Emma wrote for John Lewis for their International Women’s Day 2024 Campaign. Emma spoke about putting pencil to paper, dreaming BIG, the joy of quilting and more.
You can read Emma’s full interview with John Lewis here.
Here goes…
On a message to other Women…
Make it your own!
We are all in this world together, and all ideas out in the world simply belong to the world- but for heavens sakes MAKE IT PERSONAL.
Put all that amazing energy through your own filters and even if you find it very hard- draw your ideas, with a pencil on paper!!
I believe that new visual ideas do NOT start on a screen.
Also, as you develop your ideas make sure you outline them in front of prospective customers- make sure they really REALLY want what you are planning to sell- until there’s a feeding frenzy, keep refining and varying ( and if necessary, start all over again!)
On BIG lessons…
Make a plan.
I really mean this: put in the time to describe to yourself the success you are perhaps rather vague about!! I was too vague for too long, I dreamed a big Victorian factory busy making my designs- and having dreamed it, made that come true. I dreamed children and my Lord they are my very best creations!
But I didn’t have a clear plan for myself, so I’m patching that together in my 60s- which is disconcerting!!
Finally I’d say that one of the best life lessons I can pass on is...
Get A Hobby!!
I use the word ‘patching’ knowingly as for the past 23 years I have spent most of my evenings in the enormous pleasure of making quilts - entirely hand sewn- out of meaningful scraps - (most of them have already had a busy hard working life somewhere in the family) and appliquéing them with scraps of text…
I’m on my 11th quilt as they take about 2 years each, and in this marathon I’ve learned that if you are creative you need a money-free making project: you really do.
International Women's Day Collection
Here’s to the brave, the different, the wise, the strong, the inspiring. This International Women’s Day, let’s remember to recognise the power of the sisterhood which binds us all together.
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