Sarah Patterson is our amazing Seamstress, business owner and fabric designer, and we are so excited to have her as a tutor on the Curious Creatives Craft Retreat.
I met Sarah on the Andycraft Retreat in 2021 and I can honestly say she is one of the loveliest people I've had the pleasure of meeting. She's quiet initially, but boy once she gets chatting, she's hilarious! Give her a glass of wine and you'll be giggling away together like there's not a care in the world. That aside, it has to be said that Sarah is also a very motivated and driven business lady, the kind-hearted type, and her fabrics are simply fantastic. Her style of tutoring is relaxed, comfortable and 'easy'. Anyone joining Sarah on her Curious Creatives Craft Retreat Course will have a very chilled out time and come away with some amazing pieces to show off. When we met, Sarah trusted me enough to show me some of her new designs that she was working on but hadn't yet shown to anyone else. I felt so honoured and privileged. I think you'll understand why as you read this blog further.
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I asked Sarah specific questions to be able to write this blog - here's the questions and Sarah's answers...
Sarah, let's get straight to it. What age are you? Where do you live and who do you live with? (Blunt and direct - I know! 😉)
I cannot believe where is the time gone!! I was going to celebrate my 50th birthday last year but unfortunately Covid-19 was pretty much against it so, I a had quiet time with my daughter, two boys and my husband. It was lovely to be together as a family. Maybe I'll get to celebrate with friends this year.
I live on the South Coast by the sea. It is a beautiful and buzzing place when holiday season is in full swing. I especially love walking on the sand beaches with the sun shining. It fills me with so much joy. Being out in the fresh sea air and believing that it's all mine (well in that moment it really is!) is such an amazing feeling.
What would be a “perfect” day for you?
Um.. a perfect day? That's a good question! I can't describe just one perfect day as it depends on which perceptive I'm looking at. Here's two of my 'Perfect Day' ideas.
One day would be a beautiful sunny day with a gentle breeze. I'm doing some light gardening and the flowers are in full, colourful bloom. The bees and butterflies are around me, dancing as they float around in the sky and go from flower to flower. I'll take a break and sit on the lawn with glass of wine. That's definitely a relaxing perfect day.
Another perfect day would be releasing all the new ideas for dresses that I have in my head. I'll create the sample pattern, design the fabric and then transform it into the finished product. That would be so satisfying and would give me that intense feeling of 'The Perfect Day'.
Following on from that then, what’s your favourite day of the week?
Friday is my favorite day of the week because it's the beginning of the weekend. Whilst I love my business and my work I feel very happy and relieved that I can fully be with my family for a few days, spending precious time together and making new memories. Even if I do carry on working on a Saturday, we still make time for each other.
For what, in your life, do you feel most grateful?
Nearly everyday, I feel very grateful for something (and everything), and I know that I am very lucky.
When I walk around different streets and see many homeless people, I acknowledge how fortunate I am and I am extremely grateful for the lifestyle that I have. I know that some people are struggling to make ends meet and I am conscious of this. It really helps me to appreciate what, and who, I have in my life - even if it's been a tough day.
I am very lucky!
I am grateful to have a beautiful daughter and two sons who care about me and my husband very much. I love them with all my heart.
What is your most treasured memory?
Perhaps my childhood. Since my mum died 3 three ago I spend even more time thinking about precious moments my mum and I shared. We had a wonderful bond.
My father was very ill when I was young and as a result he didn’t get to spend time much with us as a family. Sadly, he passed away when I was 10 years old.
From that moment I tried to look after my mum as a friend and her daughter by giving her huge amounts of comfort and love. At that time my sisters were much older than me, I was the youngest, so time spent together between me and mum was very important. We needed each other. I have so many happy memories of our time together.
What’s one of the greatest accomplishments of your life?
My greatest accomplishment has definitely been finally finding the work that I love.
I believed that I was always looking for an academic career. As a child I had dreamed that I would be a professor in a magnificent university. I studied, and studied, and studied. In fact I spent the last two decades studying, having started in my early twenties!
As a result I now have two University Degrees and two Master Degrees.
I have a Bachelor of Education (BEd), a Master of Arts (MA) and a Masters Degree all centred around Child Development Psychology. I secured myself an exclusive job within a school environment but eventually realised that I wasn't really enjoying the position.
I knew I needed to find 'me'.
By chance, in a way it was just luck, I decided to open a fabric shop and I started to teach sewing. I was passionate about sewing. Gradually I started designing my own range of fabrics and now my fabric is sold all over the UK! I'm so pleased that I was brave enough to make the dramatic switch in my career.
I could not be happier!
What don’t you do enough of?
Ironcally, it’s sewing! Ha ha ha ha 😍
If I am not sewing every single day, I feel that something is missing.
Tell me something about you that not many people would know.
There are so many things! I don’t tend to talk about personal things to people apart from business. I used to be very shy and I was afraid talk in front of people. It has a huge affect on me when I was a middle school student in South Korea. I was bullied, quite a lot and that knocked my confidence even more.
However, when people get to know me I am very funny and I love to have fun.
What makes you laugh the hardest?
My husband used to work in London and I was in Bournemouth we didn’t much have a time together apart from weekends. Since my husband took early retirement we have become best friends and we are now closer to each other than ever before. We pretty much joke with one another everyday and he makes me laugh all the time. We really couldn't be without each other. Laughter is a key element of our marriage.
What’s the longest project you’ve ever worked on?
I've had a few commissioning works within the hospitality sectors. One of the places I worked with for over a year. It was a 9 bedroom property and the owner wanted a unique and different theme for each bedroom. I worked closely with them to create the rooms of their dreams. The quality was outstanding. No corners were cut.
I am so proud of myself and my work as their Interior Designer.
What publications and TV programmes have you been in and on?
I was in DORSET MAGAZINE. They published FOUR WHOLE PAGES all about me and my fabric designs. Four pages!! That was fantastic.
Last year, my fabrics (and I) appeared on THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE. It was a wonderful experience. I still pinch myself now and say, "did that really happen?" Well, I have the photo's to prove it, so it must have! I'm still so excited about it even now.
I have also appeared on HOCHANDA TV show a few times selling my patterns and my fabrics. I love working with them, it's such great fun and hardly feels like 'work'.
Ooh and I've also appeared in an article in CRAFT BUSINESS MAGAZINE. They interviewed me for their editorial blog - you can read it by clicking here
I've also appeared in LONDON PRIMA MAGAZINE recently too!
"When we met, Sarah trusted me enough to show me some of her new designs that she was working on but hadn't yet shown to anyone else. I felt so honoured and privileged. I think you'll understand why..."
Now do you see why I felt so flattered that Sarah showed me her NEW DESIGNS!!!
You can find Sarah on the Social links below:
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Want to know more about ALL of the TUTORS and the COURSES? Take a look at www.curiouscreatives.online/retreats where you can discover more about all of them.
Have a read of the Tutor Focus Blog featuring Hannah Hamer, 3D Needle Felter
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