A Morning With Natasha Makes

This post is a little bit of a catch up as last week just disappeared partly with working to put kits together and shipping them out and partly because my sons were on school holidays (one still is).

A week and a half ago I travelled down to Natasha Makes to demonstrate how to make my new kit: Annie Doll. I first worked with Natasha a few years ago at Sewing Quarter, a tv shopping channel which closed last year, and it's always great to catch up with her - and have a good nosy around her stock room (I may have brought some fabric home with me...). After the demise of Sewing Quarter Natasha started Natasha Makes and working in her studio with her really brings back the fun and creative early days of SQ for me. This is my view from the sewing machine:

Whilst I am totally suited and love working on my own it's great to be able to meet up and work and collaborate with other people now and again. Running a small creative business can be a lonely job at times and it's easy for doubts to creep in which can ultimately push all of the creative passion out. To be able to chat about work-life with others in the same boat and see and be inspired by what they're working on and vice versa can really boost enthusiasm levels. Jealousy is so often the story that is told alongside success but actually I think it's great to see others who are following their own path and being true to their ideas being successful - it's inspirational and there isn't a finite amount of success to go around, there's enough for everyone! That is not to say that you shouldn't protect your ideas and plans as a designer you absolutely should but there are times when your plans will align with others and collaboration can work for both parties.

This post has taken an unexpectedly deep turn, it must be the heat. Anyway look at this beautiful Leesa Chandler dress and Jane Alcock's quilt that I got to demo in front of!

Anyway I'd better go and do something with that fabric that I brought back with me...