Episode 80 : Learning lessons from history with Becky Davies-Downes

Image of Becky Davies-Downes sitting on a wooden box and leaning her head on her hands looking directly at the camera.
Becky Davies-Downes

Thank you for joining me for the 80th episode of Making Stitches Podcast! This time I’m sharing a chat I had with Becky Davies-Downes from William and Tilda, who, after almost two decades working in TV & film costume departments, is now sewing beautiful bags and other accessories inspired by 1940s wartime Britain.

William and Tilda Make Do & Mend style floral brooch
William and Tilda Make Do & Mend style Floral Brooch

I first bumped in Becky in September this year, at the Yarndale Festival. There, she spoke to me about how her current venture had come about, as well as a little bit about her previous career. I simply had to have a more in-depth chat with her about all things ‘make do and mend’ as well as her previous life working in TV & film.

William and Tilda 1940s style gas mask bag made out of green tweed
William and Tilda 1940s style Gas Mask Bag

My deepest thanks to Becky for speaking to me, not once, but twice in quick succession for Making Stitches Podcast!

You can find Becky’s website ‘William and Tilda’ here and from there you can find all of Becky’s social media links too.

William and Tilda Vintage Style handmade needle book
William and Tilda Vintage Style Handmade Needle Book

While you’re here, can I just mention my latest crochet pattern – the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath, which I’ve designed to raise much-needed funds for FareShare Greater Manchester?

FareShare Greater Manchester is a charity which diverts thousands of tonnes of surplus food from the food industry each year to hundreds of charities and community groups in Greater Manchester and the surrounding area. It is simply wrong that so much food would otherwise go to waste when so many people are struggling to access healthy and nutritious food.

An image of the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath
FareShare Festive Feast Wreath

The FareShare Festive Feast Wreath is a Christmas crochet pattern for a wreath based on a Christmas dinner – including sprouts and pigs-in-blankets. All the money raise from the sale of the pattern will be going directly to FareShare Greater Manchester.

You can find out more information about FareShare Greater Manchester here.

You can buy the crochet pattern for the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath here.

To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.

The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .

The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.

You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.
Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.

Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

The Making Stitches Podcast logo overlaid over an image of rainbow coloured yarns

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