Ann Haughton runs Suffolk Sewing School which offers one to one sewing tuition in a range of subjects including dress making, how to use your sewing machine, bag making etc. You can find her site here: http://www.suffolksewingschool.co.uk/. She tells us about how she got into the industry, her 3 businesses and Noel Edmonds!
What got you interested in sewing?
My Mum, she always made my clothes. Money was tight so she made most of what I wore. Once I got to about 7 or 8 I became interested and wanted to learn and she showed me how to use her machine. She was never a designer and always followed a pattern; she had the ability to design but never did.
Then when I was about 12 or 13 she bought a knitting machine and she was a demon on it! She was amazing at it, she got so many orders and made items and wrote patterns for most of the knitting magazines. She even made a cardigan for Noel Edmonds that he wore during one of his Christmas shows!
I ended up getting a Saturday job in the shop she used to buy her knitting machines from. During that time I learnt more and more about the different machines and what you could do with them. From there I developed a great range of sewing abilities. Then on my 18th birthday mum bought me a Bernina 801 I have literally only just sold it, almost 30 years later!
What was your mum like as a teacher?
Mum was a true inspiration, she was patient, understanding and when she could see I was becoming frustrated she would tell me to put it away and come back to it another time.
Did you always want to work in the sewing industry?
No, I did the Saturday job in the sewing shop 4 years from the age of 14 to 18 and sewed a lot whilst at home, making my own clothes etc. However, I then started training to become a nurse. Unfortunately I contracted Hepatitis B from a patient 2 ½ years into my training and that put paid to my nurse training. I had a very serious case and would have needed 2 years out from training so I moved back home, met my first husband and ended up moving to Dunstable. I then went back into the retail side of the industry and worked for Sew Fine for 4 or 5 years. It was there that I really learnt loads about machinery and what the machines could do and I learnt so much about dressmaking too.
Is that how you got your sewing expertise up to its current level or did you obtain any formal qualifications too?
No I am entirely self taught and learnt on the job. The school I went to did not do dressmaking at GCE level so I couldn't take it. I don't believe the lack of a formal qualification has held me back, I pick up information very quickly; I use books where I need to, to get further information. Sewing just seems to come naturally to me.
What happened after you left Sew Fine?
My first marriage came to an end and I needed to support myself and my son so I decided a career in sales was the way forward. I continued to sew at home; I had a young child needing clothes, a home needing curtains etc. I stayed in sales until I met my current husband, whom I worked with. I then worked for 2 years part time managing an obesity clinic, from there I went into medical sales. I loved medical sales but it took up all of my time and I didn't sew for over 8 years! My machines were all just gathering dust in a cupboard, I didn't think about sewing at all during that time.
What got you back into sewing?
As much as I loved my job and it bought in a good income it was very stressful and exacerbated an immune condition that I have. I got to the point where my body just couldn't take it anymore and I left. We decided I would be a stay at home mum for a while. After 6 months of that and with the children at school I needed something to do.
I was trying to decide what could I do now? So I started doing alterations and repairs and had a cracking business running. I was asked to repair some curtains for a customer and I looked at them and thought they were awful, I could do better myself. So I bought a book, read it from cover to cover and started making curtains! That is how I ended up making curtains, cushion covers, soft furnishings and everything that goes along with that. The business was great but it got too big, I got to the point where I was going to have to turn people away.
I moved to Suffolk and decided to stop doing commissions and to have a break. We were doing renovations on the house and it ended up going over budget so before I knew it I was back to doing commissions again! One day a friend of mine asked me to make them some curtains for her, I had a full order book and just couldn't meet her timescale so we decided to do make them together and that was how the sewing school started! Word spread that I was teaching and the demand was enough to justify setting up the sewing school.
You function differently from other schools don't you?
Yes, originally I was going to run set courses for small groups of people on a diarised system, like the other schools do. After a while I decided it was not the right way to go, everyone works at different speeds. It means not everyone is getting the same out of the course, some may feel held back and for others it doesn't go fast enough.
That is why I decided to run one on one classes. It is not about the money for me, it is about sharing the experience. I love to see people proud of what they have produced. I can tailor the class to each individuals need. However I do run courses for friends who want to come together, Mum's and daughters and we have a great time.
If you want a social day out with lots of people I am not the person for you. If you want a nice day out and to learn a huge amount, tailored exactly to what you want to achieve then Suffolk Sewing School will be perfect for you. I am a strong believer that people should make what they need, clothes they will wear, and curtains they need for their home. I encourage my students to make their items rather than 
a sample, I feel that they learn so much more about the process. They also learn to manage large amounts of fabric rather than smaller sample pieces.
Do people have to do set time periods?
No, I am as flexible as I can be. If people want to do a full day or half day I can offer that. If people want 2-3 hours here and there I can do that too. They can come to me, or I can come to them. One of my most popular courses is making the most of your sewing machine. We go through everything the machine can do and then if time allows we will make a small bag to reinforce their learning.
I make sure that with my courses people are not paying me to watch them sew; I will sew with them, making something for them whilst they are sewing too. I don't want to rip people off. My motto is to be open and honest.
You also run a couple other businesses don't you?
Yes, I run a dog home boarding business and I did run a separate online fabric and accessories store called The Cushion and Fabric Store. I found I had so much stock left over from my business that I may as well start selling it. I already had trade accounts with the big suppliers so I decided to make my own website. Also I love the Vanessa Arbuthnott fabrics so I stock a range of those
I have actually just decided to incorporate the fabric store into the sewing school website being as the two go together so well. In the next few weeks it will all be on http://www.suffolksewingschool.co.uk/.
I will also be introducing curtain and cushion making kits with everything you already need, pre-cut in a pack. Not everyone has the confidence to cut out fabric, especially curtains. Many don't have the space either for items such as curtains. I am just in the process of writing out the instructions to accompany the kits. We'll be doing a giveaway through The Sewing Directory shortly to celebrate the launch of the kits.
What recommendations can you pass on, both books and machines?
How To Use, Adapt and Design Sewing Patterns by Lee Hollahan and Fast Fits: Easy Pattern Alterations For Every Figure by Sandra Bettnia are the best books I have found. The latter one in particular is brilliant; it has every adaptation you could ever want, I use it regularly.
As for machines, when I was in the sewing machine trade the only machines to go for were the Bernina, Pfaff or Elna. I have a Pfaff Select 3 and a new Janome 7700 Horizon which are great for the sewing school because of the dual feed. I have a Janome 1100 SE which I love. I would have to say over all Bernina are probably the best on the market. They are expensive but worth the money. For over lockers it would have to be the Baby Lock, although the Frister Rossmann ones are also great.
What machines would you recommend for someone new to sewing?
I would say that when you are starting out you would need to have a budget of £180-£250 ideally for a machine. For that you would get a good machine, with a great range of stitches and a few nice to have functions. The Janome Jem springs to mind, or a Frister Rossmann, maybe a Juki. You don't need a machine that does hundreds of stitches that you are never going to use. If you are into embroidery then you will be spending £1,000s on a machine, if you want to do dressmaking etc you do not need that many stitches.
I would advise you to go and try several machines, then go away and think about exactly which features you need, not what the shop staff are trying to suggest to you. It's also worth bartering with them; ask for extra freebies. I always do!
Find out more about the Suffolk Sewing School at http://www.suffolksewingschool.co.uk/ and find Ann on both Twitter @suffolksewingsch and on Facebook here.
