About Me

Your Workshop Facilitator - Sian

Stories Textiles was founded by me, a maker with over twenty years of sewing experience and a lifelong love of creativity.

With one grandmother a dressmaker and the other a passionate home sewer, the skill and appreciation for handcraft were passed down naturally. Sewing has always been part of my life, shaping how I create, observe and connect.

I studied fashion, including design, sewing, patternmaking and grading; and later marketing. My diverse career spans industries and roles including fashion, Pilates, education, government and IT, each chapter adding depth to my creative approach.

Known among family and friends for my long and reliable memory, I love recalling and preserving stories and core memories. This instinct for remembering, noticing and connecting details flows directly into my work.

As a mum and partner, family is my greatest love. Creating meaningful moments with my children and passing on a love of art and craft is central to my life and values. Libraries and art galleries are my favourite places to share with my kids.

Growing up in a home filled with antiques collected by my parents, I developed a deep appreciation for objects with history and character. I am an avid collector of interesting things, especially through op shopping, where the thrill of discovering something unexpected often sparks new ideas for her ever-growing list of creative projects.

About Stories Textiles

Sewing has been my longest and most meaningful hobby. It is my most valuable creative outlet and a source of joy and serenity. From following fashion, saving inspiration, drafting patterns and sewing garments, to wearing them out into the world, there is a special thrill in being able to say, “Thanks, I made it”. Sewing starts conversations, and those conversations lead to connection. Every piece has a story.

Stories Textiles is inspired by far more than fabric and thread.

Reading and books have always been central to my life. I began reading and writing at three years old and was rarely without a book growing up, once dreaming of becoming an author and illustrator. That love continues today through family bedtime reading rituals and a much-loved, ever-growing home library. My partner is a natural and engaging storyteller, a quality I have always admired in others.

I collect children’s picture books from the 1960s, drawn to the beauty of mid-century illustration and the richness of their visual storytelling. I also collects many other objects, each with its own history and narrative waiting to be shared.

Growing up, The Storyteller by Jim Henson was a favourite television show, alongside films such as Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and Return to Oz. These formative influences shaped my love of imagination, atmosphere and narrative, elements that continue to inform Stories Textiles today.

Stories stems from the Recycled Textile Market, launched in 2019 as a place for creatives and makers to come together, connect and give materials a second life. More than a destash market, it combined creativity, community and a shared care for the environment.