We have our first Barnsley Fashion Creatives project! We have been in touch with Trish Evans from Spirit Original Designs who would like to do a photoshoot of her clothing and accessories and is looking for other locals to participate. Here is the run down of the brief with subject to changes as more details are confirmed.

At Barnsley Fashion Creatives, our main aim is to get people connected in Barnsley to work together and help each other out to further enhance our experiences and business. If you have a project in mind and not sure where to go with it, we can help. We can get in touch with the right people to get what you need, find suitable locations and help get it all organised. Feel free to enquire about your project.

Brief by: Spirit Original Designs

Proposed Location: Spring bank Farm (waiting on confirmation)

Date: October

Theme: Rustic, old, quirky, historical, woods

Who we are looking for: Models in sizes 10, 14 & 16, at least one blonde and one brunette. A Photographer and anyone else who'd like to participate. We already have hair & makeup.

Project is unpaid, all participants will get full use of the photos.

This is a fun project for people who are based in Barnsley to all help each other out and get their own use out of it as well, if you require some photos of particular areas that show your own work, we can get those done for you to put in your own portfolios.

If you yourself or if know anyone who would like to help out on the project please use the contact page quoting the brief and with any links to your work. All participants must be agreed by the project leader to ensure you fit the desired brief.

Whether it's your office, home studio, workshop, make-up suitcase, or even your dining room! Creative spaces are needed for our hobbies and businesses to make our works of art. From our Facebook Group, some members sent us photos of their creative spaces and we love them!!

[caption id="attachment_1293" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Pam Goodison's Glasswork studio[/caption]

[gallery ids="1294,1299" type="rectangular"]

Nicola Whitfield's Make-up setup at a photoshoot

[caption id="attachment_1295" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Raychel McGuin's Studio[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1296" align="aligncenter" width="261"] Trish Evans' Sewing desk at her shop[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1297" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Helen Booth's Photographic desk[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1300" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Leanne Brooks' Sewing corner[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1301" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Jo Noble's Workspace[/caption]

It's so interesting seeing how people work! We've been diving into the world of Pinerest to see their showroom looking workspaces and gather you some inspiration for your creative space and ideas to keep it tidy and organised.

[gallery ids="1326,1327" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1325,1324" type="rectangular"]

Pinboards and corkboards are a quick, cheap and easy way to get things up on the wall. Get your calendar up there, inspiration pictures, reminders and more. Getting things up on the wall can continually inspire you and using wall space will always benefit your room.

[gallery ids="1334,1335,1336" type="rectangular"]

Peg and wire boards are so versatile in making your space more efficient, add shelves, baskets, tubs and more. These can be changed up as and when you want as your workspace evolves and you see what you need more of or less of.

[gallery ids="1346,1344,1341" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"]

[gallery ids="1345,1343,1342" type="rectangular"]

Getting storage right can be the difference between getting something made in a short time or a long time depending on how fast you find the materials and tools to make it! If you have the space to have a good storage system, make sure if has all the comparments it needs. If space is something you're strapped for, get creative using the backs of doors, stack wooden boxes on a wall with lots of cubby holes, make sure its efficient for the space you have.

[gallery ids="1353,1354,1355" type="rectangular"]

Caddies can be great for having all your stuff on show whilst also being on the move, pull it round the room with you whenever you need it. Implement smaller storage systems within them to keep it neat and tidy.

If after all that you have a gloriously messy room and love it the way it is, here's some other chaotic workspaces to remind you that you aren't the only one!

[gallery ids="1359,1360" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1361,1364" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"]

[gallery ids="1363,1362" type="rectangular"]

Chic-yCow are a local handmade accessories business all based on leather. These almost artistic pieces can finish off any outfit and with being such high quality, will be finishing your outfits for years to come. Through the seasons Jo likes to switch things round and try new designs and ranges from natural floral forms to geometric shapes. You can find her Etsy shop here and follow her Facebook page here.

[gallery ids="1071,1079" type="rectangular"]

Jo: These are some of my favourite 'Geometrix' designs, combining leather that has been hand painted in metallic colours and combined with stainless steel hardware like studs. I've always had a passion for all things crafty and over a number of years, I've learnt how to sew, knit, crochet, paint watercolours and make costume jewellery, many techniques I now use in my work.

[gallery ids="1073,1072,1074" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"]

Jo: These are items from my best selling 'Autumn Leaves' designs and are again hand painted in metalics and then embroidered over the top, with added beads. Chic-yCow was set up in 2011 when I started to incorporate my love of Art, Colour, Textiles and Painting to produce individually handmade Leather Jewellery, Handbags and Accessories.

