Say It Ain't Sew

I learned how to sew by hand at the age of three after I was found to be with scissors cutting things up! I was taught by my mother and grandmother who decided it would be best to learn how to fix what I had taken apart. From a very young age I was interested in building and how things worked. Growing up in Dumfries and Galloway however, and struggling with the school system, I was encouraged not to study anything too academic (engineering, architecture, science) and instead left school at 15 to do an art course and then on to study business and fashion design at university in Glasgow. I started my first clothing business at 21 and have ran a number of successful businesses since, including a costume business where I have had the opportunity to work with Beyonce, Dolly Parton, Prince, Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber and many more. In 2010 after suffering extreme burn out after working in London, I returned to Scotland eager to use craft in aiding my recovery. As hand sewing had been something I used throughout my life from a very young age to relax and have fun, I decided to set up Say It Ain't Sew so that others could benefit from it too. It began as a weekly night in a pub in the west end of Glasgow and now we have classes all over the UK. This year we are applying for charity status so that we can fundraise to keep our classes accessible and to secure our future in the growing third sector and be placed among all of the wonderful Scottish Non-Profit organisations. Hand sewing is a skill that is older than reading or writing. I feel that it is really important we protect it for generations to come and to use it as a tool to help reduce social isolation and the growing mental health problems we face.