A TV presenter who has gone on to create a huge international crafting business says the move has changed her life.

Rachel Pierman (53), who lives in Spalding with her husband and daughter, spent many years brushing shoulders with celebrities and was a regular face on ITV,Channel 4 and Sky before jumping into the TV shopping world.

“I had been working at Ideal World for a while when a presenter on the Create and Craft channel was sick so I presented a show,” Rachel explained.

“But it was a natural fit and the audience really liked me – so I stayed there for three years.

“This was great because I obviously had a good idea of crafting and the fun you can have with it.”

Crafty Monkies set out to hold ‘luxury retreats’ for crafters to meet together and learn in the surroundings of a nice hotel.

However, lessons had to move online just weeks after the first retreat in February 2020 when covid struck.

When I first started, people suggested I hold events in church halls but people in this world still want luxury. Why not give them lovely food and surroundings? That’s what I thought about when I set this up.

“It all started during covid. I had launched the luxury retreats in February 2020 with six more planned – but I honestly thought I’d have to close the business when the pandemic struck.

“However, we worked out a way through using Zoom that we could use two screens to record lessons for Instagram and then we began the classes. We were one of the first to do this online.

“From there it just took off – we were selling out 45 place lessons in two hours.

“I think with covid, everyone was stuck so it just grew and grew. We started offering different type of classes and then people from America started finding us too.

“That’s when I reached out to American teachers I knew, including Zak Foster who created A$AP Rocky’s quilt which he wore at the Met Gala in 2021, and we still have people joining us from all over the world.

“The lessons really are amazing – they’re full of people talking, laughing and learning about each other’s lives which we all really enjoy. It’s been a joy and it has completely changed my life.

“When things went back to normal after covid, we carried it on and we’ve started the retreats again.

“We’re reaching an international audience with the retreats too – people are coming from the south of France and America – and it’s three days of sewing, quilting, eating and trunk shows where people display what they have made.“

The popularity of BBC show The Great British Sewing Bee, which returned to our screens recently has brought a new audience to sewing and crafting.

With this in mind, Rachel, who admits she isn’t a quilter herself, has organised another retreat at Rutland Hall Hotel in September, where there will also be a one day dress making workshop with Gary Mills.

“Thanks to the Sewing Bee a lot of people have found a love of dress making,” she explained.

“It’s a fascinating world. People assume the quilting and sewing world is just for 80 year olds but it’s not at all – it’s for all sorts of people. I want to open it up to other people and create this welcoming and warm community.

“A lot of people see it as a salvation.

“Half of our audience is in America which I find really interesting.

“I can be in a class with someone while I’m sitting in Spalding and they’re showing me The Hamptons outside their window.

“It’s incredible really.”

Find out more by visiting www.craftymonkies.com/2023-one-day-live-in-person-workshops

– If you have a story email kat.wakefield@iliffepublishing.co.uk