[gallery ids="1077,1075" type="rectangular"]

Jo: From the 'Daisies' range, these are also my favourites and some of my best sellers. My products are made using leather that has been embellished with intricately printed and painted designs before being cut, layered and combined to create softly textural pieces of jewellery and accessories.



Jo: Here are a mixture of bracelets, necklaces and brooches. Whilst I am occasionally distracted by geometric shapes and repeating patterns, my main love is working with natural forms.



Jo: These are the updated version of the 'Flower Bracelet', which I've been making now for over 5 years. During the summer, my work features hand painted and printed flowers, combined with glass and ceramic beads and in the winter you can see pieces that are covered with embroidered metallic leaves and bold hand painted leather, combined with metal hardware.

Something New - Wedding Specialists is ran by Laura Fletcher and creates beautiful bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, along with venue decorations like chair covers, table top decor and candy carts. We talked to her about her favourite makes, cos who doesn't want to see gorgeous flowy dresses??



Laura: As the wedding season slows down for me, I've started to research bridesmaid trends for 2017 and you can see that having your maids in a mixture of colours is set to continue. The first of my customers to do this in 2015 was Joanne, whose bridesmaids wore our best-seller, Adriana, in shades of pinks and purples.



Laura: One of my favourites from 2016 was Faith's lovely ladies in their custom made Renée gowns in purple hues, beautiful for a June wedding.



Laura: Also from this year was Alexa's girls in their various vintage pink shades. And still to come next month, a wonderful array of blue, silver and mint! And my top tip for 2017... pastels!



BFC: Where do you go to look for inspiration on your styles, designs and colours?

Laura: Pinterest... I'm totally obsessed! Most of what is on there are American weddings, which are always one step ahead. We tend to follow 1-2 years on, so whatever is happening there, we're sure to follow.

BFC: And what fabrics do you mostly use and which is your favourite to work with?

Laura: Definitely chiffon. It's flattering and looks so pretty. Also corded lace! Its great for the classic, vintage look.

You can see more of her work on her website and also give her facebook page a like!

The other day I got invited to go visit the Barnsley Archives and I got so excited seeing what they'd found for me, I got a bit lost in the reason why I was originally there and ended up just reading through old booklets and staring at photographs a bit too long. However there was some more gorgeous old photos of the Barnsley Co-operative Society that I had already done some delving into and it was because of this that I got invited to go and see more. So here is a few of the photos they had found for me.







These three photos above are from the 60's in it's ladies wear department. I love how happy the women in them are and that the styles of clothing in them can still be found in high street stores today. Something that stands out to me in all the photographs though, is that carpet!

[gallery ids="764,765" type="rectangular"]

This was one of the make-up areas, featuring some brands that have obviously stood the test of time! You can also see the hair dyes, hair products and then for some reason...umbrellas at the back?





The Haberdashery department! If I had been around then, this would be where I'd spend all my time! All those rolls of fabric, mannequins, buttons, ribbons and so, so much more!

[gallery ids="768,763" type="rectangular"]

The lingerie department looks typical of the 60's, full length nighties and under-slips. And there is that wonderful carpet again, it's growing on me!







The three photos above were taken in 1959, so a little earlier than the others and are of the Menswear departments. Here you could buy off the rack and have things made-to-measure. They also have all the school uniforms, shirts and accessories.

I find all these so fascinating and learning more about our town of Barnsley and it's history can still inspire you today. Massive thanks to the Barnsley Archives for your help, I'll definitely be coming back.

All photos from the Barnsley Archives.

Spirit Original Designs owned by Trish Evans is one of our local handmade designers and her skills range from bag making, to jewellery, clothing and homewares. The business currently resides inside the Oh Sew Sweet Shop at Wombwell and we had a bit of a chat to her about how it all began. Visit Spirit's Facebook page here.

 BFC: Hi Trish, as a local Barnsley creative, what was it that got into doing your business originally?

Trish: I have loved sewing and being creative from when I was at school. I had a very stressful job and needed to chill and take a step back for health reasons. This is wear my creative and sewing skills made another appearance in my life and now i'm not stressed at all!

BFC: That's great that you almost use it as a relaxation method. Which creative skills did you start out with first? And is that what you still do now or have they evolved to other things?

Trish: I could sew at school so I would say that. I was also good with art at school too, then came making bridal head-wear in the early 80's. Initially this business began with jewellery making and we still do that.

