My Sewing Journey 'Sew' Far!
Hello! My name is Lynne. I’m supposed to introduce myself and ‘tell my story’, but my journey into sewing is a bit odd…I started sewing because of hedgehogs. Yep, I have found this wonderful creative outlet that brings me so so much joy and has helped me through a very tough time, and it all started with hedgehogs. I’ll explain….
My partner was volunteering at a local hedgehog rescue (Pepperfield Farm, who are just so lovely and deserve all the support - https://www.pepperfieldfarmhedgehogrescue.co.uk) . I wanted to help too but I’m not the best at “peopling”. But those spiky little cuties got in my head; I wanted to do something but just couldn’t manage physically volunteering myself, so my strange brain made a weird, but lucky leap - I thought ‘what if I had a sewing machine, I might be able to sew the hogs something useful?’.
My initial idea was reusable washable puppy pads, as the rescue goes through so many disposable ones, but they politely declined as some extra nasty bugs hogs can catch can’t be killed in the washing machine, so washable pads wouldn’t work. But, they did ask if I’d be able to try and sew some little hedgehog sleeping bags. It’s as cute as it sounds, sleeping bags for teeny bubba hoglets to keep them toasty, adorable! So I got some fabric and had a go. I didn’t have anywhere to put my machine, it just perched awkwardly on my computer desk.
I made some cute little sleeping bags, and a snuggly bag to keep the hogs snoots cosy and calm when they need injections, and then I stumbled across bagmaking YouTubers and got a little obsessed, particularly with Jess from OklaRoots, whose style is so infectiously joyful and accessible for newbies like me, and Lauren Mormino who is incredible, and makes you feel like you're sewing with a friend. So I just caught the bug for bag making! I started off making simple bits and bobs; boxy bags and pencil cases etc. Then I got brave and over-excited and tried making a purse (the awesome NCW), and I was hooked.
I bought some patterns I liked the look of and that was it, bagmaking had officially stolen my heart! I genuinely find it magical - cutting out the pattern pieces, everything is a jumble of individual bits, and then somehow they come together into a beautiful bag, like the ultimate jigsaw puzzle.
I put all my passion for bag making into each and every project, I absolutely love what I do and hope you enjoy exploring my happy little corner of the inter webs :)
If you’re interested in sewing bags yourself, here are some of my favourite designers:
Kaur Threads – Such classy bags, with pockets galore, and Sandeep's instructions are just perfection.
Oro Rosa Patterns – Every one of Alexis’ designs is so chic, and her instructions are super detailed and clear.
Sincerely Jen Patterns – Amazing selection, and all of her patterns are named after F.R.I.E.N.D.S references,
what’s not to love?
There are so many more fabulous designers, but I’ve rambled on enough now (18 pages, FRONT AND BACK!), so I’ll just leave these three as my current faves. Happy sewing! May your bobbin always be full, and your top-stitching always neat!
Why the name 'Bean & Bear Studio'?
The only thing I knew was that my business name had to honour our doggies Isla and Ashy, without being too obviously a dog related name, in case people think my shop is only for fellow dog lovers.
Our beloved pups naturally accumulated A LOT of nicknames over the years, but two constants are Bean & Bear. Sometimes Isla Bean and Ashy Bear, sometimes Ashy Bean and Isla Bear. Sometimes just ‘the Beans’, or ‘beaneroo’s’. Either way, they are the beans, the bears, both, everything, and all.
We lost our beloved boy Ash in 2023, and adjusting to life without out gentle giant goofball has been rough. I couldn’t focus on anything, things that meant a lot to me before suddenly seemed pointless, everything was grey and empty. It may sound silly, but I genuinely think our Ashy sent me this surprise of sewing, to give my heart a vital lift. Sewing let me get out of my grief-filled head for a while, giving me something to focus on, holding my attention enough that the dark cloud of grief lightened just a touch and let a little colour in.
Funnily enough, me starting sewing thanks to hedgehogs also relates to our darling boy...he loved them a little too much, he got way over-excited to meet them and honestly was a bit of a terror for hogs (don’t worry, he didn’t actually hurt any, he had hardly any teeth and hogs are VERY spiky!), so it really makes me smile thinking that Ashy has somehow arranged for his favourite spiky buddies to snuffle into my life to lead me to sewing, and sewing makes me so very happy.
The Bean and the Bear both help my business in their own special ways; Isla is an expert bag inspector and loves snoozing in the sunny spot of my sewing room, and Ashy Bear is sending down vibrant colours of inspiration from the Rainbow Bridge.
Isla posing for both mumma and dadda's photos, and Ashy waiting for treeto's.
This is one of my favourites - it's a family photo without me or Danny having to be properly in it (I'm just in Ashy's imploring 'eyeborls'!!)