The Whole Truth and nothing but..
Born and Bred in the Black Country in 1982. I was raised by my parents Elain and Roy Gardner with my younger brother, Robert. From a young age I always had my fingers in as many creative pies as possible.
With money being tight as it is for all parents, I attended free after school activities like Dance, Athletics, and Choir practice. At home I would make thing by cutting up old clothes and created ornaments from salt dough that sort of thing.
My enthusiasm for creativity did not fade with age. At 18, I moved to Leeds to study Dance at Northern Contemporary Dance School but It was not long before I was looking for the next adventure! I had decided that a Dance and Visual Art, BA Hons course in Brighton was for me.
I adore Brighton! It felt like home straight away! The culture, the noise, the sea, the buzz. I LOVED IT! After completing my degree however, I sadly had to come home. Unfortunately, my creative bug went into hibernation. Skint from tuition fees and studying away from home, my focus was drawn to getting financially back on track. I began working for the local Water Company, as a Debt Collector.
It was not until 2010 and at a works Christmas party that I bumped into a man called Kirk Taylor. He was playing in a band called Snooty Bobs and also worked at the same company. I needed to sing in this band! So, fueled by the free bar, I plucked up the courage to ask Kirk "can I sing in your band?", the rest is history. Snooty Bobs have performed regionally and nationally for venues and festivals, the O2 Arena Birmingham, been played on BBC WM radio several times and released an EP called Gossip, which can be found on Spotify, Sound cloud and ITunes.
Being in a band with Kirk started my creative turning point. Looking back know I can see that he is my muse. A muse that I fell in love with and married at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham in August 2012. This is were my sewing journey really started. As every Bride will know, the dress is the most important item she could ever wear; I, could not find the perfect dress. Beginning to panic about this I made the decision, as I cannot find a dress, I shall make one! WHAT!!! Yes, you read me right. No prior experience of sewing apart from little things I had made as child and my GCSE textiles which I completed in school, I was going to make my own wedding dress.
Luckily I was in good company. Ineke Berlyn, A fabulous textile artist was going to help me! Someone she barely knew as a new member of the extended family. She welcomed me into her home come studio and helped me make my dream wedding dress which we designed together. But I also got to make my own 'lace' as I called it. Using a technique called paper laminating, I designed my lace pattern and with paper, organza and a soldering iron, I created my own lace to lie over the top of dupion silk dress. (if you are confused by the soldering iron, we used it to create the scalloped edge, 'cutting' it with heat.) I was very pleased with the end result. My now husband did not get to see it until the special day, as I walked down the aisle to 'Natural Woman' by Carole King. (Tapestry being the first vinyl record he bought me, before we even got together.) His face was a picture and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place.
The dress has now gone on to live a life of its own. The dress is featured in Ineke Berlyn’ s book called 'Collections' because of the technique we used, which was published in 2013. It has also been on tour with her at a number of exhibitions around the country and abroad. It is safe to say, it travels more than me.
From there, I could not stop sewing. Making things from cushion covers and little things around the house. I became addicted to it. I wanted to expand my knowledge and challenge myself so I decided I was going to set up a Facebook page called Tailor Taylor and invite people to contact me for clothes that they wanted but just could not get. By doing this, I started to have to make things outside my comfort zone, learning more and more with each new project.
From shirts to dungaree's, trousers to gentlemen's jackets, I'm still learning. When I did not have any orders, I continued to make things for myself to keep the momentum going. With money being tight as still paying off the wedding and honeymoon, I resorted to cutting up old shirts making dresses, skirts and bags from the material.
To help build my confidence in the products I was making, I asked Ineke if I could attend her open studio, where I made bags and bag wraps for artist brushes or make up, to be sold there. Surrounded by like-minded people who love to create in any media felt like home. The feedback I had was very positive and I had sold most of my items. I knew, this is what I want to do.
Around May 2013, Kirk had filled in an application for the Great British Sewing Bee 2014. I was completely non the wiser until it had been in the post for a week. I could have killed him at the time, however one afternoon I received a phone call. It was Love Productions, the makers of the Great British Sewing Bee calling Me! They advised that they had received my application and they were interested in inviting me to the first stages of auditions! I could not believe it! Not only did I make it past the intense and several audition stages, I progressed through the series until week five where I was beaten by a pair of Velvet trousers! With three million viewers, the rest they say is TV history and the start of my #sewingrevolution.
The feedback and comments I received after the show was so overwhelming. Stories of how I had inspired others to start sewing. I was compelled to do something about it.
I began to set up #sewingrevolution workshops in and around the midlands based around upcycling. For me, Upcycling is a perfect way to encourage people to get sew. Taking items that you may already own but no longer wear and transforming them into something new. It does not matter if you are going to make a mistake as your were going to throw it away anyway! You have nothing to lose.
I want to inspire and encourage people to have confidence in the new found skill and show off their makes by sharing on social media by using the #sewingrevolution hashtag.
The #sewingrevolution is now beginning to gain momentum with live demonstrations on Create and Craft TV, as well as featuring in several sewing magazine features and sewing exhibitions and events.
I truly believe that CREATIVITY IS CONTAGIOUS - SO PASS IT ON!
Watch this space, get sewing and join the #sewingrevolution!
