Australian Homespun — June 2017

SHANNAN GRIERSON

Why this particular craft? Sewing’s always

been a part of my life. My earliest memory of

school is making a sampler in an embroidery

hoop, so I can’t imagine not stitching. When

I was little, I wanted to sew clothes for my

dolls; in my teens, it was flared jeans and

short skirts; and nowadays, it’s accessories

and clothing for me, my mum and my friends.

I love dreaming up something I’d like to make.

And there are so many techniques to learn

and styles to try, it never gets boring.

Have you tried plenty of others? Oh yes,

I’m a proper craft tart. I’ve had a go at card

making, weaving, ceramics, silversmithing,

beading, knitting, painting, printing, candle

making, baking, um ... and probably a few

others I’ve forgotten about along the way.

Who are Bobbin and Fred? Bobbin and

Fred are my sewing pals. Bobbin’s a vintage

French knitting bobbin I found years ago at

a secondhand sale, and Fred is her lovable

goat sidekick. Together, we design and make

needlework projects, celebrating texture,

pattern and vibrant colours. They have a bit

of a romance going on – Fred’s got me

working on a surprise for Bobbin at the

moment. I can’t tell you what, as he’s sworn

me to secrecy, but I think she’s gonna love it.

If you weren’t doing this, what would occupy

your time? I’d love to learn to paraglide and

then fly all over the world. I’ve seen stunning

footage from Oregon and Canada. I’d still take

my hand sewing with me, though.

Who taught you your crafting skills? Did you

learn ‘at your mother’s knee’ or did you master

techniques with personal and formal training?

A mixture of all three. I’ve always loved making

stuff. As a child, I spent hours making paper

flowers for my teachers. My mum is very

creative. When I was growing up, she sewed and

embroidered, and I loved seeing and touching all

the patterns and textures. Her studio was a

yummy emporium of gorgeousness, and I loved

going in and running my hands over all the

fabric and looking at the things she made. Mum

showed me the basics, and I taught myself from

books and magazines. I studied art and textile

design. Since then, I’ve gone back to teaching

myself; the internet’s a great resource.

Any good stories from those lessons? At

school, before we were allowed to machine

stitch our fabric, we had to prove we could

master the beast by sewing on paper. We were

given these sheets with various-shaped lines

made up of dots and we had to get the needle

in the centre of each dot by setting the correct

stitch, length and width. I’m a perfectionist, and

it was so satisfying when I got the needle in the

centre of each one! Whenever I’m asked about

how to learn to use a sewing machine, I always

suggest starting on paper. Most students look

at me as if I’m crazy, because they want to

get to the good stuff (fabric), but I fell in love

with sewing over that dotty piece of paper,

so I can’t help but recommend it.

What does this craft mean to you? It means

everything to me, really. Sewing’s therapy,

stress relief and one way I make happiness.

If I’m ever feeling down or anxious, I just pick

up my sewing, and my troubles melt away.

From where do you draw inspiration? I’m really

inspired by European folk art, Indian embroidery

techniques and Moroccan tiles at the moment.

The bright, organic yet geometric patterns

these three styles celebrate are right up my

street. I love anything that’s richly embroidered

or patterned, so I hunt for imagery like that on

Pinterest and Instagram. I also enjoy looking at

clasps, buttons, ribbons and trims online and

filing them away for future use. The other place

I look for inspiration is in my sewing stash; I often

allow what’s in there to dictate my next project.

How would you describe your style? What

makes it unique? Over-the-top, playful yet

sophisticated ... at least, that’s what I aim

for. I try to use unusual colour combinations

and embroidery in ways I haven’t seen them

used. I like incorporating traditional methods

in modern design. Each of my designs has

come about because I wanted to experiment

with a new technique, construct a new shape

or practise a skill, like putting in zips or quilting.

Any embarrassing botch-ups along the way?

A friend once asked me to help her refashion

a dress into a Tinkerbell costume for her 18th

birthday party, so I started cutting into the

skirt to make the zigzag edge of Tinkerbell’s

dress. By the time I was done, my poor friend

had to wear hot pants underneath because I’d

snipped it so high up on the back, Tinkerbell

would’ve appeared far more cheeky than even

Tink ought to be.

Where do you live and work? I live in the

southwest of England. I recently moved to

a village in Devon that’s near the coast and

surrounded by fields. It’s pretty quiet; the

postman arriving is a bit of an event round

here! My workspace is my bed. I do all of my

designing, prep and hand sewing tucked up

under my duvet. I have a small table in the

corner with my sewing machine on it, but

that’s it. I stash my fabrics and thread in

my wardrobe, under my bed or anywhere

I can cram some more into.

What’s your family structure? I live with my

mum, which I think fills some with dread ... until

they meet her! She’s great fun to be around and

loves to have a laugh with my friends, and we

have so much in common we call ourselves The

Craft Sisters (fist bump required). Mum’s a real

foodie (like me) who loves to knit and sew, and

so it’s probably unsurprising to discover that

we spend our time together talking about

knitting, sewing and eating.

Gett ing to know ...

together. It’s best if you insert the

pins from the right side so you can

remove them easily as you stitch.

18

Topstitch close to the seams

of the top and bottom borders

through both layers.

Zipper

19

Place the pouch front, right

side up, on the table. Lay the

closed zipper, right side down, along

the top edge with an equal amount

overhanging at each end. Pin it in

place with the pins placed at 90

degrees to the zipper.

20

With right sides together, lay

a quilted lining rectangle on

top of the front panel, raw edges

level; the zipper will be sandwiched

between the layers at the top. Pin

all the layers together once more.

21

Fit a zipper foot to the

machine. Stitch close to

the zipper teeth through all layers

• you should be able to feel them
  through the lining fabric.

22

Fold the front and lining

fabrics down over the zipper

tape so the teeth are exposed and

the batting on the wrong sides

of the fabrics is matching. Pin the

layers together. Using the zipper

foot, topstitch beside the zipper

through all layers – this fl attens

the bulk and keeps the lining out

of the way of the zipper teeth inside

the pouch.

23

Repeat Steps 19-22 with the

pouch back and other lining

rectangle on the other side of the

zipper. You should now have the

zipper sewn between the front and

back panels.