About Us
LifeCraft Studio is an online fabric shop specialising in pre-loved fabrics, trims, haberdashery and sewing supplies sourced from makers’ homes across the UK. The aim is to keep useful creative materials in circulation by helping fabrics, tools and textile supplies find their way to new makers rather than going to landfill.
The shop includes a changing mix of dressmaking fabrics, vintage haberdashery, trims, sewing notions, knitting supplies and textile tools, with many items available as one-offs or in limited quantities. Click here to shop the latest arrivals to the store: New In
From maker to maker
We source donations of sewing, dressmaking, knitting and textile supplies from makers who no longer need them and pass the materials on to makers who do. This gives useful textiles, tools and sewing supplies the chance to be used again rather than being discarded, sent to rag or ending up in landfill.
How LifeCraft Studio works
LifeCraft Studio works by helping unwanted sewing, knitting and textile supplies move from one maker to another. Donations are sorted, checked, measured and photographed before being added to the shop, where they can be discovered and reused by new makers, sewists and crafters.
Because many items are pre-loved, vintage or one-offs, the stock changes regularly and often includes unusual materials and discontinued supplies that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Keeping Textiles in Circulation
Many textile materials remain perfectly usable for years, yet large quantities still go unused or are discarded. By reusing existing fabrics, trims and sewing supplies, makers can reduce waste while continuing to enjoy the creativity and satisfaction of making by hand.
Where possible, materials donated to LifeCraft Studio are passed on to other makers, sewists and crafters who are looking to use existing resources rather than buying new. The aim is to help useful textiles and tools remain in use for as long as possible.
For donors, it offers reassurance that their supplies will be passed on to other makers where possible, or responsibly dealt with if they’re no longer usable. Wherever we can, we aim to keep materials in use and out of landfill.
To donate supplies click here - Donate Supplies
Fabric Identification & Descriptions
Because many donated fabrics and sewing supplies no longer have original labels or packaging, fibre content and fabric types are identified using a combination of textile identification tools, fabric handling and practical sewing experience.
More information about the fabric identification process can be found here: How we identify fabric composition
Fabrics, trims and tools are measured, photographed and described individually so buyers have a clear understanding of the materials they’re purchasing. Where information is uncertain, descriptions are written as clearly and honestly as possible.
Why Choose Pre-Loved and Second Hand Textiles?
As makers, we often collect beautiful materials that end up unused — fabrics bought for a special project that never happened, yarn picked up on holiday, or tools passed down through family. These items can carry meaning, but they can also sit untouched for years.
The aim here is to give those materials another chance to be used by someone keen to make, and to prevent valuable resources from becoming waste.
Supporting Sustainable Sewing
Sewing, mending and making by hand can be a more thoughtful way to approach clothing and textiles, especially when existing materials are reused wherever possible. By choosing pre-loved fabrics, trims and sewing supplies, makers can help reduce waste, extend the life of useful materials and make creative use of resources that might otherwise go unused. LifeCraft Studio aims to support a more sustainable approach to sewing by helping quality textiles and tools stay in circulation and continue to be enjoyed by new makers.
LifeCraft Studio is ultimately about helping useful materials continue to be used, shared and enjoyed — supporting creativity while encouraging a more sustainable approach to sewing, making and textile crafts.
About Hayley
My name is Hayley, and I’ve been making and crafting for as long as I can remember. I learned to knit in the 1980s on a road trip across America and started sewing clothes not long after. I make most of my own clothes and usually have several knitting projects on the go. I’ll also happily mend, alter or remake almost any garment or textile-based item.
Over the years, I’ve built up a large collection of fabrics, tools and yarn — much of it bought with good intentions and ambitious plans. More recently, I’ve also been offered supplies from friends and family who want their materials passed on rather than thrown away.
Over time, this experience has given me a strong practical understanding of fabrics, garment sewing and textile materials, which helps when identifying, sorting and describing the varied supplies that come through the shop.
After stepping away from corporate work, I decided to focus on this project: encouraging creativity and textile making while taking a more thoughtful approach to how materials are sourced, used and reused.