Our Image of the Month comes from an arts-based project, which has been set up by Michele Simmons, a mother who has experienced forced adoption, a pioneering researcher in the field of unregistered adoptions and the lead at the Children and Families Truth Commission.
A passionate advocate of “slow fashion” — fashion which is kinder to the planet and uses innovative and creative ways to make beautiful clothes — Michele has her own Facebook group called “Fabric Cotton House” where she shares her one-of-a-kind creations and offers sewing and knitting advice for her friends. Her works of fashion art can also be purchased. She makes gorgeous clothes for women and children, teddy bears that rival those found in luxury department stores and much, much more.
In this post, Michele shares how her love for sewing started at the age of seven, the central part her children played in developing her considerable skills as an adult, an eye-catching suit she made for Family Court which was the talk of the court room, and how she hopes her art will inspire families to share the joy of sewing with their own children:
“From a very young age the first thing I remember is how I loved my little white plastic peg board and the pegs of red, yellow, blue and green. I’d make red and blue flowers with green stems and the colours seemed magical to me.
I grew up in a family who thrifted not necessarily always through choice but due to poverty. My dad worked nights but still affording new things was often a constant struggle.
Memories of foraging with my nan, seeing my dad make hair ribbons for my sister and I from old lampshades which looked really good to be fair and remembering mum’s home baking done from scratch stretching the food around with little meat but plenty of vegetables evokes happy memories for me. I don’t recall us eating so much junk food.
When my grown-up children were little, I used to make a lot of their clothes be it knitting or sewing. At high school, we were asked to make a skirt and I messed the seams up so many times mine came out unintentionally tube shaped.
I started work full time aged 16 years old to discover I was expecting and I’d already brought a cheap handwheel type Singer sewing machine which I loved. I don’t think my mum was as happy about me practising sewing lines on her bath towels though, but all the same she was full of encouragement and tips as she would sew herself a lot already. I still have memories seeing my mum’s cuddly toy octopuses being pushed along in pushchairs while the children holding one had a gleeful look on their little faces which I know made my mum feel happy.
It started off with learning to knit first for me, age 7 and my nan taught me to do it and how to cast on using the thumb method I still use today. At such a tender age though I would end up with holes in my scarves feeling disappointed they were deemed unwearable.
Due to give birth to my eldest child at the age of 17, some of my neighbours who knitted encouraged and helped me so I could knit some baby clothes. I was told now you’re older you shouldn’t get holes in it. I would have one or two garments on the go with no more wool to spare and because double knitting wool was cheaper than buying children’s clothes, I would knit out of necessity but also for pleasure. Not having any wool spare and because I acquired second-hand handknitted garments I would unravel the garments and reuse them turning them into something new with money so scarce.
I remade the black skirt I’d attempted at high school once I’d left there, only this time it came out lovely and I was hooked. I’d make some of my own clothes too whenever I could get my hands on fabric cheap enough and turn them into something amazing. My sister had encouraged me to sew so I had something for myself, telling me it’s easy. She doesn’t sew but later admitted it’s hard to do and she just felt I needed a hobby. I’m glad she did.
With my children’s dad working way back then and at times myself, money was still scarce. Being a young mum given things to help build our home anything I didn’t plan to use fabric wise would get turned into clothes. I tie-dyed curtain lining turning it into dresses for myself which believe it or not came out lovely and no one knew unless I told them. I would match what my two sons and I wore colour wise where I could.
By the time my daughter came along and once a bit older she would ask to practice hand sewing on my cotton patches which were plentiful because they used to cost very little. A teacher of my daughter’s asked me to go into the school to teach a small group of children how to sew, which I did.
I’d often been used to hand me downs either received or passed on in the family as a child, so to make new clothes I thought was amazing.
As my children were growing up, none of us had what you’d call a really good happy life when I was married but I’ll always remember how my children would make me laugh and how I’d fondly hug each of them and I felt like I more or less brought them up single handed but with grandparents living nearby, this did help.
I stopped crafting as much over the years, and lost one of my 4 children allegedly to adoption. It was forced. My other 3 children either lived with me or ended up back living with me and my youngest had been accidently injured by the man I’d later on became to live with and was due to marry at the time prior to this happening. Therefore the marriage already booked in obviously did not go ahead with me cancelling it.
