that I designed. I've tried my hand at quilting, card making, jewellery, bags, printing, soft furnishing but my 1st love is making up stuff you can wear. I can wear! I am a visual learner so I look for video tutorials and illustration without text, for my learning. I am going to try making a tailored coat for a 3 - year - old girl I have in mind. My plan is to line the coat in a fabric I can use to make a matching dress and maybe a little bag. It's completely over the top as an idea and will be OTT as a set but It could look closer to amazing? I plan a blazer for my daughter, some skirts for both of us, some blouses, a rucksack, one more short coat - maybe a Parker, I need some blackout blinds.............