About
Who is Kay?
Here I am, with a cuppa in my hand and I have to tell you about me!
I’ll begin with my love of drawing, photography and sewing… I drew on anything and everything and I was given a camera when I was seven years old that saw me snapping anything feathered and furred!
I was encouraged in my artistic endeavours and about the same time as the camera gift, I was considered safe (!) enough to wield something sharp, so I was given a sewing kit and off I went! Oh the joy later, when none of my clothes looked like they came from a high street shop!
I became a prolific dolls clothes designer and maker and was actually offered a job when I was 9, designing dolls clothes for a local toyshop, but declined (much to the frustration of my Mum!) as I liked having something unique for my Sindy and Pippa dolls!!
I continued with my artistic endeavours, leaving photography on the back burner and concentrating on art and textiles throughout school and college, learning tailoring skills, designing and stitching techniques and finally qualifying as a textiles artist and screen printer. I continued to make clothes, soft furnishings and anything I needed in the fabric department while my art took a photographic twist, following three years of photographic and teaching qualifications and for the past 25+ years, whilst working as a photographer and printer, I have taught photography and art.
I added sewing tuition, fabric arts and, my own love, patch-working, to the list and here we are!
I have taught sets of classes to a wide range of ages and abilities, and it is such pure joy seeing the enthusiasm and pleasure on faces as the confidence grows and they have that wonderful realisation that they can create, design, make something for themselves. I never tire of that whether I am teaching stitching or photography.
There is something very special about bringing a group of people together to sew, chat, listen and laugh; strangers become friends, troubles dissolve, support builds, and while the needles fly, the friendships deepen. Mistakes are learned from, and all these skills are there to pass down to the generations that follow in time honoured tradition.
My love of patch-working came across the pond from Canada and grew from a conversation with my Mum’s cousin – on her wall was a beautifully embroidered sampler with the words “If life gives you scraps, make a quilt”. My small self loved the words but didn’t understand the meaning. Once explained it opened up a big world of fabrics, textures, patterns and talented people! When asked to put some talks together, I learned so much more about the history and diversity of this subject and have been on a fascinating journey, resulting in the workshops and talks I now do.
I love to sit with friends, stitching stories into everything I sew, whether it is a big bedspread or a little embellishment for a hat. Time to think, time for laughing, time to reflect and time for me. Priceless. This inspired me to design my Mindfulness Slow-Stitch Kits that are now available in my webshop.
As a working Mum and fur Mum, I know how busy and stressful life can be and we lose sight of a moment to ourselves. Finding even 10 minutes in the day to sit and sew became a precious gift while bringing up my daughter and fielding life in general, juggling my wish to be available for school events, and wanting to spend as much time with her as possible, whilst still building a business… sewing was my safety zone! (and saved me a fortune too!!)
I now teach workshops, 1:1 sessions and classes, along with my talks that have taken on a life of their own and are now booking a year ahead. I am on the WI speakers register for Herts Beds and Bucks and in 12 months, hope to expand my area, but I have been known to present talks in London, Wales and Surrey, so there are no county boundaries!!
I hope I meet you at a workshop, talk or a 121 soon!
Here I am, with a cuppa in my hand and I have to tell you about me!
I’ll begin with my love of drawing, photography and sewing… I drew on anything and everything and I was given a camera when I was seven years old that saw me snapping anything feathered and furred!
I was encouraged in my artistic endeavours and about the same time as the camera gift, I was considered safe (!) enough to wield something sharp, so I was given a sewing kit and off I went! Oh the joy later, when none of my clothes looked like they came from a high street shop!
I became a prolific dolls clothes designer and maker and was actually offered a job when I was 9, designing dolls clothes for a local toyshop, but declined (much to the frustration of my Mum!) as I liked having something unique for my Sindy and Pippa dolls!!
I continued with my artistic endeavours, leaving photography on the back burner and concentrating on art and textiles throughout school and college, learning tailoring skills, designing and stitching techniques and finally qualifying as a textiles artist and screen printer. I continued to make clothes, soft furnishings and anything I needed in the fabric department while my art took a photographic twist, following three years of photographic and teaching qualifications and for the past 25+ years, whilst working as a photographer and printer, I have taught photography and art.
I added sewing tuition, fabric arts and, my own love, patch-working, to the list and here we are!
I have taught sets of classes to a wide range of ages and abilities, and it is such pure joy seeing the enthusiasm and pleasure on faces as the confidence grows and they have that wonderful realisation that they can create, design, make something for themselves. I never tire of that whether I am teaching stitching or photography.
There is something very special about bringing a group of people together to sew, chat, listen and laugh; strangers become friends, troubles dissolve, support builds, and while the needles fly, the friendships deepen. Mistakes are learned from, and all these skills are there to pass down to the generations that follow in time honoured tradition.
My love of patch-working came across the pond from Canada and grew from a conversation with my Mum’s cousin – on her wall was a beautifully embroidered sampler with the words “If life gives you scraps, make a quilt”. My small self loved the words but didn’t understand the meaning. Once explained it opened up a big world of fabrics, textures, patterns and talented people! When asked to put some talks together, I learned so much more about the history and diversity of this subject and have been on a fascinating journey, resulting in the workshops and talks I now do.
I love to sit with friends, stitching stories into everything I sew, whether it is a big bedspread or a little embellishment for a hat. Time to think, time for laughing, time to reflect and time for me. Priceless. This inspired me to design my Mindfulness Slow-Stitch Kits that are now available in my webshop.
As a working Mum and fur Mum, I know how busy and stressful life can be and we lose sight of a moment to ourselves. Finding even 10 minutes in the day to sit and sew became a precious gift while bringing up my daughter and fielding life in general, juggling my wish to be available for school events, and wanting to spend as much time with her as possible, whilst still building a business… sewing was my safety zone! (and saved me a fortune too!!)
I now teach workshops, 1:1 sessions and classes, along with my talks that have taken on a life of their own and are now booking a year ahead. I am on the WI speakers register for Herts Beds and Bucks and in 12 months, hope to expand my area, but I have been known to present talks in London, Wales and Surrey, so there are no county boundaries!!
I hope I meet you at a workshop, talk or a 121 soon!