Hi, I'm Helen – owner, teacher, and general chaos wrangler at Badger and Bobbins, my little sewing school tucked away in Sheffield.

I'm a former primary school teacher who took the leap into self-employment back in 2018, originally making eco-friendly homewares from my kitchen table. Things looked a bit different back then, but everything shifted (as it did for a lot of us) after the lockdowns.

In 2021, as we all tried to piece life back together, a couple of mates asked me to teach them how to sew. I whipped up a six-week beginner course, dusted off my teaching hat, and—just like that—I remembered how much I bloody love it. That first course turned into a weekly sewing club that ran for over 18 months and sparked the start of Badger and Bobbins as it is now: a full-blown sewing school offering workshops from total beginner to “look what I just made and it actually fits!”

I run regular workshops here in the studio covering everything from homewares to clothes-making, and I’m also chuffed to now be offering online courses too—so you can learn from me wherever you are, cup of tea in hand, unpicking your dodgy seams in peace.

I care a lot about making sewing accessible and joyful, and I’m a big believer in the power of creativity for mental health. Sewing’s helped me through some tough stuff, and I know it can do the same for others. It’s not just about zips and seam allowances—it’s a small, powerful act of self-care. It can be quietly radical too; I love the politics of sewing, the way it connects us to history, to making do, to craft and protest and power in your own hands.

Whether you’re just getting started or building on your skills, Badger and Bobbins is a space away from the hubbub of modern life where you can relax, learn something new, and have a bloody lovely time doing it.