I learnt to sew, embroider and knit at a young age, encouraged by my Mum who would always be making something. I loved both art and textiles at school and went on to art school, learning different techniques much similar to coatimundi above, all great fun! I went on to study textile design at uni and have worked as colourist and designer in the textile industry learning lots along the way!
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I was also taught to sew knit and crochet by the time I was fifteen ,then taught myself to do Aran knitting which I found quite hard but soon got the hang of it .
In the seventies I used to knit for a company in Scotland .
Now I make all sorts of different things ,shortly I will be putting on two new items for sale
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My Gran taught me to knit and crochet and her sister, my great aunt was a seamstress and I have her to thank for finishing off properly, she didnāt mind embarrassing me by lifting up my skirts to make sure I had hemmed correctly.
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Awww , You reminded me.
I taught my mother to sew and I used to do just that, lift up the hem of her new dress/shirt to check sheād hemmed it properly. Iād also check sheād hand sewn all her ends in rather than simply going backwards and forwards with the machine. She would get her own back though.
Even now when I visit and take my knitting I find her checking Iāve not dropped a stitch or messed up my tension.
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I started out with beaded bracelets and rings which with lot of research i taught myself, this then led to polymer clay and with the help of some great youtube videos i just went off and taught myself that too lol. Same goes for Crochet but this is the craft i slightly regret learning as i now have and unbelievable amount of wool which was not cheap, i just canāt help myself. I love to pick up new things.
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I used to make Daisy Chain seed bead bracelets when I was a teenager, then when I was older I used to make patchwork quilts and simple bracelets to sell on my friendās regular craft fair stall. I had to give up making the quilts - too hard on my back! - but carried on with the jewellery for a little while. After a break of a few years I found my old beading kit in a cupboard (thank goodness I hadnāt thrown it away!) and I started again. I spent some time learning new techniques and Iām still experimenting. I started selling my pieces through my workplace and mustered the courage to open my Folksy shop about a year ago. Iām lucky enough to have a tiny back bedroom set up as my workroom and itās my favourite place in the house - after a hard day at my job, some time in my workroom keeps me sane!
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Hi i have been working with glass, tiles and ceramics for a good number of years, I started out by joining an evening Stained glass class in Cornwall over 18yrs ago and have been hooked ever since. I also work with mosaics, i run classes in both but i do find mosaics are great for a wider range of ages.
I love what i do , love teaching and spreading the joy of working with Glass.
For me everyday is still a learning day x
Hi, I am really very new to cold process soap making and have learnt mainly by watching you tube videos. There is also a really helpful group on Facebook who awnser any question as so much can go wrong in soap making.
It is a fascinating thing to do especially when you achieve the results you set out to get. there are many regulations in this industry which puts many off but i would recommend it to any although a warning it is a highly addictive craft.
Hey, itās great to see all these stories, thereās so many creative people, you just have to believe in what you do & go for it. Iām a mostly self taught jeweller, having a completed a basic silversmithing course. Iād been practising and playing with jewellery for a few years before I had confidence in what I was designing. Now itās about continuing to push myself & learn new skills. It can be a tough process, but oh so rewarding when you end up with a product you really love all created by you!
Mandie x
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I wanted to do a silver jewellery course, but there wasnāt any space, so ended up on a stained glass class.
My love of all things glass has developed from there. I have done a fusing course, and really must look into some more fusing courses.
As a member of my local WI, last months talk was by a lovely lady who has created a safe cold ceramic, so I am going to explore mixing the ceramic with some glass soon.
I am self taught and started by making my Sindy doll clothes great to see a picture of Sindy she was always my favourite like a real girl unlike Barbie
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My Mum was into crafts - knitting, dressmaking, embroidery, leather work (for that she did an evening class) I was very young, but I remember and I still have some of the items she made! So crafting was a natural step for me, although I did get side tracked when I did the Art foundation and thought all I wanted to do was paint and draw! After a few years working with collage, I taught myself to use a sewing machine, having previously shown no interest! I have a huge stash of craft books, but used them at first for techniques and ideas. Nowadays I design and create from scratch. I dabble in lots of crafts! Book making, sewing, embroidery, macrame, card making, and I also knit and crochet. I think textiles is what interests me mainly and I would love to do a proper course but I donāt think it is going to happen now.
Iām self taught for the feltmaking and semi self taught for my artwork & illustration (semi as in I studied hard at a good school but didnāt go to art college).
Itās great having two strings to the bow because felting is better as a summer craft, it dries quickly and wet hands are not as uncomfortable in summer, painting for winter, locked into my studio with the fire turned up :o)
I taught myself to Crochet from books and magazines. I wanted to learn something new and I remember my father crocheting so thought I would give it ago. Now I am hooked, no pun intended. I named my shop Grannyman as I learned to make granny squares and I am a man.
My mother who is no longer with us taught me how to crochet and stitch by hand but I self taught myself how to use a sewing machine and use it pretty well +++smiles+++
I have sewn since I was about 12, I attended a 2 year fashion course in my late teens. Jewellery making, rubber stamping and soldering were basically learnt off the internet.
I tend to waffle on about my craft projects on my fb page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poisoned-Apple-Theatre-All-sorts-of-Crafts/102785243100696
I have always enjoyed putting trimmings and emblishments on out dated clothes. So I decided to try decorating a few of my daughters t-shirts. The compliments received from friends and relatives motivated me into making to sell!
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I was always interested in art and textiles at school and did very well at gcse in this, I then studied art and design and then design and craft at college for a few years doing anything ranging from life drawing, pottery, package design, graphics and loads more! (Yep packed alot in in those years lol) but I have to say it was my mum in later years that taught me to knit and I produced some lovely baby knits, and books helped me when I got my sewing machine to make and create bags and various things, love it!
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I was taught by my late nan when i was 6 years old. I use to be good at crochet then and not good at knitting. Now i am a lot older it is the other way round lol 
, i canāt understand a crochet pattern at all. Dressmaking i learnt at school as we had to, the boys got to do wood work - which i really wanted to do 
as for now, most is self taught and a combination of everything what comes to mind. My mind never rests and very often i will wake up in the middle of the night with a new design, so now i jot them down then go back to sleep. Quite funny when i wake up as i canāt always read what i wrote as it will be random scribble or drawing - the policeman cosy came to me when i was asleep 
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