I began to sew and make clothes as a young child, my mum was, and still is, a keen sewer. As I had very little money my main fabric was old curtains, I would follow and adapt any only patterns I could find.

Dressmaking in school was a very brief experience, a taster really, but the teacher told me I was the only student she had ever had, that could actually wear the skirt they had made in the class! It was a school skirt and I was then told I couldn’t wear it as it was too short!

I applied to study Fashion Design With Technology at the London College of Fashion. I went along quite happily to my interview, but was somewhat concerned when I noticed all the other applicants were holding rather large portfolios. I had never studied art, or dress making, and the fact that I needed to take a portfolio hadn’t even entered my mind.  We were placed in small groups for interview and there were a few giggles from the rest of my group when they noticed I had no portfolio.

The first question the interviewer asked me was ‘ What is someone that has studied business and finance and economics wanting to now study fashion for?’ I don’t know where my answer came from but I replied ‘ I have never failed at anything else in my life so why should I fail at this’ He gave me a place there and then! When I went back out to my group the asked me ‘how did you get on?’. I replied that I had been given a place. I was the only one in my group that day to be given a place there and then. They were quite annoyed.

I had a fantastic education at the LCF, my pattern cutting tutor was Martin Shoben and my sewing teacher was Janet Ward, my grading teacher was Patrick Taylor, I could not have asked for more highly qualified and knowledgeable teachers.

As soon as I started the course I found I was way behind the rest of the students in my group, I was very naive. In my first pattern cutting lesson I truly believed that I would be cutting patterns out, ready made ones that had somehow been produced. I was amazed to find that I would be learning how to make those patterns myself. I studied hard and by Christmas of my first terms I was as good as anyone else in my group. It had been hard work but my passion for studying pattern cutting and sewing has stayed with me ever since.

I graduated from the London College of Fashion and went straight to work in Copenhagen, that was a great experience. I then decided return to my home town of Llandudno and I began my own business and did a lot of freelance pattern cutting and grading for several local factories, none of which are still there now sadly.

I found freelance work to be a little repetitive and decided to take a teacher training course at the local college.They even had a fashion and textiles course that I could complete my teacher training on. Having completed my teacher training I was offered a job there and stayed there for the next 12 years part time, while still working as a freelance pattern cutter and grader and business consultant.

I also took the opportunity to take a Masters Degree in Clothing – Advanced Manufacture at Hollings Faculty in Manchester (MMU). Having completed my MSc (with distinction) I was offered a job at MMU and spent a further 13 years working there. Mainly teaching CAD and Pattern Making and Grading using the Gerber Accumark system and teaching Masters and PhD students.

I retired from teaching several years ago now and have recently moved to France. I have developed a number of small fashion and pattern making businesses. The teacher in me loves to create learning materials and share the knowledge I have for pattern making, and sewing.

My work has taken me all over the world, I have taught in China and worked in New York, Copenhagen, Paris and many other places.

My blog is my way of firstly documenting the education I had and am still getting, as I never stop learning. My recent passion is bra making and lingerie making!

Having taught at degree and masters level, I appreciate the time lecturers get is not enough to impart the knowledge a student needs to become an expert in any area. I was fortunate enough to be taught in an era where course hours were long and lecturers had plenty of time to teach .

I intend my blog to be a ‘revisit’ of all my learning over my many years of study. I hope that the knowledge I will document in my blog will help those students of fashion out there, those who want to learn ‘properly’ and be safe in the knowledge that the things they are learning are accurate.

I hope you will join my on my journey.

Nicola