Featured Fan Artist: Helen Heasman

It's been a while since we did a fan artist feature, but good things come to those who wait. And boy do we have a treat for you!

Helen is a well known and loved, very friendly face in The Skinner Brothers family group. She also happens to be an absolute wizard with a crochet hook. I was in awe when I first came across her work - she creates many delightful works of art, from adorable dragons and hedgehogs, to beautifully crafted items of clothing.

Many of you will have seen the video for Bitch Lets Ride. What some of you may not know, is that it was Helen who put in a herculean effort to create the crocheted replica of Zac that features in the video. If only she were able to crochet in her sleep and produce lots of them, I'd be first in the queue to buy one!

So without further ado, here's our Q and A session with the lovely, kind and creative soul that is Helen Heasman.

Q: When did you start doing crochet and what (or who) inspired you to start?

A:  I started crocheting 8 years ago when my body stopped doing its thing (working). I have been diagnosed with Lyme disease which I caught 50 years ago, EDS, hypermobility syndrome, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and numerous other rubbish I can't be bothered to write.

I also had to have my mother in law live with us as she was suffering with alcohol induced dementia, She stayed at home with me for 8 years until she died in her own bed with me next to her.

I had crocheted many years before but had completely forgotten how. I found videos on YouTube and there has been no going back. I now have a very good business and can't keep up with orders since starting Instagram!

Q: You made a wonderful crocheted doll of Zac, which I think blew us all away, Zac included! How difficult was this to do? I presume it involved making your own pattern?

A: The doll I made for Zachary took me over 100 hours to make as I'm so picky and did all the embroidery on it as well. That union jack took 3 days!

It was most definitely my own pattern. I do use occasional patterns but not often, as the work I do, and the Zachary doll, was a one off. I don't sell my dolls for that reason and selling a doll that looks like someone would be a bit weird! A bit like a voodoo doll!

Q: Your Zac doll was featured in the video for Bitch Lets Ride. How did it feel to have your work take centre stage in a video of a band you love?

A: It was lovely for Zachary to put my doll in his video. I just loved the killing of Barbie at the end, it did make me laugh, haha!

To be honest I made that doll just as a gift for Zach, as he's a sweetheart and sometimes needs a nudge from others for him to see it. I try to only be about spreading love and that's why I made the doll.

Q: Crochet is such a varied craft, what are your favourite things to create?

A: My favourite crochet things to make? Well that's a question! I can't give you a favourite thing, as if you've seen my Instagram page you will know that I don't stick to one thing.

The most complicated thing I've done is a jacket made in lace, using silk, that I designed from a blanket pattern made by one of my favourite designers, Janie Crow. I got to meet her this weekend and she even tried my jacket on and didn't want to give it me back, haha! She's a bit of a hero in the crochet world and I was a little awestruck.

Mind you I also had so many recognise me and ask for photos it was quite funny, as to them I'm a queen of Instagram.

My miniature work is also something I'm very proud of and my pebble world designs I've never seen anywhere else. Let's just say I'm passionate about everything I do!

Q: Where is your cosy place? The place you feel most at ease when creating?

A: My favourite place to create is my own craft room. But I wander around the house all day following the sunlight, as my tiny work needs very bright light for me to see it.

In the mornings I have a chair in my bedroom to sit by the window, and the afternoons are in my craft room (or Helen's hovel as my Mark calls it). I have yarn on shelves up to the ceiling so that I have any at hand I need.

My piano is also in there. I had to stop playing classical guitar as I can no longer hold it without lots of pain. I was so sad after 2 years of not playing, that I bought a wonderful keyboard that's weighted, so it feels like playing a real piano, and decided to teach myself. I'm not brilliant but it is something that eases the madness in my mind.

So my craft room is also my music room.

Q: Is crochet an easy skill to learn? What would your advice be to somebody who wants to pick it up?

A: Crochet really is a wonderful pastime and I learnt from YouTube videos. It was easily learnt and would really help anyone if they wanted to try. 

Q: I know you do various other crafts, besides crochet. What are your favourites, and is there another craft (or art) that you'd like to get into, but haven't yet?

A: Other crafts I love are embroidery and all nature crafts. I love nothing more than creating things to gift from the natural world and am always on the look out for leaves, flowers etc. I press all my own flowers and make cards with them that I put in every order.

I recycle whenever I can. I've just found a way of preserving autumn leaves and can now hopefully make some material with them, which has me very excited.  

I'm full swing into sock making at the moment which is knitting. I do secret parcels that I sell each year, with all the different crafts I do, and this year one of the gifts is a pair of socks. I've still got 7 more pairs to do in 9 weeks as well as all the other things!

Making my own junk journals is another passion and I'm in the process of making family ones. All our important moments will go in them and then they're stored in an antique chest, with a message inside to our son, "you can chuck out anything else apart from this chest. Do that and I'm coming back to haunt you". Haha!

There are so many crafts I want to do. I'm desperate to try stumpwork which is a version of embroidery, material making from nature, so many crochet things I want to make. Let's say I'm never bored! In fact there are not enough hours in the day for me as I honestly wake up every day just wanting to crack on with crafting. I can't quite believe that I make a good living doing it, but I do. 

I have always played at some form of craft as years ago I realised if I kept my mind as busy as possible, the dark thoughts could be pushed back into the little boxes. The madness came from a childhood of abuse after my mother left me when I was six, with a man who was not my father. The next 6 years until she took me back were hell. The fibromyalgia definitely kicked in from that. When I was 21 I had a complete breakdown. It took me years and a degree in child psychology to get me to where I am today.

People often ask me how I manage to be as happy as I am? I tell them that I've seen the darkest in life which honestly makes the light seem oh so much brighter. I tell them to keep their minds busy. As I craft I listen to audio books and only positive stuff. I truly believe that we are all part of the whole and death is just a transference of energy. So I don't fear it.

Life is about making the most of everything, learning from the bad and spreading the good. My mother didn't say much I stick by, but " life's a bitch and then you die, so make the most of the good bits" is definitely my mantra.

There's always something good each day, even if it's seeing a flower pop out or collecting a beautiful fallen leaf.

Q: Anything else you'd like to add for the readers?

A: I found the wonderful Skinner Brothers over a year ago and absolutely loved them in concert last year. All thanks to Ren.

My hubby loves their music and is coming with me in November to see them. This is not an easy thing getting Mark out and about as he's a bit of a hermit, haha!

So if you're at the Hare and Hounds in Birmingham, come and say hi!

I'm very friendly and will be hard to miss. I've got long grey hair, a big smile and I'll be in my wheelchair, so you will probably trip over me anyway!

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Helen! I've been patiently waiting to do this with you for a while now, and it definitely didn't disappoint! All being well, I'll see you at the Hare and Hounds for the Birmingham gig. Can't wait!

I think you'll all agree that everything Helen creates is fantastic and often utterly adorable, too!

I urge everyone to check out Helen's Instagram profile - she's so very talented, and I'd completely agree with the Instagram Queen moniker! Her account is never boring, but always heart warming, much like the lady herself.