About Di Kendall
I'm based in Heage in mid Derbyshire (DE56) and I've been sewing and dressmaking for over 50 years. I have successfully completed The Saville Row Coat to develop my hand tailoring skills. I'm keen to help others experience the joy of working with fabric to make something unique.
My Story
I consider myself lucky to have been educated during the 1960/70s. I went to a school that valued vocational subjects whilst at the same time expected high academic outcomes for those who were able to achieve them. I studied GCE A level Dress, taught to high technical standards and I now realise I was so lucky to have been taught pattern cutting.
During my teaching career the ever changing curriculum gave me the chance to widen my experience including how artists influence design. surface decoration and digital technology. I investigated industrial practice and developed my own efficient construction techniques.
Teaching and textiles have remained my passion, it’s essential that skills and knowledge are passed on to future generations.
Even as an experienced dressmaker, tailoring is different again. Yet my love of cloth and its characteristics have certainly helped me be successful in becoming an aspirational tailor.
Having worked in a very busy environment I wasn't ready to put my feet up. I knew I wanted to educate and I'm available to teach individuals or small groups. However; if I continued to make clothes I knew I would never wear them all and we'd need to extend the house to keep them.
I discovered an online course called The Savile Row Coat, tutored by Andrew Ramroop OBE, Master Tailor and director of Maurice Sedwell of Savile Row. This was to change the course of my garment making. I was asked recently how the experience had influenced my dressmaking, this proved really difficult to answer as I realised that the two are just so different.
After making the jacket for my husband I made a coat for myself. Not many tailors make for women as the female form is so much more challenging.
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Teaching
Do you have sewing machine or overlocker, do you want help to get started or discover how to use it's many features?
I can help you make clothes that fit - dressmaking lessons, beginners to tailoring.
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I'll teach in your own home using your own machine or I can bring a sewing machine to you.
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I'll come along to a community group to teach dressmaking.
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If you own a sewing school and would like me to teach workshops for you I'll work freelance - including bra making, menswear. I'll tailor, pun intended, courses to your requirements