teaching sewing confidence, tip by tip
ABOUT ME, CV (RÉSUMÉ) & CONTACT DETAILS

 Hi, I'm Chris Dodsley - the person behind the brand 'made by ChrissieD'. I'm so glad you dropped by, and I'd like to tell you a bit about myself. :)




I grew up in St Helens, in the north of England, a child of the 1960s, and have always loved crafting. From a young age, I enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and sewing. By the 1980s, I was making clothes (remember padded shoulder blouses?!) for my day job as a secretary and creating home furnishings. When I moved to Marlborough, Wiltshire, in the early 1990s, I started an interior design business with the encouragement of friends whose homes I'd decorated and designed.

Initially, I focused on creating beautiful family living spaces and designing children's bedrooms and decorative murals. However, a chance encounter led me to design home cinemas and entertainment suites for two founders of IMDb's movie website. After several years of travel for work, I decided to spend more time with my three young children and pursue my love for cooking and baking. 

As my children grew, I returned to education, earning a foundation degree in Art & Design with a specialisation in ceramics. I was awarded the Alan Guyatt Mature Learner Achievement Award for my outstanding achievement. My studies led me to Textile Art, and I purchased my beloved Bernina 440 QE sewing machine, which has become one of my most cherished possessions. 

2011, I moved to the United States, leaving my studies behind. It was there that I discovered quilting, which inspired me to create my brand, made by ChrissieD and start blogging in April 2012. The name combines my name and my daughter's nickname - a tribute to my love for family and crafting.

View From My Roof Garden
Manhattan's backyard on the Hudson Riverfront at the Hoboken/Jersey City border was where we called home for six years. My husband, Simon, and our two dogs - Thatcher (known as Tatty to her friends), the Havapoo, and Watson, the Havanese - lived with us while our grown children went on their own adventures around the world.


During my first six years in the United States, I worked as a Bernina Sales/Store Assistant at The City Quilter in Chelsea, Manhattan, NYC. While working there, I started teaching quilting and sewing classes at The City Quilter and Gotham Quilts and offering private lessons and classes. You can find all the details about my upcoming and past courses on my website.

I also worked with various fabric companies and designed and wrote patterns for quilting magazines during this time.   Additionally, I served as VP of the NYC Metro MOD Quilters Guild in 2016 and 2017 while also being a member of the Modern Quilt Guild and the Quilt Alliance. 

I am proud to have won the Quilt Alliance Quilters Take Manhattan 2016 Featherweight Champ of the Quilt World title and to be recognised as a 2018 International Association of Quilters designer. Moreover, I have been awarded the Top Blogger award by FaveQuilts.com every year from 2016 to 2021.

In my spare time 😉, I enjoy being a Grandma to my grandsons, Oliver and Noah, and visiting my children.


Watch Quilt Alliance's time-lapse video of Quilt Match 2016: 


In 2016, I started my newsletter, mbCD News. Click the buttons below to access the mbCD News archive, and you can subscribe here also.



In July 2017, I moved to South Florida to begin a new life adventure.


Training and certifying as a licensed Cosmic Smash Booking Teacher in 2021, 
continuing my training into 2022 to become a Confidence Coach. 

I help people who've lost their sense of self take small, successful steps to grow in confidence so they can dare to take control of their lives.

2022 and 2023 brought more personal growth guided by Jolie DeMarco, renowned metaphysical expert and author of books, including "High-Vibe Crystal Healing" and "How To Meditate with Crystals". I have certified as a Reiki I Healer, Reiki II Practitioner and Reiki III/IV Master, as well as a Master Crystal Healer. 

I am furthering my studies with Hay House to become a certified Card Reader.


To find out more about my new ventures as a Confidence Coach | Reiki + Crystal Master | Card Reader, visit my new website - ChrisDodsley.com or follow me on Instagram or Facebook



Want to find out more about me? Here are my classes/student feedback, CV/Résumé, and some past posts I've shared about me, my sewing space, my family and where I work:





 I love to hear from you, and here are all the ways to stay in touch!



And you can always find me on my website.

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