Sue Neall
Editor
Having come from a family of pattern makers, graders, designers and seamstresses I can't remember when my mother and her three sisters first taught me to sew. It was just always so and after spending my childhood playing on the factory floor of various manufacturing companies it was just a natural progression to East Sydney Technical College and a career in fashion.
This fabulous institution and training added to a natural love of textiles, patterns and the joy of constructing beautiful garments and has led to a thirty-five year career in the fashion sewing and craft industry. During this fabulous ride I have had the pleasure to work with many great people and companies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America and both the learning and the teaching have never stopped. The great early years as a traveling TAFE teacher have led to challenges that have pushed me in new directions in writing and presenting and broadened my knowledge of the industry as a whole.
Many years of writing for great magazines like Better Homes & Gardens, Parents & Children, Family Circle, Australian Stitches and Palmer/Pletsch Publications has led to a part of my career that never ceases to surprise me and the past 12 years compiling and presenting the Stitches & Craft Shows Fashion Parades and eight years as the sewing presenter on ‘Today Extra’ TV still feels like it’s happening to someone else.
But one of the truly rewarding parts of my sewing life has been the past eleven years, spent with like minded friends, in the Australian Sewing Guild. Having been there since its inception I never fail to feel a sense of extreme pleasure as the Guild has moved from strength to strength to the fun, interesting, exciting place it is today.
I have, to date, already had a life filled with small triumphs and huge pleasures, shared with a wonderful husband of 27years and three great teenagers. I hope that you will now join me, come along on this ride too and gain as much satisfaction and as many friendships as I have from a life spent with the humble needle and thread.
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Kerrie Hay
National Sewing Promoter
Australia & New Zealand
Sewing has been a passion for me from a very early age, I used to spend many hours watch and learning from both of my Grandmothers who had such patience and knowledge in all aspects of sewing. My mother on the other hand missed out on these skills but gave me all the encouragement a girl could ever have, to which I am very grateful.
After completing a higher education in the field of Fashion Designing and working in retail part time, I started up my own fashion label making mostly high fashion and wedding garments.
I joined the Bernina Family were I have been working now for the past twenty odd years starting off as a consultant and working my way up the ranks to become the National Sewing Promoter for Bernina Australia and New Zealand. I am now responsible for training, tuition, presentations and organising shows.
I have also had the wonderful opportunity to teach on behalf of Bernina Switzerland (FGAG) in America, India and Japan training dealers in a variety of subjects but mostly on embroidery.
With teaching and creating project being my first love, led me to writing my first book “Latte Quilt”. This book guided everyone from novice to the expert, step by step, through the wonders of modern technology combined with age old traditions, to produce a truly amazing quilt.
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Robyn Allen
Webmaster There has always been a creative thread woven through my life’s path. It began in the final years at high school when I majored in art for my HSC. Following this, I specialized in visual arts at teachers college, then during 10 years teaching, it was present creating visually exciting learning environments.
A shift from teaching resulted in re-training in the computer graphics field, firstly by presenting computer software training courses then forming a graphics & consultancy business allied with the printing industry.
Sometimes it feels like I’ve spent my whole life in front of a computer but no, as a cashless student, I did spend hours in front of a sewing machine, sewing outfits for myself. Creating my sister’s wedding dress being my greatest accomplishment.
When not slaving over a computer I like nothing more than, being surrounded by family and friends, a good book, and when I can, escaping to Lord Howe Island. My life is blessed with the love of a wonderful husband, an absolutely gorgeous daughter and a very close loving family.
Now that creative thread finds its’ way into Sew Inspirational’s web design and development and this exciting new challenge.
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