Portia Lawrie

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Portia Lawrie is a predominantly self-taught dressmaker and designer who has been passionate about recycling for most of her life. She has been writing about sewing since 2010, on her social media and her website: www.portialawrie.co.ukPortia is the founder/creator of The Refashioners, an annual sewing event that launched in 2011. It aims to challenge the global sewing community to look at old clothes in a new light, and provides inspiration and tutorials (and often a huge competition prize) to encourage participation and get this message across.Portia has been a contributor to Simply Sewing magazine since its launch in 2015, designing and writing reader tutorials for a mix of refashioning, pattern hacks and patternless projects. She was awarded Dressmaker magazine’s Dressmaker of the Year 2017. Her winning entry was a quilted denim coat made from old jeans.In 2020, Portia and fellow designer Samantha Claridge launched The ChangeMaker Initiative, which offers a range of products tailored towards Makers. Its profits are donated to charities that promote positive social and environmental changes.Portia lives in rural Essex, UK, with her partner and teenage son.@portialawrie