August 2026

Tell us a little about yourself?

I was born at a very early age in the Black country and remained in the locality throughout schooldays, marriage and children until we moved to Evesham in 2014. I was a primary school teacher until I retired in 2010, I left teaching as we had bought a micro brewery and I wanted to concentrate on that. We had several happy years brewing beer, attending beer festivals and eventually opening our own pubs.

The last pub we opened was the one in Evesham and the reason we moved here. We retired from brewing and pub running four years ago and now I just frequent the pub as a 'not my concern anymore' customer!! I like drinking real ale and I enjoy the pub culture so I'm in the pub about three times a week and have gained some good friends through doing so - alas none of them sew but there are musicians in the group so another creative area.  Besides sewing and real ale I enjoy reading, walking, a bit of gardening and going on mini breaks throughout the year to places we've never been to before.

I have two children and two grandchildren. I sew for my son as he is a big 6'7" but my daughter has never been interested in sewing nor in hand made clothes. I've made various things for my grandchildren from dressing up outfits to quilts and my granddaughter is now doing textile art for GCSE.

When, why and how did you start sewing?

The first outfit I remember sewing was a pair of trousers for my sister's teddy when I was about 8/9/10 years old. I think I hand sewed them but can't really remember. My maternal grandmother sewed a lot and she had a singer treadle sewing machine. I also had two great aunts who made a living as dressmakers and I inherited a lot of their haberdashery when they retired. My mother had a sewing machine but she didn't use it too much so I sort of unofficially adopted it.

In those days (1960s) Domestic Science was still taught in school so we had half the year doing needlework and half the year doing cookery. Unfortunately I and the needlework teacher did not get along - she told me I would never make anything worth wearing, so Ha! Take that Miss Elliot!! - and so I didn't take any exams in needlework. Meanwhile I was sewing at home and I learnt to sew by assiduously following the pattern instructions and watching Anne Ladbury on Pebble Mill at One.

I kept on sewing all through my life but there were times when it got pushed to the background but it was always there and I always went back to it. I did a City and Guilds Fashion and Design course where I learnt pattern drafting and that has been the most useful thing I have ever done. I also did a textile art course that was only stopped by the pandemic and never restarted.

Do you have any sewing rituals you love?

I had my first sewing machine for my 21st birthday - a Frister and Rossman heavy mechanical job that sewed so many things and which I kept until the pandemic when I gave it away as people were crying out for them. By that time I'd moved on to computerised machines, Pfaff and Janome.  Then when I retired I treated myself to my first stand alone embroidery machine and now I have that machine plus another embroidery machine, two overlockers and three sewing machines - but one sewing machine is destined for my granddaughter for Christmas.

I did have a collection of hand and treadle machines but ran out of space so I donated 9 of them to a charity that services them and sends them overseas. Only one have I regretted not keeping but I doubt I'd have used it. I still have one treadle machine but I don't use that. 

I sew because I like clothes to fit and shop bought clothes never fit my pear shaped body. I also like individual pieces that I know no one else has and which express my personality. I love bright colourful clothes and have a mainly red palette in the winter and turquoise/aqua colours in the summer but other bright colours are in my wardrobe - the blacks and navies are for my lower half only!

Do you have a sewing tool you can’t live without?

I have a big sewing room at the top of the house - converted attic - which is my domain. I will have drinks up there but rarely, if ever, do I eat in there - not even snacks. I'm also the gadget queen and use such a lot. My long tweezers with the bent bit at the end are by each machine and on my cutting table and I'd be lost without them. I've recently had the silicone hemmers and I really like those as well. A seam gauge is also in constant use as are the bent handle scissors which are needed for my embroidery applique work.

What made you sign up to ThreadySetGo and why do you love it?

I love the ThreadySetGo socials and try to get on as many as I can. I like sewing on my own but also like chatting and sharing things with fellow sewists and listening to others chatting. I doubt I would ever go to an in person social anymore as the idea of packing up all my stuff, dragging it to a venue, unpacking it, finding I've left something at home and then packing it all up again, dragging it back and unpacking it has lost it's appeal although I have done several courses over the years - a corset course, a sewing with knits course, a make a quillo course and so on.

The ThreadySetGo socials suit me and I love the range of topics chatted about and the breadth of knowledge. They are great and I thank Hayley so much for providing the opportunity to take part in them. I also love the forums and the new sewing room - all excellent.

If you could have your dream, no-expense-spared sewing day what would it look like?

My ideal sewing day would be an uninterrupted time, where everything goes together magically and there are no mistakes, no broken needles, no empty bobbins, no machine malfunctions, no aching back and a successful outcome with no fitting issues. As it's a no expense spared day I would have the best fabric and haberdashery and lots of it so I wouldn't have to hassle with the cutting layouts. And a good real ale for when I'd finished!

What’s on the sewing table this week?

At the moment I am making McCalls 7974 in a lovely swishy viscose. It's taking me a long time because I don't function well in the heat we are having so I'm only sewing in short bursts. Next up could be a pair of shorts, but I've just had some double gauze delivered so I may make a top or a dress. Or something else may catch my eye - "Oooh look, squirrel!"