About Dot n Cross

Welcome to Dot n Cross. We put on sewing and pattern cutting workshops in Falmouth, Cornwall and across the UK. Our classes are fun, inclusive and informative, and equip the modern sewist with the skills they need to build their own collection of handmade clothes. We cater for all abilities and skill levels, and teach a variety of classes, from making a specific garment, learning general sewing skills, and even pattern cutting and fitting workshops.

About Helen

Hi, I’m Helen Shine, the founder of Dot n Cross. I have spent 12 years working as a pattern cutter in the London fashion industry, and now I want to teach you how to make your own clothes! I have cut patterns for Victoria Beckham, Karen Millen, Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto, and made clothes that have appeared on catwalks, red carpets and dance floors. I studied Fashion Design in Leeds and then went on to complete my Post Graduate Degree in Innovative Pattern Cutting at the famous fashion department at Central Saint Martins in London. Whilst studying I also completed internships at Vivienne Westwood and Burberry. It’s safe to say I know a thing or two about the industry and now my aim is to pass on that knowledge to fashion students and home sewers.

I started teaching sewing and pattern cutting workshops in London in collaboration with Lydia from Made My Wardrobe in April 2018. My aim was to educate people about the skills and time required to make a garment, in the hope that in future they would think twice before buying cheap, mass produced clothing. I believe that if we have a deeper connection with our clothes, we are more likely to take care of them, mend them when they require it, and chose more carefully what we purchase in the first place.

So why have I switched the glitz and glam of the London fashion scene for Cornwall? My partner and I moved down to Falmouth in early 2019 to live out our dream of living by the sea! We were searching for an active outdoor lifestyle, that just wasn’t available in central London. This move sparked starting my own sewing workshops business in order to carry on with what I love doing – making clothes! I have always focused on details, quality and fit in my work, which I will continue to refine whilst sharing my passion with others. I believe everyone can make their own clothes, you just need to be shown how.

I have also been invited as Guest Lecturer on the Falmouth University and Leeds University fashion courses since 2019. Getting to work with the next generation of designers and pattern cutters has been a privilege for me, inspiring them to think outside the box with their work and encourage them to experiment and innovate.