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, Edith Grace Vintage & Edith Grace Creations. 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 am currently studying Creative Arts with the Open University. 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 |