a bit about us

Lianne - Diamond

My background is in textiles and after completing my degree, I went on to work with some of the top companies in the textile industry, and gained experience in quality control, fabric and also clothing manufacturing. A factory closure led to redundancy so I took the opportunity to teach myself pottery and through time opened my own studio. My passion was teaching other people pottery and ceramic skills.

A change in career saw me move back into textiles, working in the furnishings and fabrics department of a major retailer. This role involved advising on curtains, wallpapers and putting together colour schemes. Over a number of years I developed my management skills and gained more experience in a variety of departments.

But I was itching to get back out on my own so took the huge step of leaving employment to look for a business opportunity where I could pursue my own creativity whilst encouraging other people to explore theirs.

One snowy morning early in 2018 I stumbled across an advert for a small business for sale - a fabric, yarn and haberdashery shop. And that was the start of the newest exciting chapter in my life.

A Team of Gems

Lucy holding a bolt of fabric in our quilting cotton area

Lucy - Ruby

Shirley Ann - Pearl

Lucy’s been dubbed a “Crafting Butterfly!” Having created greeting cards, jewellery, love hearts, felt brooches, a dabble in graphics, key rings and many sewing projects, she’s a bundle of enthusiasm, with a super abundance of crafting knowledge.

Being a chatty person who loves to solve problems, Lucy is your go to girl for ideas on how to

Being a chatty person who loves to solve problems, Lucy is your go to girl for ideas on how to complete your project with an enthusiastic nudge. She teaches workshops that use fat quarters, which she notes, are not just for quilting.

With Lucy, you’ll learn how to make creative items that are as much fun as they are useful, something to adorn your home, to be given as a gift or a wee special treat for yourself.

Lucy’s Advice - Don’t be scared - just have a go, and do enjoy the doing and the process. Expecting perfection the first time round can be discouraging, so allow yourself the time to learn and get good at your craft. Come and visit to show us your work, and guaranteed, we’ll get excited about it with you!

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Shirley Ann wearing one of her favourite projects

Shirley Ann - Pearl

Originally from Falkirk, Shirley Ann is our soft spoken crafting enthusiast, self-described, jack of all trades, creating, “a wee bit of this and that!” Having begun knitting in primary school, she crafted dresses and garments for her dolls, but she’s also a talented seamstress. With a passion for bespoke clothing, Shirley Ann enjoys crea

Now all this talent didn’t happen overnight, Shirley Ann got good at what she does, by practising, practising, practising until she got it right. In her words, “Practice till it becomes muscle memory.”

Her favourite thing about I Sew 2 is working with the team and the people she meets, seeing their projects from start to fruition. In particular, she recalled a customer bringing in a stag head quilt, so detailed and wonderfully stitched. It looked amazing, and they all got to celebrate a job well done together.

With years of knitting and sewing in her bag of tools, Shirley Ann can help with all your yarn and fabric projects.

Shirley Ann’s Advice - For those new to knitting, start with easy patterns, like a wee hat, using chunky wool because it knits up quickly. Not only do you have the reward of your new hat, you come away with the confidence to say, “If I can do this, I can do more! All you need are a set of knitting needles, some yarn and one of our great selection of patterns!”

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