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Fingers that love to party with needles and paintbrushes

I am retired now but since I was about 14 when the old guy next door had me altering his trousers I have made my own clothes, designed my own fashions when I was 16-18. When my kids came along I didn't have much money so they all wore clothes made by me, which now they take the mickey out of me for. Soft toys were made one Christmas when I had no money hardly for my two little ones. So Santa delivered their pressies all hand stitched by me I had no sewing machine then. Then when I started working again part-time between looking after my four nippers all under 5 I found myself making a staggering amount of soft toys and selling them at work. From Paddington bears which I drew the pattern from the shop window one in town to Basil Brush , Dangermouse ,ET and lots and lots of dolls. I also made fancy dress costumes from Nov - Jan for 4 years for a fancy dress shop in town. Patterns were not provided so I had to devise all my patterns from newspapers and my drawings. One day the shop owner bought a black & white pic from the newspaper for an Aladdin costume. Drawing on said pic, my creation was greatly received and was worn by shop owners daughter at New Year.

Since I was about 4 year old my thing was always drawing of which I think I shone most at. This went on until the age of 16 when it was clothes I was making for myself with my little office junior wage, but I loved that and everyone wanted to know where I got my stuff from cause believe me in the 60s there was not the kind of fashion available like today.

I took up painting again some years ago and exhibited at Ilkley every three months alongside other artists. I. Ilke to paint in all medias but I am always drawn to old images of the past and have sold many paintings along these lines. I have had commissions for portraits which I have painted in oils or watercolours.

I won best in show in our village for preserves last year, and love making these as well, in fact I think I can say I have honestly covered quite an assortment of arts and crafts

I live with my husband and as I am a golf widow I have plenty of time to pursue my interests as I love to bake and as I have two dogs A llaso apso called Harley who yesterday I spent hours grooming him and getting a bag full of hair as I hadn't groomed him for weeks and his fur was very thick and long, and then my little Tenby who is half yorkie and half bishon who is loads of fun .

So as you can see it has been a lifetime of creativeness There is just something lovely about creating something from nothing so to speak...........love Cathy