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‘This is my happy place’: How a clothes making project bound Dundee mums together through lockdown

Hannah Watson, Amy Yancouskie and Chelsie Bruce, all students on Kindred Clothing course.
Hannah Watson, Amy Yancouskie and Chelsie Bruce, all students on Kindred Clothing course.

A group of young Dundee mums are fighting their lockdown blues by sewing.

The group, all students on the Kindred Clothing course, have been creating clothes for themselves and their children during one-to-one sewing sessions with city charity Front Lounge, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

As part of International Women’s Day and to kick off the anniversary celebrations, the mums will be taking part in a Front Lounge livestream event on Monday March 8.

The Women in Leadership session will feature short films and stories from the students and local businesswomen to reflect progress and what more can be done to build an equal society.

Facebook live stream event

Front Lounge board member and primary school teacher Ashley Ross will provide music during the live-stream on the Front Lounge Facebook page from 6-7pm.

Front Lounge project leader Chika Inatimi said: “2020 and the early months of 2021 have been exceptionally tough for this group, and thousands of other young people across the country.

“Despite the challenges they’ve been facing and continue to face, they’re shown real resilience and strength of character.

“Just having these sessions to focus on, to keep going with their sewing, has really helped them get through some of the toughest weeks and months they’ve ever experienced.”

She said there was a perception among some people that International Women’s Day is only about high-profile women who have broken new ground in their careers but it is just as much about everyday women who are making something of their lives against a very challenging backdrop.

“We applaud them for what they’re doing for both themselves and their children,” she said.

Happy Place

Young mum Cerrys Duke said: “Kindred Clothing has helped me a lot over lockdown.

“Just having that focus to your day is really important as it’s easy to get worn down when so much of our lives are on hold.”

The 21-year-old, who has a four-year-old daughter added has been creating everything from dresses to t-shirts.

She added: “Even if we can’t meet up, we’re always in touch and that friendship and support has been an important factor in getting through this last year.

“I like to think we’re setting a great example to our kids too – they’re going to grow up to face their own challenges and seeing their mums actually doing something with their lives will hopefully have a positive impact on them and drive them to do their best.”

Hannah Watson, 21-year-old mum to four-year-old Grace added: “’It’s been really difficult for me during lockdown but being able to come into the studio and do this project has helped a lot.

“I was beginning to struggle quite a bit but as soon as I was able to come in and do some sewing I just felt ‘I love this, this is my happy place’.”

Kindred Clothing, run by Front Lounge, takes students through the key stages of the garment production process while teaching practical fashion photography skills and techniques.

It is currently awaiting official SQA accreditation with each element of the course delivered by an experienced maker and students present a portfolio of their work at the end of the course.