Jo Watson

Watson Designs

I have been sewing for 20 years or more. It was my mum that inspired me to start. She used to make clothes for me when I was growing up; party dresses for my sister and I, trousers that fit my long legs and a variety of other things. She’s the one that first helped me on my way and I’ve been sewing on and off since. It’s only in the last 10 years or so that I’ve been sewing regularly. In that time I’ve made real progress, mainly making clothes for myself. I’m tall and so it can be a nightmare finding clothes that fit. Therefore, I spend most of my time making dresses, skirts and tops. It’s only through lots of practice have I gotten any better, some of my early creations were terrible!

My “other” job involves understanding the science behind colour and I think that this knowledge helps in selecting fabric and fabric combinations for the things I make. Sometimes it’s a hindrance, especially when I can’t find the exact colour thread to match the fabric I’m using!

It’s only been relatively recently that I’ve got into sewing items that aren’t clothes. Making clothes takes time and so I was looking for something I could make relatively quickly and easily in an evening. It started with bags and cable tidies and, after a stint of travelling for six months, ideas for making other items that could be useful for travellers and the like sprung to mind. You’ll find some of these on the website and I hope that you like them.

As well as sewing I also like playing badminton, getting out into the countryside and eating good food.

I love sewing. I love immersing myself in a project and when I see the final piece it can be very satisfying and rewarding. Also, there’s no better feeling when I receive compliments about the things I make as that inspires. It’s this that motivates me to carry on and look for new things to sew.