About us

From a young age, sewing and crafts was always around me in one form or another. .... And it gave me the crafting bug!

When I was younger, my Mum, Jan, ran her own Children’s Wear business, and designed, pattern cut and made everything herself. I remember fabric, threads, and big industrial sewing machines in the house and the smell of machine oil still takes me back to these memories. She made all of my clothes including my very 1970’s Christening Gown from her own wedding dress, and just look at our Laura Ashley esk outfits in the late 70’s!

I began to take an interest and by the age of 6 or 7 started hand sewing Sindy clothes, also crochet and knitting them scarves and blankets for my dolls house! At around the age of ten, and after begging my Mum for weeks, she let me use her sewing machine (a 1970’s New Home) and I made a skirt... I had got the bug....And I have never stopped sewing since!

Throughout school and college I studied Textiles and Art, and finally went to Art College in Bournemouth to study Costume Making for TV and Theatre. This course taught me to make corsets, historical pattern cutting, millinery and hand embroidery... And much, much more! I loved it.... I even made some items for Gwenith Palrow Emma, which was being filmed in the local town. This is my final piece for my course, Gertrude from Hamlet based on a painting by Lucas Cranach.

After college, my jobs included pattern cutting for Marks and Spencer, Assistant to a Club Wear Designer, and several jobs within clothing trade, I also started to work with CAD CAM (computerised embroidery) and worked with an industrial embroidery company, Melco, training new businesses to use the software.

In 2004, I joined Janome Sewing Machines, as Regional Sales Manager,and this combines my love of sewing and spreading the word of loving sewing!

In 2008, I got married and made all of my own wedding napkins, stationery, Thank You Gifts and fascinators for my Bridesmaid, my Mum and a vintage glass bead tiara / fascinator for me.

All the crafting for my wedding, re-kindled my Mum’s love of sewing and crafts, and between us we set up Extra Special Touch in 2009. Together we work to create beautiful embroidered items to make your wedding extra unique and personalised.

About us