About Emma

My mother sat me down at a sewing machine at the age of 8, and my love of all things hand made and creative was spurred into action. I broke the needle almost instantly, but after getting over my initial shock, which caused a 3 month hiatus, I've never looked back!

Then, when I was 12, I announced to a room full of very unsuspecting adults that I wanted to own a patchwork shop one day. They all laughed at me and I never really gave the idea another thought, proceeding to go through many dreams of different careers including the usual Lawyer, Consultant (still not really sure what those are...) and ‘Winning-the-Lottery’. I never would have dreamed that one day I would actually come to own a patchwork shop! Contemplating how to make the move away from my 8 year career in PR and Advertising, I heard about the opportunity to take over Queen of Fabric in Melbourne. Having started as a quilt designer in 2015 when I'd moved to London, I have realised that there is a deep joy to be found in sewing and creating, and the thought of making it my full-time career was extremely exciting. I got on a plane two weeks later and started my Queen of Fabric journey.

After about 14 months back in Melbourne, I realised that during my 4 years in London the city had become my home and I had to go back. I had plans to come in April 2020, but Covid-19 put a bit of a delay on everything! I finally made it back to the city in August 2020 and initially brought my fabric shop Queen of Fabric to the UK with me.  BUT as always, not all plans work out the way thought and eventually I had to let go of the fabric part of the business and I re-branded as Gathering Thread so I could have all my designs AND my shop under one name.

I’ve come to realise that patchwork is one of the best combinations of creativity, relaxation and achievement out there. Nothing beats watching a masterpiece come together and revelling in the satisfaction of finishing a project – especially one that’s been on-the-go for years! And even though my friends call me a ‘grandma’, I sleep well at night knowing that I’m warmer than them in winter. I’ve also seen patchwork be the catalyst for the most incredible friendships and be the most wonderful saving grace for many in a challenging emotional space. I also love embroidery and cross stitch, having done plenty while I was a teen, and I'm thrilled to be designing those projects now too.