Have you been stitching since you were a child? Yes, but I started doing simple felt projects - I think my first project was stitching a felt turtle. I then learnt cross stitch and tried many other crafts from there.

Do you remember your very first craft ‘triumph’? If so, what was it and did you keep it? I recall being very proud of a project I made with my granny. It was a paper tole flower fairy – my very first. Mum took it to get framed, and seeing it all framed made me feel pretty special.

What is your least-favourite part of designing and making a project? I don’t really have a least-favourite part. I like designing and love creating the project. I guess if I had to pick something, it would be when you think you have something all worked out in theory and you spend all this time creating it and it doesn’t work as well as you first thought.

What’s your favourite time of day to sew? Anytime my boy is napping during the day or once he has gone down for the night. Time is precious these days.

Do you have any sewing gadget you never use? No.

How long can you spend browsing in a patchwork store? Hours! Always have to have a good sticky beak at all the kits, fabrics and buttons and generally checking out what’s new.

What products can’t you resist buying in patchwork and haberdashery stores? Fabric is definitely a weakness. I can never pass up a cute kids’ print these days to add to the stash - the ‘one day I’ll make something out of it’ pile.

Did you have handmade playthings when you were a child? Yes, I was given porcelain dolls and a knitted teddy bear. I was very lucky because I was given a lot of craft supplies or taken to craft classes to create projects.

Who made them for you? My granny made the porcelain dolls, and my mum knitted the teddy for me.

Do you still have any of them? The dolls are still at my mum’s house. The teddy is with me, and I will give it to my son in due course.

Now that you have a new baby of your own, are children’s projects a favourite for you? Children’s projects have definitely overtaken all other types. Although finding the spare time to make all the wonderful things out there is another thing altogether.