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I have been knitting & sewing since I was very young and I am still inspired by my mother, who was always knitting when I got home from school. She kept my wardrobe full of jumpers, cardigans and beautifully made dresses. My interest for dressmaking came from my Granny, who trained as a Master Tailor in London. She would always allow me to go into her shop/ tailoring room, which was at the front of her cottage in Deddington, Oxfordshire. She was a competent embroiderer and there was always something new to look at when I visited her at the weekends.
I started to design and sell knitting patterns in 2012 on Etsy, LoveCrafts and Ravelry. My Etsy shops are called Edith Grace Designs, named after my Granny, and Lily Lupins, my nick name as a child by my mother. During my ballet teaching career I have worked on local pantomimes & dance productions, designing and making costumes. From the age of 16 I trained as a professional ballet dancer, of which I danced and sang on stage for many years. Towards the end of my professional career I gained my Level 4 teaching qualification and ran the very successful Deddington Ballet School for over 25 years. In June 2021 I retired from teaching ballet. In 2018, I decided to change my career. Textiles & Dressmaking was something I had always wanted to study as a teenager, so I started my City & Guilds qualifications at IDC College, Bromsgrove. I gained City & Guilds in Fashion and a Level 3 Certificate in Textiles. I have been tutoring Textiles & Dressmaking since 2019 in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. I am able to tutor children, young people and adults in knitting, dressmaking & embroidery/ creative stitch. For any information about my patterns, or tutoring, please contact me below: Jo |
