“I’ve made my own clothes since I was 13 years old.”

 ‘& thus I began a new journey.’

My first memory of a sewing machine was watching my mum at the dining room table. She would create and mend a garment on a device that was very loud. I saw how she cut shapes, put them together and how quickly they became a beautiful outfit.

Clothes in those days were very expensive. I would be taken shopping where we would both get lost in the haberdashery stores admiring the pretty colours, cotton and trim. I still love them today and loose many hours wondering around, thinking of ideas to match the beautiful materials. (still unable to throw away buttons, they have to be saved)

My mum was talented and made most of the clothes I wore. There was a particular pattern that was used several times to create different designs and looks, one in particular was a long party dress. At that period in time every little girl had to have one long dress. So she went about creating a bespoke dress from one of her 50’s full skirted dresses. She had refused to throw it away as it was exceptional quality.

At the time, I had no appreciation of this dress, in truth I wanted the red crimplene shop one with the cream lace collar like my friends.

After a few more years, I was allowed to use the sewing machine and I remember one Christmas, having asked Santa, I received a creative box with lots of material that I could make dresses for my dolls, this was my best present that year and I was soon creating sparkly evening dresses in miniature versions of what the stars wore on the TV. Oh how I loved Saturday night TV, all the hosts looked so beautiful in their gowns of bright colours.

When I turned 13 clothes were still expensive and with Tuesday youth club, I hated showing up in the same outfits, so I began taking old garments and revamping them into the latests styles.

Along came the new romantic phase (who didn’t love Spandau Ballet) the white frilly shirts and the peddle pushers. Alas I only had a Saturday job, but with an old white shirt of Dad’s, plus a trip to the lace department, who would have known that it wasn’t shop bought.

Then I began work full time, with this came the new social life, out every Thursday, Friday & Saturday. I couldn’t possibly wear the same thing twice in a month, but also couldn’t afford to buy new every week, so again without a pattern I would copy the latest fashions.

Time moved on, clothes became cheaper as more retailers appeared. I got married and then came along my daughter Emma.

Like most children Emma tired lots of hobbies, which usually resulted in me sewing dance costumes, or ballroom dresses (lots of netting and wire involved).

However, the biggest challenge I faced was when her theatre school decided to put on a pantomime. They needed costumes, but it was a low cost budget (actually there was almost no budget), so I had to be thrifty in what I did.

An SOS was sent out to the children’s parents asking for curtains… yes curtains. They make the best costumes, trust me. using an old bodice pattern from an old Prima magazine, I transformed flowery curtains into skirts, attaching plan bodices, and the cream linings made fantastic puffy sleeves. The final touch was black ribbon to make false lace up panels. On opening night when the curtain drew back I couldn’t believe how beautiful they all looked, and that I had created this from nothing. That feeling and image is a memory I cherish to this day.

On the back of this, and with all the girls growing up fast, parents began to ask me to make prom dresses, but they were not just any old prom dress, these girls had definate ideas of what they wanted, but they could not be purchased either in a store or online. So I then began to create and work with them to produce the dress of their dreams, and to this date I haven’t failed yet.

So this is where my journey to my new venture begins, I love to sew, I love to make something that is bespoke that no one else has. I love lace, beads, diamontes, anything that is pretty. Most of all I love to give life back into a beautiful piece of material that was once loved, cherished or has its own special story.