Philippa owns 2 sewing shops in Cornwall, the main store in the old mining village of St Day was set up in 2003 and forms part of her house. The second store, a waterside store in Penryn, Cornwall, opened in March of this year when the business expanded to employ other members of the family including Philippa's daughter Ruth who is a trainee seamstress and her daughter-in-law Anna who specialises in Marine sewing. Both shops offer a range of sewing services from alternations and repairs to dress making and upholstery.   They have also recetnly acquired a workshop in Ponsanooth in Cornwall.

Having recently trademarked the Make Do and Mend name the business is expanding and includes a range of eco-friendly merchandise such as bags and purses and a new website - www.makedoandmendonline.co.uk. She is currently looking to open further stores in the South West over the next couple of years. Find out more about running your own sewing services business in our interview with Philippa below:

What do you do as part of a typical day?

A typical day can range from making executive decisions over the direction of the business to making cups to tea for the staff! A lot of our work involves routine alterations, taking in clothes, turning up trousers and putting in new zips, but daily work can range from being asked to design a one off prom dress or wedding dress to re-upholstering a sofa or making a yurt. The great thing about this job is no two days are ever the same.

What are the highlights of your job?

As well as the variety of work from day to day another highlight is the interaction with the customers. We get people from all walks of life with all sorts of requests coming through these doors and getting to meet so many different people and hear so many stories really brightens up my day.

What are the worst aspects?

As with most jobs the paperwork is never fun and seems to be never ending! I also find the pricing difficult.

 What do you not like about the pricing aspect?

It's very difficult to put an exact price on the work we do. The standard repairs and alterations can be priced more easily as you work out how long it takes to do plus the cost of any materials and you have your price. However, with a lot of jobs the price varies depending on the type of material used, the sewing techniques needed and the time it takes to complete the job and that can be hard to assess up front. I find industrial espionage is always good when it comes to pricing - keep an eye on what everyone else is charging and set your prices accordingly!

How and when did you first get into sewing?

My mum was a sewing teacher so I have been sewing from a very young age. Having recently looked into my family tree I discovered quite a few of my ancestors were tailors so I guess you could say sewing is in the blood. I have always had an interest in sewing and have sewn for family members and friends. Whilst my family was young, I worked from home as an outworker for a curtain maker and a local hand weaver, then as a dressmaker and then ran my own business as a screen printer and embroiderer. Then in 2001 we bought our present house with attached shop in a very derelict state. It took us two years to renovate, but provided me with the perfect opportunity to begin trading from a proper shop front, and we have never looked back!

What experience or qualifications are needed to do your job?

I'm finding now whilst training my daughter Ruth that there are very few formal qualifications that cover the practical aspects of sewing, like the repairs and alterations, as opposed to fashion design and dress making. Therefore I believe that experience is the best thing. The more you do something the quicker you get and the more short cuts you learn. Every material and type of job needs to be handled in a different way and that is only learnt from experience. Even after 50 years of sewing I still come across things I've never done before.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to do the same thing as you?

Gain as much experience as possible; sew whatever you can for whoever you can. You do not need premises, if you have a machine and an iron and some sewing experience you are good to go. Put a few adverts up locally, spread the word and you will be amazed how much business you get. Sewing is becoming a lost art at the moment; so many people can't sew and are looking for someone who does. It's one of the few businesses that you can set up with hardly start any up capital.

Finally where did you come up with the Make Do and Mend name?

It's an old catchphrase from the 1940's where during the wartime shortages the government were encouraging people to make do and mend with what they had rather than buying new. During the current economic crisis it is really making a comeback and we've started putting make do and mend tips on our website to help people save money. I felt the phrase perfectly encapsulated what we do as a business: We make, we do and we mend.

Visit Philippa's website www.makedoandmendonline.co.uk  for make do and mend tips and to find out more about Philippa and her business.