Meet the maker

Hello & welcome to my shop, HandMaidSW!

My name is Sallianne & I live in Hertfordshire. I started sewing at a young age at home with my mum & made small practical items for myself, mostly by hand sewing. Later mum taught me how to use her sewing machine, where I learnt basic techniques under her guidance! I also began to try other crafts like basic embroidery, patchwork, knitting, counted cross stitch & tapestry.

When I bought my first sewing machine at age 21, I started to make my own clothes & also customise bought outfits. Requests came from friends & family for me to make them clothes & soft furnishings for the home. As I grew older, my career, travelling & other interests took up most of my time & therefore sewing took a bit of back seat. Then, when my partner & I moved into our first house, I began to furnish our home, bit by bit on a budget, & regained my old crafting skills (& also learnt many more – such as upholstery!).

Recently I have been encouraged by my partner & family to use my years of sewing experience to make items to sell. So I decided to do some research & start planning what I could make – & so a few months later, here I am! Whether you want tote bags (about-town, on the beach or at home), ipad/kindle sleeves or bags, mobile phone covers or bottle gift bags, you may find what you are looking for in my shop. I design & make handmade items/gifts using recycled quality fabrics & materials. The fabrics I use range from vintage to modern, traditional or wacky – basically what ever I can source whether it is new or old, has been found in my fabric box or has been given to me! This means that often only a small number, or sometimes just the one item, is made using a particular fabric.

When I was bought my first camera as a teenager, my interest in photography began to develop (pardon the pun!). In 2004 I discovered the digital camera & since then have been clicking away & am amazed at the results! So I have posted a range of greeting cards/notelets that I have produced using my own original photographs.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about me & that you find what you are looking for in my shop. Feel free to email me with questions about your order, to make any requests, or to find out what items I am currently making. Items will be dispatched (Royal Mail, 1st Class) within 3 days of receiving a cleared payment.

Thank you.