Grimm188

My mother taught me to sew when I was young and I received my first sewing machine at age 13. From there in I dabbled in sewing things, but never really took it too seriously. At age 18, I decided I wanted to learn to knit and with the help of books, a little on the internet (this was pre-YouTube and such!), and one friend who hadn't knit since she was 10, I caught the knitting bug. This was just before the rise of modern knitting popularity - which I was so happy to have happen. My love of fibres and fun led me to start sewing and knitting for Blythe dolls (another hobby) and this got me back into really making with my hands. In 2014 I bought my first loom and in 2015 my first spindle. Though my spinning is still very much a personal hobby, I hope to be able to occasionally weave pieces from my handspun for Grimm 188.

When I decided to try to take my making from side hobby to real business in 2014 I wanted a name that would encompass all the facets of things I enjoy creating. Looking into the classic fairy tales, I found it! Grimm's tale number 188: Spindle, Shuttle, & Needle. Though the story itself is a bit dodgy from the viewpoint of modern feminism, it still does tell of a woman who creates from all facets of fibre-based fun from stitching to weaving, etc. Thus Grimm 188 was born! Creating accessories for both fashion and for the home, I keep myself pretty busy sewing, knitting, and weaving headbands, wallets, scarves, bags, purses, wraps, and more!

I love to weave one-off designs from a variety of fibres. My sewn items are always quite colourful, with fabrics that I find that are a bit different from what you might find on the high street or elsewhere. It's always a joy to hear someone tell me at a fair that they've never seen such fabrics - that's just what I'm going for!

All my creations are made in my little mezzanine studio in the flat I share with my fabulous husband in SW London.