The owner of a Chichester boutique | Vicky Meets

What is Jewell in the Vale? It is about sustainability and creativity. I buy second-hand clothes and print my own lino cuts on them. I am inspired by nature, but also definitely humour! I also run lino printing workshops.

What is your professional background? I used to work for a high-end interior design company where I learnt to paint and guild furniture. I left at the start of lockdown and started upcycling furniture, which I still love to do. But I had never seen anyone upcycling clothes in the way that I do with lino prints.

I can sew soft furnishings, but I haven’t mastered sewing clothes yet – I would love to be able to make do and mend by repairing or tailoring and would love to learn! For now, I can customise clothing with a print. It gives a piece new life and it saves putting perfectly good clothes into landfill, and each piece is unique!

We should all be looking to wear more sustainable fashion, right? Yes, we really should. I have to stop myself watching YouTube videos of all the piles and piles of clothing just dumped in deserts; all these clothes that won’t go anywhere for thousands and thousands of years.

And then you have all the little micro beads from man-made clothing that end up in the sea being eaten by fish that we then eat. It’s just not good and fast fashion needs to end. Fast fashion also means that everyone looks the same – there is no individuality, and who wants that?!

Is there a growing market for sustainable clothing now? Yes, which is great, but if people do buy new they should think carefully about what they buy. Some brands that claim to be sustainable aren’t always as green as they say they are. Marketing can be very clever, so really do check before you buy.

How else can we live more sustainably? I would love to see more upcycled and sustainable living. I make and sell cushions from offcuts, also old walking sticks that I have gold-leafed. I sell leather journals made by jackdaw bindery which have been made using the offcuts from car upholstery. So waste can be minimised in lots of ways.

Even if you’re not crafty, there are always ways to reuse or upcycle everyday objects. With old T-shirts where the print hasn’t quite gone right, I chop them up and use them as cleaning cloths.

What’s next for Jewell in the Vale? I’d love to link with a tailor – someone who could do ‘make do and mend’ alongside me so we can create many beautiful and whacky pieces! If there is anyone thinks that maybe that’s them, please get in touch!

Where can we find more information? At my website or shop jewellinthevale.com; jewell-in-the-vale.sumupstore.com I’m also on I’m on Facebook and Instagram. Or pop in to Draper’s Yard in The Hornet and say hello! I am open from 11am to 4pm Wednesday to Saturday.

See also: A Chichester pub landlady trekking 100km in the Sahara Desert | Vicky Meets