It is often said, but at the moment it has never seemed more true. We started the year with a flooded studio, dismal but we quickly rolled our sleeves up and recovered. Sometimes it is good to have a clear out and mud from the River Tame is as good a reason as any for one!

I was a child in the 70’s and growing up on Kensington High Street I was a regular visitor to the BIBA shops, one of my favourite memories was the shop on Church Street…before ‘The Big Store’. We would go to BIBA and then be taken to Dino’s or The Cherry Pie; a cafe/restaurant on Church Street for Rum Baba or some such other treat…fabulous.

Pearls are not new, they are ancient and as popular as fashion accessories today as they have been in the past 100 years. The modern setting of these traditional natural gems make them accessible to a new audience in designs to compliment any look.

KÈKI LONDON, will be launching our first ready-to-wear jewellery collection in time for the festive season 2024.

The wonderful Great British Sewing Bee is back on our screens tonight for its 10th series.

Anyone who sews understands the delight of producing hand crafted items but the secret is not just in making things it is in the joy it brings to your heart and soul.

To celebrate the joy of sewing there will be an opportunity to join in a sewing workshop over the Open Studio Weekend at Woodend Studios. We are based in a converted textile mill that was once at the heart of the rich textile history associated with Manchester

Creativity is, like so many things, experienced and improved with dedication and practice. If you think you should spend more time being creative, you are probably right.

The non-jewellery wearing jewellery designer is on course to love making jewellery; thankfully there are increasing options to develop designs that do not destroy the planet and those people who inhabit it.

what will a person who does not wear jewellery or approve of the means of harvesting the materials to manufacture it produce as a jewellery designer?

We are delighted to welcome some local young artists who will be exhibiting their beautiful art and crafts at Woodend Mill, Open Studio Weekend

THE DESIGN & SEWING STUDIO, are proud to be a small part of the wonderful Days for Girls mission to provide menstrual kits to girls and women in developing countries as they bring health educations, dignity and remove the stigma that continues round this natural biological feature of womanhood. They also offer women in these locations to set up businesses to meet the local demand. We at THE DESIGN & SEWING STUDIO are an official ‘team’ producing kits while providing free sewing tuition for people who want to join our team. If you are interested in coming along to a friendly and fun session that makes a real difference get in touch.

Sustainable fashion is the future of clothing and it can have a huge impact on our environment. Buying sustainable fashion from Annie Kèki is one of the best ways to ensure that you are helping to reduce the environmental and social impact of fashion.

Sewing tuition and fashion design courses at THE DESIGN & SEWING STUDIO, come and learn how to sew or develop your existing sewing skills on one of our sewing courses. Either book your sewing course online or contact us to discuss your needs.

THE DESIGN & SEWING STUDIO has news…we are delighted to introduce our first every newsletter!

Volunteer sewers needed in Mossley, Ashton-Under-Lyne to help sew period kits for Days For Girls. If you can sew and have an hour a month to dedicate please get in touch with THE DESIGN & SEWING STUDIO

It was a pleasure to spend my morning with Tameside Women In Business and some of the wonderful women who create opportunities for women to access the support available to create and grow their skills into businesses.

The Design & Sewing Studio is delighted the new studio is almost ready, we have worked so hard to bring this project on line in 6 months, during difficult economic times with rising material and labour costs. It is looking wonderful and we look forward to running our first sewing courses and fashion design courses in this beautiful, creative and inspiration studio.

The Design & Sewing Studio is celebrating International Women’s Day 2023 by offering the opportunity to someone to learn what we know so they gain equity in our field. Naturally they will have to add the years of experience because we cannot teach that. Embrace equity for International Women’s Day 2023 and for every day thereafter.

Turning your hobby into a business means you take the skills you already have and create the opportunity to love your work as much as you love your hobby but make a living from it be recognising the difference between a hobby and a business. It you are at the beginning of that journey we can help, join our Introduction To Business Course at the The Design & Sewing Studio.

THE DESIGN & SEWING STUDIO is happy to be part of the Days for Girls global program to bring awareness to and increase access to menstrual car and education by developing global partnerships, cultivating Social Entrepreneurs, mobilising volunteers and innovating sustainable solutions that shatter stigma and limitations for women and girls.

The Design & Sewing Studio is a fashion design and manufacture facility in Greater Manchester, we offer training and fashion business support, sewing skills training and CMT for short-run manufacture. We have a wonderful new design studio and we are very happy for you to become a member or even to hire the studio for your own collection.