FASHION, FABRIC AND FRUGALITY
Sue Wilkes-Siddeley heralds from generations of ‘textile folk’, born and bred amongst the Lancashire Textile mills. Her father, grandparents, and great aunt all worked in spinning and weaving and Sue feels strongly that yarns and fabrics are in her blood. After 40 years of making clothes for herself and her family, Sue has launched Cut Couture, a stylish series of kits for women looking to make themselves the sort of classic linen pieces usually found in such shops as Toast or White Stuff. The business comes from a place of deep understanding, both of what makes a beautiful garment and also how to make sewing truly accessible to sewists just starting out. Sue tells her story…
“I crafted my first piece of clothing at the age of seven, guided by my mother who worked as a textiles and design technology teacher. It was 1973 and I made a polyester navy gingham pinafore with an A-line skirt!” Sue remembers. “I went on to do a design degree and then professional textile technology qualifications. Early on in my career, I spent 12 years in the world of international textiles and garment manufacturing as an agent for several foreign mills, representing them in the
