A country girl in the big city...
When I first packed my bags and made the move to uni in London I had little idea of what living in London after 17 years in the countryside would be like! Getting hopelessly lost on the underground, even more lost on the busses, fighting through crowds and all the pollution, it was a lot to get use to! After a couple of weeks, however, I began to love the city. There was so much to do, so many inspiring places to go, so many interesting people to meet! Some of the best years of my life were spent as a result in London and I have my college, my church and all the friends I made to thank.
However, no matter how much I loved the city, part of me always yearned for the countryside. It was a relief to come home at the end of every term and once again drive past fields of sheep, sit on an empty train carriage, walk through fields and woodland, and settle into the slower pace of life. After 3 years living in London there came a time for me to decide what to focus my final major project on. There was no contest, I knew it had to be inspired by the countryside! I ended up basing my final textile print collection on memories growing up in a tiny village in a rural part of Kent.
Now, living in Surrey I am grateful to have the best of both worlds. Less than an hours train from London but still surrounded by the beautiful Surrey Hills. After graduating I had always known I wanted to set up my own shop, but deciding what to sell was another matter! I did various markets and tested lots of ideas until settling on printed products covered with my nature inspired paintings and patterns. It was then that 'Hedgerow' was born. The idea behind Hedgerow is a place where I can share products inspired by my love of nature, country living, the old, rustic and antique. I hope also to use recycled and environmentally friendly materials a much as possible in my products.
