This week Iβve been celebrating 5 years since my last day of employment!
5 years of being fully self-employedβ¦
I started Bagladybird – Learn to Sew in early 2016.
After running a charity Crafternoon in aid of Mind in January 2016. We made and decorated tote bags. (I still use mine regularly.)
How it started…
I then started teaching one workshop a month. And by October 2016 I took a leap of faith. I left the (relative) security of earning a regular salary. And I made the side gig my fulltime gig!
It was exhilarating and a little bit scary to make a real go of earning my living solely by teaching people how to make clothes. By this time I was teaching weekend workshops at several venues around the area and had a few one to one students too.
The evening of my very last day at my old job I taught a vintage style pinny workshop at Helm, a co-working space in the grounds of St Catherineβs Hospital in Doncaster.
How it’s going…
From there my business has gone from strength to strength and has changed and adapted along the way. As well as all the in person workshops, courses and lessons, I now run the Love & Stitches Club, an online dressmaking club. And teach dressmaking at StraightCurves in Chesterfield.
I have had the pleasure of helping over 300 people learn to sew. I love seeing my students progress and grow their sewing skills to become confident clothes makers. Many of my regular students have become good friends and I have seen friendships grow within my students too.
Sewing really is a great place to find a supportive and welcoming community.
I’m loving celebrating 5 years of business. Of course it hasnβt been 100% smooth sailing (hello worldwide pandemic) but Iβve never looked back and Iβve got no regrets about being my own boss!
Love & Stitches
Alison xx