BFC: So that's already a few skills you had under your belt early on. You now also do clothing as part of your business don't you? Could you tell us how that came about?

Trish: I would say from about the second year when we had already progressed into bag making and neck wraps, customers were asking us for clothes. They kept asking "when are you going to start making clothes?". To be honest I was happy with the business as it was but I gave in! I thought, give the customers what they want. That's how our clothes range started.

BFC: It's always good to listen to what your customers want. How would you describe the style of you clothing?

Trish: Individual. We only make one of everything so u wont be wearing the same dress as someone else! Individual with a twist.

BFC: And how would you describe your customer base that wanted you to make these clothes?



Trish: The same customers that keep coming back and new ones too. The age group that initially requested clothes were around 18-35 year old. I tend to get a lot of requests for races and weddings. I love creating something unusual.

BFC: Having returning customers are so valuable to any business. Do they still come to see you in your new home at the Oh sew Sweet Shop? Could you tell us a bit about the new place?

Trish: Oh yes. Since moving here it has gone from strength to strength! New customers all the time! Its a hub of life! A fabric shop, cafe and our boutique all in one!

BFC: Sounds like a wonderful little place! So out of all your fashion-y items, which are you favourite to make? Dresses? Bags? Jewellery?

Trish: Mmmmm I think dresses! 😀

BFC: Haha! And lastly, what piece of advice would you give to new business startups?

Trish: Listen to your customers and hang in there!

All pictures belong to Spirit Original Designs.

Whether you're doing a photoshoot, an event, or whatever project that requires help from other creatives, the age old question is, to ask my friends? Or to hire professionals? There's pros and cons to both sides and it all depends on the outcomes you want to achieve. If you want to just have some fun, get your friends involved. If you want to boost your business sales, are you better off hiring professionals? Here's some food for thought.

Pros-

• They're your friends!

• They're free.

• You can quite easily say no to them when they have an idea for you that's totally in the wrong direction.

• No awkward meetings.

• You already know their skills and quality levels.

• Talk more freely about your ideas.

Cons-

• Fall outs can happen!

• You may only get up to a certain quality.

• Friends can ditch out on you last minute.

• Could have low experience.

Pros-

• Guaranteed good quality.

• They have the relative experience.

• They can prove they'll get your desired outcome with previous work & testimonials.

• They have high level contacts and networks.

• Reliable, reliable, reliable.

• You can learn things from them.

• You can explain your idea and they immediately understand what you're after.

Cons-

• Costs, they charge what they want for their services (and sometimes rightly so!)

• They may have more experience than you and could use that against you.

• They could run away in their own style that they've built up over their career.

• Could put a time limit on how long they work with you, they're busy people!

After all this, the best position to have yourself in is to make really good friends with professionals and then you can have the best of both worlds. I know we're not all that lucky though, bare in mind these thoughts when you come across this dilemma. Do you have any stories of using friends or professionals? Or other pros & cons to add? Get in touch with your comments.

Photo Credit Here.

In Barnsley you can learn the art of sewing at many places, from how to use your sewing machine, to pattern drafting garments and making accessories. Here are a few places you can pick up a new skill or two.


Barnsley College has both a full time course and an evening course in Fashion. Their full-time course in Fashion is one of the best in Yorkshire. a 2 year course covering sewing, marketing, textiles, illustration and more. See the full details here.

Their part-time evening course runs over 10 weeks with a different subject each time, the first one starting in September will be covering 'Skirts', then the next courses in January & April will covering a different garment type. You can learn to use sewing machines, pattern drafting, made-to-measure and different techniques. Find out all about it here.





Oh Sew Sweet Shop have two locations, one in the Fountain Parade, Mapplewell and the other on Dovecliffe Road, Wombwell. Their shops are based around fabrics, quilting, craft supplies and sweets! But they also run a lot of regular sewing classes, including some garment making and bag classes.

You can see their full class schedule in this PDF or visit their full website www.ohsewsweetshop.co.uk




Barnsley Council run adult learning classes that usually last 5 weeks long and their sewing class covers basic skills, learning your machines, inserting zips, etc. Along with other courses like life skills and creative subjects, theses courses are great foundation building blocks for the money they charge. They are based in the Wellington House on Market Street, see more info on their course here.



If you know of other sewing classes that are happening or you are someone that teaches the skill, get in touch and let us know all about it and we can share your story.

All images belong to above businesses, header image by Barnsley College.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin