Sylvia Murray

Sylvia fell in love with craft at the tender age of 5 when her mother began to teach her simple embroidery stitches. At the age of 10, she began to learn how to use her mother’s old Singer sewing machine which could only do straight stitch and reverse. This is when her love of sewing was born and 12 months later, she was making her own clothes. For her 18th birthday, Sylvia’s parents surprised her with a brand-new Bernina 830 sewing machine which had 20 fancy stitches plus an automatic Button-hole program! Despite owning 5 other sewing machines, this Bernina has been her faithful workhorse ever since.

In 2002, Sylvia and her husband moved with their family to Tasmania for 5 years for a “sea-change”. Six months after moving to the Huon Valley, Sylvia had the opportunity to buy a Patchwork and Craft shop where she learned how to run a business and the finer art of Patch-working which, today, is her sewing passion. Whilst owning and operating the shop, Sylvia also actively taught Patchwork classes which were eagerly attended by the local community.

Upon the family’s return to Sydney, Sylvia worked in a number of different industries including Child Care; Real Estate; Working as a Food Demonstrator in many of Sydney’s major supermarkets; Meals-on-Wheels Co-Ordinator; and finally as a Leisure Learning Co-Ordinator for a not for profit Community Service Organisation. It was in this last position were her love of teaching and sharing her knowledge came to the fore where she taught several sewing and patchwork classes each week.

Sylvia considers herself an “all-rounder” as she has garnered a wealth of knowledge in many other crafts, including knitting, crocheting; lead lighting; painting; cooking; gardening and making tapestries, to name but a few. However, sewing remains the one constant in her life and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experience with anyone wanting to learn. She also loves to laugh and have fun, so she became certified as a Laughter Yoga Facilitator and uses the skills learned here to relieve stressful situations when they arise. So, do not be surprised if during her class, she bursts into laughter……... just because! Her approach to learning is all about having fun along the way.