Meet the Maker - Miranda Griffith
Miranda Griffith is a sewer, knitter, crocheter and contributor for Love Sewing Magazine. You may recognise her from the Chunky hat workshop that she taught for Beyond K&S. Going by the name of @mirry_maker, Miranda posts plenty of inspiration and patterns on Instagram.
Read on to find out more about Miranda, her inspiration, upcoming projects and more!
Hi Miranda, thanks so much for taking part in our Meet the Maker interview. Please can you introduce yourself to our Knitters and Stitchers?
Miranda: Hi, I’m Miranda, a self taught sewing and knitting fanatic from the Midlands. I’ve been sewing for 5 years now and knitting for almost 3 years. I have 3 children and a partner who I rarely make things for but they do get the odd knitted hat during the winter. I use my making as a form of meditation and I like nothing more than to get lost in a few seams or a few rows of knitting. I’m incredibly passionate about sharing my love of craft and I hope to inspire others in the process.
What do you make?
Miranda: I make mostly garments. I am in the process of making a complete handmade wardrobe. I’d say I’m about 80% there. I’ve made coats, trousers, dresses, shirts, t-shirts and pyjamas but I’m yet to make underwear.
How did you get interested/started in your creative field?
Miranda: I’ve always had an interest in clothes and in 2015, whilst on maternity leave, I began watching sewing vlogs and became quite hooked on “sew and tell” videos. After acknowledging that sewing was something I wanted to try, I received a second-hand sewing machine and began to tutor myself with the help of YouTube and sewing blogs. I still consider myself a student as there is always something to learn when making. I was originally taught to knit whilst at Brownies at the age of 10. I took up my needles a few times in my teens, early 20’s and 30’s, but I’ve only considered myself a serious knitter since 2018.
What’s the story behind your name?
Miranda: Mirry is what my friends call me and was a part of my Instagram handle before my account focused on crafting. When I began to document my sewing I added Maker to the end because I really couldn’t think of anything more fitting.
What/ who inspires you?
Miranda: The majority of my inspiration comes from the online sewing and knitting community. For me, seeing other makers create beautifully sewn or knitted projects always gives me a boost and encourages me to make something. I also use Pinterest and Instagram as my go-to place to find inspiration for my next sewing projects.
A completed hand knit sock.
What’s your creative process/ routine? How often are you making?
Miranda: As a mum of 3, I have to snatch my crafting sessions on my days off during school hours and at night when everyone is asleep. I work part time so I’m blessed to have a few days to get crafty. Sometimes, I knit and sew in almost equal measure, with sewing in the morning and knitting at night and vice versa. Sometimes I can do weeks of pure knitting and not much sewing or the other way around, I tend to just go with the flow of my creative mood.
What is your workspace/studio like?
Miranda: I don’t have a dedicated sewing room yet but I do love my little sewing corner under the stairs. I have a table from Ikea in that space and this is where my sewing machine and Cricut Maker live. I also have peg boards along the wall to hang all of my scissors, rotary blades, tape measures and rulers.
Creative tool you couldn’t live without?
Miranda: My seam gauge. I didn’t realise how much I used it until it went missing for a week and I found my quilting ruler not as easy to use.
Do you listen to anything whilst you’re working?
Miranda: I love old school Hip Hop (I’m a 90’s girl) and you can often catch me listening to mixes on YouTube whilst sewing. However when I’m knitting, I often like to knit quietly occasionally with softer music but most often in silence.
Handmade knitting project bag customised with the Cricut Maker.
What is your next project?
Miranda: I am planning my first zero waste dress and I have a lot of unfinished knitting that needs my attention before I cast on any more projects.
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
Miranda: I want to add jeans and bras to my me made wardrobe this year. I would also love to share my passion for knitting and sewing with some more written features and teaching.
What have been your biggest challenges/achievements, or your favourite story so far?
Miranda: I have been very fortunate so far in my craft journey and I have been asked to be involved in a number of cool things including writing features in craft magazines and being a brand ambassador for Minerva and Cricut. My biggest achievement so far was having the opportunity to teach at Beyond the Knitting and Stitching show. I shared a basic hat knitting workshop via zoom which was a lot of fun to do . Nerve wracking but extremely fun.
What are your three top tips for crafters and makers…
Miranda:
- Be yourself – Its easy to compare yourself and your work to others but don’t. Everyone has their own creative journey.
- Make what makes you happy – Trends come and go but creativity lasts so make the things that resonate with you most, not what is trending.
- Have fun while you make – Be easy with yourself and celebrate the wins as well as the fails (because you never really fail, you just learn something new.
Read Miranda’s blog for more knitting, sewing and dressmaking inspiration:
Website: www.mirrymaker.com
Instagram @mirry_maker
Miranda wearing a hand knit cardiganan.