For my family and I we never did see justice or my youngest child returned home to live and mistakes were made where little minor ones got admitted but not so much the bigger ones and some of the more serious ones, I find hard to accept would have been mistakes and I’m since silenced by Family Court naming specific names/places after learning of evidence no adoption entry could be found.
Astonishingly, new certificate/s were produced and sent to me regardless. But also, the process was notably flawed and fraud as noticed by the Judge and with corners cut preventing a fair trial bearing human rights in mind. Something still happening with many other families targeted by social services today.
As many parents and families, I’m sure will understand, when you’re a targeted parent or family, your good points seldom get told by the authorities. So, I got to the point where a shadow like a veil was hanging over me once I’d been wrung and spat out by or through the system and I felt washed out based a lot on hearsay. I did make a two-piece suit for wearing to Family Court which was the talk of the day there in a positive way. I wanted to just show my capabilities really and I was spoken to treated as though I had only very little intelligence.
Fast-forwarding years later the covid pandemic struck and I was able to get hold of largely reasonable priced fabric so made around 400 face masks but was then left with the surplus fabric including children’s. Some went to the local general hospital and no shops sold them properly at the time.
Not one to want to throw the fabric away, I came across an online shop called ‘Afrayed Upcycling’ and her joy mini tea towel dress sewing pattern. Each dress you make will be unique. You can purchase her sewing pattern through her shop which is size inclusive and currently a small business.
The idea is, you use used fabric to upcycle into your new garment like I prefer to do anyway and been a green person, I decided to help my confidence by giving it a go. It’s a patchwork dress and I’ve never made this type of dress before so I am so happy at how it’s turned out. I love colour since the time of having my little pegboard and I’m still interested in colour theory, textures, recycling, upcycling, colour analysis besides sewing now.
The dress I have made, is one to remember the siblings who often get forgotten about because we are or were left to fight our clogs off for the one child not returning home when it’s not purposely done to leave the other children out. But the system tends to focus it that way without you realising and by the time you do, the siblings of yours will have understandably noticed it too as much as you know you love them all.
In particular, this dress though has primarily been made as a storyboard memory dress of my 3 eldest children’s and my past holiday memories in Portugal at the Algarve where we had happier times thanks to my children’s great nan, great in more ways than one.
Each bead and button sewn on to the motif patches in abundance was also done with patience and love and what was meant to be a Sum-Autumn dress I started the end of August this year, only recently getting it completed. The ideas I used came to me quite easy given it has been made largely for my children’s happier memories to see.
With an appliqued sun rise and piecing my chosen layout of fabric to the pattern pieces included to add more texture besides the embellishments I made to the felt sea rocks on a wavy bed of sand and the cording and fabric mesh on the microphone I enjoyed seeing these 3d elements all come together adding further interest to my dress. A lot of hand sewing was also involved which I love doing where I can. One friend who payed a nice compliment said the dress looks Bulgarian and I had thought about adding some fringing or a frill to lengthen the bottom a bit which I may still do. I was brought up in a musical family anyway with folk music being one style of music included.
Other materials I’ve used are a William Morris pillowcase, Laura Ashley duvet cover, a large cotton serviette, White Stuff skirt and I prefer to use deadstock fabric where I can and remnants of fabric.
I also have a Facebook group for friends called ‘Fabric Cotton House.’ Ones get accepted pending approval after answering the questions I’ve set out which need answering.
I would love to do something useful with my sewing for the community now bearing in mind slow fashion to help towards making the world a safer better place. Fast fashion does not help in the long run with the cost-of-living crisis and the pressure on parents to replenish garments faster with the peer pressure faced for some children because they can be more poorly made or misshape quickly but it’s understandable why there are many parents who feel they have little choice. Remember, I’ve been a single parent too.
I would encourage them to try their hand at sewing getting their child/ren involved if they can.
I would like to thank Researching Reform for kindly allowing me to share my story.”
We would like to thank Michele for sharing her project with us, and her deeply touching life story. And a special thank you to our Artist in Residence Paul Brian Tovey, who made space this month for Michele to be featured.