About Dark Star Stitches

Hi, I'm Tom, the maker behind Dark Star Stitches, working out of my studio in Oxford.

I've always been happiest with my hands busy on something. I grew up learning woodwork and furniture making, and for years that was my craft. But when space got tight and the workshop had to go, my wife who'd been sewing for years sat me down at her machine and taught me the basics. That was meant to be a stopgap. It's turned into the thing I do every day.

It actually started with my own shirts. I've always had a weakness for a good patterned shirt, paisley especially, and during a clear-out I couldn't bring myself to get rid of a couple that no longer fit. So instead, I turned them into a book sleeve. That sleeve became the first Second Chapter piece: a range made entirely from pre-loved fabric, old shirts, jeans, and tablecloths, each one carrying a little history before I even get to it. The rest of what I make comes from fabric with its own kind of story too: deadstock, scrap store donations, remnants and finds I couldn't walk past in a shop.

These days that means quilted book and tablet sleeves, bookmarks, A5 and A4 notebook pen pockets, double-sided lanyard pockets, Bouquet bags, baguette bags, and Hat Holder totes, all cut and sewn by me, in small batches.

No factories. No shortcuts. Just careful making, stitch by stitch, from a studio in Oxford, most days with a cup of tea going cold beside the machine.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something that feels like it was made for you.