Forty Years Later, I Picked Up Where I Left Off

If you’ve read the about me page, you’ll see that over 40 years ago I dropped out of a degree course in Interior Design at Kingston-upon-Thames Uni. They say you should never regret things, but for the last 40 years I have longed to pick up where I left off. Call it imposter syndrome or just a lack in confidence, but I didn’t think I was up to the job of being an Interior Designer. I never felt I quite had the vision, I was more of a ‘hands on’ kind of person, enjoying the actual ‘make’. So, the opportunity came along to do just that and start my own soft furnishing business. Being self-taught and always wanting to upskill, learn the correct way to do things. I embarked on the AMUSF endorsed Soft Furnishings Diploma run by Louise of The Cotswold Sewing School, one of only 2 schools in the country that offer this course. It was perfect, being a short drive away though some of the best bits of countryside.

I joined the group of 5 ladies on 1st April 2025 (no joke) and completed all of the makes, lessons and portfolio in May 2026. Handing in the last of the makes felt like a huge sense of achievement.

I have learnt so much during the course and of course upskilled which in turn has improved my confidence. I achieved a ‘distinction’ which I was so pleased with. I would urge anyone with an ounce of passion about fabric and soft furnishings to sign up. Not only do you learn directly from Louise, but you learn from each other. The amount of creativity each learner brought to the table was astonishing and hugely inspiring.