About Jill
A Little More...

You want more info about Jill, eh? Ok - here I am to give you a little more insight into me and my motivations behind this site.

It all started when I was about 6 years old and my Mom taught me to knit. I quickly mastered the techniques and by the age of 8 I had made a baby hat, mittens and bootee set to earn my "knitters badge" at Brownies. (I really hated Brownies, by the way - just because I was so shy, that's all).

Cabling is now my absolute favorite aspect of knitting - the more complex the better. Though I have recently been addicted to sock knitting too, on 4 needles. Watch out... it'll get you too, if you're not careful!

Anyway - at age 8 a neighbor taught me to crochet. I remember distinctly that day as if it were yesterday. I sat in her living room and she told me and showed me what to do. I remember saying, "Well...here goes nothing!", to which I was severely reprimanded. She told me I shouldn't have that attitude, that I should just practice and it would come to me, so I did (and here I am now sharing my skills with you).

My Mom taught me how to sew too, as she trained as a needlework teacher. We often took trips into "town" to browse fabrics and yarns. I regularly made my own clothes...everything from simple tops to skirts, pants and jackets too. We took tailoring classes together and some card making/rubber stamping classes too.

You really want to know more about Jill?? Ok...here you go.

I took a clothing design course at a local college and also completed the first year of a degree course - a BA in Textile Management at Leeds University, England (I didn't finish it as I had a proposal I couldn't refuse - marriage and a move to Colorado, USA). By the way, this course included weaving on 100 year old floor looms and also using commercial knitting machines, as well as lots of background study of fibers and their attributes, and also different yarn and fabric production methods. I really enjoyed the fun design work.

I have tried many, many arts and crafts as well as knitting,sewing and crochet...rubber stamping, scrapbooking, card making, repoussage (working raised pictures into pewter or copper sheets), kumihimo (Japanese braid making), jewelery making (worked Craft Fairs in England), cross stitch, embroidery, dried flower arranging, oil painting, machine knitting and machine embroidery, weaving, spinning and felting by hand and in the washing machine. The thing is...I always am drawn back to those crafts related to yarns and fibers.

I have picked up more than 30 years worth of tips and techniques on my crafting journey that I can apply to making purses, and many other things besides. That is one of the main reasons I wanted to build this site.

I have so much crafting knowledge, so many ideas...I just needed someone to share it with. So what better way is there than building a website where I can share my passions with the whole world.

Marly and I met back around 2000 and we just hit it off! We found we both shared an absolute fascination (no...more of an OBSESSION) with yarn and what we can do with it, and now here we are sharing our passion and obsession with you.

So - there you have it - some more information about Jill - co-owner of The Purse Workshop. I hope you've enjoyed reading my brief story.

I do hope enjoy your stay with us at The Purse Workshop and that you continue to drop by regularly to see what other exciting information we have to share.

You can find out everything that's new on site by either signing up for the RSS feed (the little orange button to the left) or by reading our Purse Blog.

Make this your "one stop shop" for purse making ideas!
Happy Purse Making!!!

Jill Wright

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