About Us
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Vivienne and Iain At a show we organised for our community centre funds. October 2016 |
Ruth my wonderful designer, I hum it she sings it (designs it). I then decide on how it is produced, colours, stitches etc. |
I have done canvas work, counted cross stitch, cross stitch, miniature counted cross stitch, crochet (made a wedding dress), knitting, machine knitting, knitting designing, cushion making, dress making (failed), Pom Pom making (in the 60's for people knitting things that needed Pom poms). All I had learned quickly and after a time I got bored.
Lace making has held my interest for over 30 years.
After I had made the lace crucifix with Jacqui in Brunei. I came back and decided to keep going to Pauline's classes.
Iain had to give up all the sports he was doing due to joint problems. He started to make me bobbins. He was given two wood turning courses as gifts from our sons. Pauline asked if Iain would "just make 10 bobbins" for some one in her class. She kept doing this. Iain called them "Just" jobs. We didn't charge for the bobbins. Then Pauline said we should sell them.
So Biggins Bobbins was born. We gradually grew. A lady called Helen Shimell started producing patterns for me which I then produced. Helen was not in good health at that time and stopped. I then found a wonderful lady called Ruth Andrews who is my best friend. She made patterns but using my ideas as well. I could send it backwards and forwards till we were both happy. At times Ruth seemed to read my mind. I then worked the patterns, what threads, what colours. Sometimes she would say "I didn't know it would look like that!" I showed her how to put colours in and out of patterns with no sewing or glueing, she showed me that give her an idea and she could be amazing with what she could come up with.
We then became, for a number of years, wholesalers for a Spanish thread but still kept Biggins designs going. We have now, at ages 72 and 69, gone back to what we love, our retail web site. Patterns are our love. More will come.
Vivienne and Iain.
Biggins Lace