Nicole Mallalieu: Reaping what she sews

TO say Nicole Mallalieu is a creative type is something of an understatement. The founder of her own design company selling easy-to-understand sewing patterns for bags and purses has been, among other things, a milliner, a garment pattern maker, and a leather worker, making briefcases and bags by hand. She recently launched her first book, You Sew Girl, and makes clothes for herself and her child.

Such is her urge to create, Mallalieu can sometimes be found knitting in post office queues. It’s no surprise to discover she’s been sewing since she was three.

“I used to sit on my older sister’s knee and learn to sew with needle and thread,” she says from her Melbourne studio. “When I was five or six I pestered her into teaching me how to use a sewing machine. By high school I was designing and making my own clothes. Mum was really worried – all I did was make clothes and not go out and make mischief!”

The creative bug had well and truly bitten, setting Mallalieu up for a lifetime of crafty pursuits. After graduating from RMIT’s fashion course in 1989, she found freelance work doing clothing alterations, garment illustration and pattern cutting. She later moved to England and Ireland to continue her career.

The urge to share her creative knowledge – coupled with Ireland’s bad weather – led Mallalieu to return to Melbourne in 2002, where she became a sewing teacher with a dream of starting her own business.

“I started making and selling patterns and teaching people to sew. I get a real buzz out of teaching. I like the idea that the little bit of what I do can go beyond me, that it opens up other people’s creative worlds.”

Her own creative world – and business – was opened two years later with the launch of Nicole Mallalieu Design. It’s an achievement based on hard work, determination and, as she says, “sheer bloody-mindedness”.

“The first year of being back here wasn’t easy; I was teaching and making items to sell in shops and at market stalls and waitressing just to pay the rent,” she says. “But there’s no point just dreaming the dream, you have to make the effort if you want your business to succeed.”

That effort has paid off; now, Mallalieu’s sewing classes attract people from across Australia and her sewing patterns and accessories, available through her online shop, are so popular she employs several workers to help her run the business.

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Nicole Mallalieu: Reaping what she sews

The founder of her own design company selling easy-to-understand sewing patterns for bags and purses has been, among other things, a milliner, a garment pattern maker, and a leather worker, making briefcases and bags by hand. She recently launched her



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Leathercraft Patterns- Where to Find Free Patterns and Selection Tips

Leathercraft is a popular leisure activity performed by many people around the world. Maybe you want to try it as well. You can use leather to design and sew handbags, shoes, coin purses, and checkbook covers among others. All you require are the right leatherworking tools and leathercraft patterns. Expert leatherworkers know how to create their own patterns by tooling leather. Starters need to know how to work with leather to create both patterns and leather goods. Working with leather has been made easy by the Internet advancement. You can easily come across websites that provide patterns free of charge. The following three Web resources contain free patterns to help the aspiring and expert leatherworkers:

* Tandy: Those who have used leather for sometime know about this leading leather factory. It has been around for close to a whole century now. Take your time to visits its official website and navigate through the pages. Click where you find the Free Pattern section. The cute leather patterns available will amaze you. Tandy offers a variety of patterns to guide you in designing a coin purse, a football belt buckle, and leather Christmas cards among others.

* Native Essence: You should truly find this site, which offers leathercraft patterns for making local pouches and leather handbags. You will be happy to download additional designer patterns that can emphasize your leather goods. If you want to craft an item that is indubitably American, try this leatherworking pattern site for free.

* Try Eight Bits: The site is for classic and newest free leather patterns. It directs leatherworkers to other places on the web where they can find extra projects to do. There are other websites on the Internet that offer you free leather patterns. Others give you free links to other blogs and Websites that display free patterns. There are no excuses you could give for not pursing your leathercraft hobby or career. Now you know a few places where you can find leathercraft projects. Read the tips below before you can select your patterns:

* Organize your project: You will not buy the correct patterns if do not plan for it. Deciding and organizing a project is the first step. Perhaps you want to use leather to sew a coin purse or a pair of shoes. Could you be keen on carving decorations?


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Leathercraft Pattern
Visit our site where you will find information, resources, and products regarding leathercraft patterns.

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