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'I share my love of making clothes to 70k followers'

Contributed Marcia Riddington with red hair sits on a sea wall smiling at the camera. She wearing a yellow top with a red vest over the top and a skirt made up of a former quilt with different patches of fabric.Contributed
Marcia Riddington wanted to encourage others to be more sustainable with their fabric and clothing

Marcia Riddington has always loved sewing - and she shares her passion to almost 70,000 Instagram followers.

The 72-year-old, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, set up her account about eight years ago to post content of her making her own clothes and reusing old fabric.

Describing her following as "utter madness", Mrs Riddington is keen to share that sewing can be easy and helped people be sustainable.

"I love [my clothes] to have a story - I just think it's so much nicer than something brand new, straight out of a factory," she explained.

"I just love the excitement of turning a flat piece of old fabric into a garment.

"I enjoy fabric, I enjoy making clothes and I just have so much fun getting dressed in the morning.

"It's nice to wear bright things that you feel good in, happy in, and that are comfortable."

Contributed Marcia Riddington with short red hair and black glasses smiles at the camera while sitting in a garden in front of a shed. She is wearing a green top with a yellow and white striped scarf around her neck.Contributed
Mrs Riddington has been sewing her whole life and had to make her own clothes as a child

Mrs Riddington, who also owns and runs the Smoking Monkey Antiques shop, in Bury St Edmunds, believed there was pressure on younger generations to keep up with fast moving fashion trends and influencers online.

"It's sad for them because if you're trying to keep up with other people then you're always going to be disappointed," she said.

"It's such a terrible waste of someone's money and it's such a waste of resources as well."

Contributed Marcia Riddington wears a red hat with a long red cardigan. She has red hair and black glasses and is sitting on a garden bench. Beneath her cardigan she is wearing a chequered blue and white dress with a multi-coloured vest over it. Contributed
Mrs Riddington has begun to sell fabric in her shop that people can make use of in their sewing projects

Mrs Riddington said she was encouraged by her daughter to set up her Instagram account.

She regularly posts her latest bright and colourful creations and receives hundreds of reactions from followers.

"I just started doing it and I've got to know some really nice people who have actually become proper friends which is really lovely," she continued.

"It's gone on from there but it took off... I really can't quite understand what goes on."

Contributed Marcia Riddington, with short red hair and black round glasses stands in front of shop front. She is wearing a dress with long black sleeves and the body is red with a floral pattern. Contributed
The seamstress has lived in Bury St Edmunds for the past 15 years and is originally from the West Midlands

She described the account as "fun" and only posted when she felt like it.

"My husband didn't know I had an Instagram account because I thought really, he's not all that interested in my sewing," she added.

"Then one night we were sitting on the settee and I glanced over and he had my Instagram on his computer.

"He now takes my pictures for me so I thought well if he knows about it, he may as well take part. He has become my photographer.

"He's a bit gobsmacked, I don't think he knows quite what to make of it and to be fair, I don't either."

Contributed Marcia Riddington with short red hair and black sunglasses sits on a ledge outside a bright purple and green beach hut. She is wearing a green dress with flowers sewn into it and blue trousers with yellow boots.Contributed
Users on TikTok have also shared Mrs Riddington's photos which she said had been trending on several occasions

Through Instagram, Mrs Riddington has met new friends that share her passion.

A small group of them decided to set up a new project and Instagram account entitled Curtains to Couture, dedicated to making sustainable clothing from old fabric and teaching others to do the same.

"We all feel very strongly about the sustainable aspect of life," Mrs Riddington said.

"We launched this October and we've got some good plans for next year.

"I think it's got a future which is quite exciting and a little bit scary at the same time.

"It's so nice to have people who share your passion."

Contributed A woman with short red hair and black glasses stands in front of a green door. She is wearing a green cardigan with a knitted red and yellow vest underneath. A flower hanging basket sits to her left with a bush to her right. Contributed
Marcia Riddington encouraged others to make use of old fabric to make gifts for the festive period and other occasions of celebration

Mrs Riddington explained sewing classes were often available all around the country and it could be easy to learn.

"I think it can be a very straight forward process and it's just taking it slowly and enjoying it," she said.

"I never see the point in complicating anything at all, because it's the fabric and style that are going to look good, not all the very complicated things that you could do with it."

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