Tot's Tote

How long have you been creating in fabric? Since I was little. It started with Sindy doll dresses (an English version of Barbie), with me sitting on my aunty’s knee while she was sewing - she was a dressmaker and inspired me. I remember her with a pin in between her lips, sewing away pretty dresses for her daughters. I always played with her scraps.

How many stitched projects do you think you’ve made over the years? That’s a hard question, as I’m always sitting watching TV or sitting at a playground with stitching in my hands. I have to keep my hands busy - no idle hands here in this house.

Are you someone who needs to work on several projects at once or do you prefer to see one project through before starting another? I constantly have things on the go. I plod through doing a bit at a time, certain projects on certain days - like taking my stitchery when having coffee catch-up with my daughters’ friend’s mothers. But then, some things just get me doing them immediately and finishing them straightaway.

Were you professionally trained in stitching and craft or are you self-taught? I am self-taught but to perfect some elements, I sought advice from those who have done the hard yards and know the tricks for getting it just right. I am a visual learner and I love to touch and see and, therefore, I’ve done a few classes over the years to ‘perfect’ certain aspects of my craft, like machine quilting with Rachelle Denneny, EPP with Sue Daley and Stitchery workshops with Rosalie Dekker teaching her amazing skills.

Do you like to do a wide variety of styles and designs? I do. I love to dabble with lots of different designs, styles and fabrics/ textiles. It makes me expand my knowledge, too, as I learn new skills and interpret them into my designs.

What do you do with all your finished projects? I usually gift them to family or friends, but some things just sit on my wall or shelves in my sewing studio room.

Have there been many finished designs you simply couldn’t part with? A few I just love so much and can’t part with, like my first published quilt; it sits on my bed.

What’s next on your creative agenda? Next is playing with some Japanese Boro styles and revisiting a few older patterns I wrote, making them more modern. I love EPP, too, so have a few things on the go with EPP. I also would love to do a class with Pam Holland and play with some appliqué. She is so inspiring, using techniques I’m unfamiliar with and using lots of colour.