Menopause Makes: Meet Yorkshire quilters Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh who are empowering women through sewing

Fifteen years later, Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh are globe-trotting quilters, makers and dressmaking teachers – and they’re sharing their craft expertise with people all over the world.

These days the toddlers are teens and the pair have graduated from kitchen table to home studio, a dedicated project space in the garden of Jenni’s home in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

It’s been newly-decorated a deep, rich green and pride of place on one of the shelves is the women’s latest masterpiece.

It’s not a piece of textile work, however. It’s a book that the pair have proudly authored and it features a selection of makes that they hope will empower women.

For Jenni and Kay, Menopause Makes is about bringing “colour and creativity” to the lives of women experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

It’s focused on building people’s skills and confidence in sewing, they say, and on making projects that can positively impact both mood and day-to-day life.

“We’re absolutely at that stage of life where perimenopause and menopause is a big thing,” says 53-year-old Kay. “And we realised we were having conversations about menopause all the time.”

“Some of the work we were doing, the projects we were making, and our lives and conversations were very much engulfed in our experiences,” Jenni, 48, chips in.

“We love to get people sewing in any shape or form...We felt like this could be a real segue for people to take that leap of faith. We know (stitching) helps for all kinds of reasons.

"We thought if we make it accessible, make exciting projects, and build people’s skills then we feel genuinely like this could help people.”

The book has been designed to support women through their menopause journey, with spotlights celebrating various female designers and an introductory chapter about the menopause and the benefits of crafting on wellbeing.

It features ten beginner-friendly sewing designs with step-by-step instructions. There’s cool-down cover-ups for hot flushes, for example, as well as sleep masks designed to help with insomnia and relaxation blankets for moments of anxiety.

“Menopause is a real thing and it’s important people have knowledge about what it is,” Kay says.

“We wanted to link everything to a symptom and talk about that symptom, how it might affect a woman and how they might be feeling. And then (explore) how the project can give some benefits, either from how you’re making it or what it is you’ve made.”

For the women, building a sewing community around Menopause Makes is also key, whether that’s online, in-person or, most likely, a combination of the two.

They hope that the makes are a mindful experience and that women develop a sense of pride and positivity in being creative.

“You make unlikely friendships in sewing,” Jenni says. “I think a lot more people sew, dressmake and quilt than you might think. We have made a lot of friends and people who we wouldn’t ordinarily meet through different circumstances.

"The more you can hear and puzzle through things with other people who aren’t the same as you is exciting, enriching and also really helpful.

"The craft arena is a nice space to be in, a safe space to talk about your worries and work through how you’re feeling.”

Jenni and Kay bonded over sewing when they first met about 15 years ago at an adult tap-dancing class. Rochdale-born Kay had not long moved to Ilkley after more than a decade working in various jobs in London.

“I wasn’t working then whilst my kids were little and me and another friend had done a few courses of curtain making, a tiny bit of dress making, and I thought I’d quite like to have a go at some sewing.”

That’s where Jenni came in. “We got talking and Jenni had been sewing for a long time.”

It all began for her as a child, when she was growing up in Cowling, in the Craven district of North Yorkshire.

Jenni’s grandfather ran a business making trailer tents for caravans and her mother and grandmother were involved in the upholstery side.

“At one point there was a sewing room attached to our house,” she recalls. “I used to cut up clothes from the dressing up box and refashion them...We always made things.”

After work experience with Jeff Banks design studio and the Warehouse buying office, textiles took a back seat when Jenni embarked on a career in the television industry, making documentaries.

It came to the fore again when she accompanied her husband on a year-long sabbatical in Toronto nearing 20 years ago.

"I went into a quilt shop and they taught me how to quilt. That’s definitely when it came back into my life.”

Back in Yorkshire, she set up sewing classes in Ilkley. "When I came back from Canada, I was on a mission,” she laughs. “I was grabbing anyone I could and asking if they wanted to learn to sew.”

It wasn’t long before Jenni started teaching Kay – and as their friendship grew, so too did their love of stitching.

In 2016, they began working together more formally, leading community projects and workshops and launching their own patterns.

In 2020, they created the bestselling Quilting with Liberty Fabrics book, and today, the duo teach both online and in-person and travel the globe producing textile workshops for Quiltfolk magazine.

Most days are spent in each other’s company, processing life’s ups and downs, whilst their hands are busy making.

“Our hope is to extend the support we’ve felt to other women, and make manageable projects that inspire pride and positivity,” they say.

“We truly believe the magic of sewing is that it really can help you slow down enough to at least acknowledge the present moment and then plan how to take your next step forward – one stitch at a time.”

Menopause Makes: Empowering Sewing Projects to Relax Your Mind, Cool Your Body and Ignite Your Creativity, by Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh, is out now.