Born and Bred in the Black Country in 1982. I was raised by my parents Elain and Roy Gardner with my younger brother, Robert. From a young age I always had my fingers in as many creative pies as possible.
With money being tight as it is for all parents, I attended free after school activities like Dance, Athletics, and Choir practice. At home I would make thing by cutting up old clothes and created ornaments from salt dough that sort of thing.
My enthusiasm for creativity did not fade with age. At 18, I moved to Leeds to study Dance at Northern Contemporary Dance School but It was not long before I was looking for the next adventure! I had decided that a Dance and Visual Art, BA Hons course in Brighton was for me.
I adore Brighton! It felt like home straight away! The culture, the noise, the sea, the buzz. I LOVED IT! After completing my degree however, I sadly had to come home. Unfortunately, my creative bug went into hibernation. Skint from tuition fees and studying away from home, my focus was drawn to getting financially back on track. I began working for the local Water Company, as a Debt Collector.
It was not until 2010 and at a works Christmas party that I bumped into a man called Kirk Taylor. He was playing in a band called Snooty Bobs and also worked at the same company. I needed to sing in this band! So, fueled by the free bar, I plucked up the courage to ask Kirk "can I sing in your band?", the rest is history. Snooty Bobs have performed regionally and nationally for venues and festivals, the O2 Arena Birmingham, been played on BBC WM radio several times and released an EP called Gossip, which can be found on Spotify, Sound cloud and ITunes.
Being in a band with Kirk started my creative turning point. Looking back know I can see that he is my muse. A muse that I fell in love with and married at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham in August 2012. This is were my sewing journey really started. As every Bride will know, the dress is the most important item she could ever wear; I, could not find the perfect dress. Beginning to panic about this I made the decision, as I cannot find a dress, I shall make one! WHAT!!! Yes, you read me right. No prior experience of sewing apart from little things I had made as child and my GCSE textiles which I completed in school, I was going to make my own wedding dress.
Luckily I was in good company. Ineke Berlyn, A fabulous textile artist was going to help me! Someone she barely knew as a new member of the extended family. She welcomed me into her home come studio and helped me make my dream wedding dress which we designed together. But I also got to make my own 'lace' as I called it. Using a technique called paper laminating, I designed my lace pattern and with paper, organza and a soldering iron, I created my own lace to lie over the top of dupion silk dress. (if you are confused by the soldering iron, we used it to create the scalloped edge, 'cutting' it with heat.) I was very pleased with the end result. My now husband did not get to see it until the special day, as I walked down the aisle to 'Natural Woman' by Carole King. (Tapestry being the first vinyl record he bought me, before we even got together.) His face was a picture and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place.
The dress has now gone on to live a life of its own. The dress is featured in Ineke Berlyn’ s book called 'Collections' because of the technique we used, which was published in 2013. It has also been on tour with her at a number of exhibitions around the country and abroad. It is safe to say, it travels more than me.
From there, I could not stop sewing. Making things from cushion covers and little things around the house. I became addicted to it. I wanted to expand my knowledge and challenge myself so I decided I was going to set up a Facebook page called Tailor Taylor and invite people to contact me for clothes that they wanted but just could not get. By doing this, I started to have to make things outside my comfort zone, learning more and more with each new project.
From shirts to dungaree's, trousers to gentlemen's jackets, I'm still learning. When I did not have any orders, I continued to make things for myself to keep the momentum going. With money being tight as still paying off the wedding and honeymoon, I resorted to cutting up old shirts making dresses, skirts and bags from the material.
To help build my confidence in the products I was making, I asked Ineke if I could attend her open studio, where I made bags and bag wraps for artist brushes or make up, to be sold there. Surrounded by like-minded people who love to create in any media felt like home. The feedback I had was very positive and I had sold most of my items. I knew, this is what I want to do.
Around May 2013, Kirk had filled in an application for the Great British Sewing Bee 2014. I was completely non the wiser until it had been in the post for a week. I could have killed him at the time, however one afternoon I received a phone call. It was Love Productions, the makers of the Great British Sewing Bee calling Me! They advised that they had received my application and they were interested in inviting me to the first stages of auditions! I could not believe it! Not only did I make it past the intense and several audition stages, I progressed through the series until week five where I was beaten by a pair of Velvet trousers! With three million viewers, the rest they say is TV history and the start of my #sewingrevolution.
The feedback and comments I received after the show was so overwhelming. Stories of how I had inspired others to start sewing. I was compelled to do something about it.
I began to set up #sewingrevolution workshops in and around the midlands based around upcycling. For me, Upcycling is a perfect way to encourage people to get sew. Taking items that you may already own but no longer wear and transforming them into something new. It does not matter if you are going to make a mistake as your were going to throw it away anyway! You have nothing to lose.
I want to inspire and encourage people to have confidence in the new found skill and show off their makes by sharing on social media by using the #sewingrevolution hashtag.
The #sewingrevolution is now beginning to gain momentum with live demonstrations on Create and Craft TV, as well as featuring in several sewing magazine features and sewing exhibitions and events.
I truly believe that CREATIVITY IS CONTAGIOUS - SO PASS IT ON!
Watch this space, get sewing and join the #sewingrevolution!
