Designers Quilting Sewing

Meet Designers Natalie Bird and Sarah Hanson

June 25, 2018 by melisa No Comments

Be inspired by our truly amazing Cosy PROJECT designers and contributors! This week we meet Natalie Bird from The Birdhouse, and Sarah Hanson from Dolls and Daydreams!

Natalie Bird

On quilting…

“When I found patchwork, I found my place in the world.”

My personal style is…

“Homely – a bit folksy. A lot of my designs feature heart-felt sayings, cute critters and family, love and friendship themes.”

In retrospect…

“I’ve kept the very first fabric doll I ever made, to look at every now and then and remind myself how far I’ve come. It is absolutely horrid! And I thought it was fabulous at the time.”

Create Natalie’s gorgeous Passport Folio!

Thanks to the craft industry…

“I have met some of my best friends from a shared passion for patchwork. Designing and working in this industry has allowed me to be at home while my girls grew up, to travel all over the world, teaching, and to be creative every day. I am very grateful for this.”

On being a night owl…

“If you love what you do, it’s not really hard work, but a joy. Luckily, I’m a night owl, so I get a lot done in the evenings, when the family is in bed – and the phone isn’t ringing!”

Make Natalie’s cute Ma Bunny Pincushion!

Sarah Hanson

On sewing…

“I’ve always loved the ability to take something flat and make it 3D and I’m a big fan of mixed media art forms.”

My personal style is…

“My style is heavily influenced by Japanese manga, anime, Cosplay and Kawaii Cute Street Fashion. I love how these blend fantasy with reality.”

Create Sarah’s Quilliam & Holly Hedgehog Softies!

On falling in love with projects…

“I can’t pick a favourite from my dolls or the others would get jealous. I always fall head over heels in love with whatever the current doll I am working on. I think you have to be in love with your creations to be able to know that they are finished and ready for the world!”

On persisting with a project…

“I once created a very snooty crocodile, who looked down his nose at me. He clearly was not amused!!! Luckily, with a few tweaks, he was back to a cuddly kind chap in no time.”