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Handmade Heart shop is run solely by myself, Kayleigh McDaid. I am a 36 year old, partner to Mike and a mother to one, 8-year-old Lilly Beau.
Lilly is officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder and is an incredible human!
I never really knew what I wanted to “be” when I grew up, and although we did a tiny bit of sewing in school and I had gained an A Level in Textiles, I never really used my skills any further. To be honest most of my skills now are pretty self-taught as we skipped a LOT of those college classes.. (I’m surprised I even passed).
I could never really get the hang of a sewing machine back then and probably used it twice in my whole time on that course, avoiding it like the plague. I also always said I never “wanted” kids. This still haunts me as I really don’t know where I’d be now if I hadn’t fallen pregnant with Lilly Beau, when I did.
I didn’t fully understand everything that went with parenting back then and was pretty naive about it all. And it wasn’t that I didn’t want Lilly either, because as soon as I realised I was pregnant, I knew that motherhood was the right path for me. I was ok with it by that point. Heck I was even pretty excited, and it scared me, because she changed me so much.
I realise now I could never have known the love I would have for another person, even before she was born. During my pregnancy, I suffered the worst severe sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum or “HG”) and was signed off sick from my job as a waitress for months. I found it difficult to function, throwing up pretty much all day everyday with no apparent cure, despite all the advice and medications throughout those grueling 42 weeks. I still say Never again! And, I really mean it. It was AWFUL!!!
Spending most of my time in bed, with a sick bowl attached to me wasn’t my idea of fun and I started looking for things to do with my time on those occasions where the sickness was almost tolerable. I started by googling how to make cushion covers and was hand-sewing anything in sight.I made baby dresses for my newborn and did everything by hand until I was advised to try and sell my products.
I bought a sewing machine, opened an etsy shop and somehow found myself here. I’m grateful for the path it took for me to get here.
My daughter really inspired me to create from the beginning, and I owe it all to Lilly Beau and the support from my family.
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