When you do what you love they say you find true happiness and a deeper seated purpose. Being able to make beautiful things and teach others who are keen to learn is what I love most. The sense of achievement, the positive emotions, the relationships that develop, along with the sense of meaning and purpose that comes with it, is what I want to share with others. Experiencing all of this first hand is what brought me to this point and is the motivation behind Flourish Creative Studio.
I have always loved making things, either by hand or by machine. I literally grew up at my mother’s feet watching her create the most magnificent gowns and inherited her love of sewing. It was from my mother that I learnt couture dressmaking skills and the importance of getting the right 'fit'.
After initially studying a Home Economics Teaching degree in 1986, I further developed my love for fashion and made the switch to Fashion Technology. It was here where I learnt all about the fashion industry, industrial sewing techniques, pattern designing, making and grading, textile and creative arts.
I married my husband Gavin, my school sweetheart, half way through the course and by the end I was expecting our first child. Parenting then became my first love and our family grew to include two more beautiful children. I sewed clothes for our kids, continued to sew for others and also started to teach classes to adults. In the years that followed I started my own children’s wear range with a friend, worked with my mum
making wedding and bridesmaids dresses and entered into the world of retail. At 35 I went back to university to become a Design and Technology teacher and for six years I taught food technology, hospitality and textiles in a high school setting.
I then moved into a learning support teacher role which allowed me to work closely with kids with additional needs and advise schools on learning and wellbeing programs. I loved this aspect of teaching but as I progressed through my career I found that I was getting further and further away from what I loved doing most, creating.
From making wedding dresses with my mum who shared my love of beautiful fabrics and sewing, to working with my daughter to create her dream wedding dress, some of my happiest moments in life have come from creating. Making beautiful things, and teaching others the art and joy of making is what I love most, and continues to be the driving force behind Flourish Creative Studio.
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deanna FLETCHER
