They say sewing is a dying art, but one woman is turning skills she learned as a child into a new business.

Anne-Marie Gill has opened her first shop on Newtown Road, in Carlisle, selling memory blankets, cushions and bears.

Anne-Marie, 50, said: “I’ve always been into sewing - since I was about eight or nine. It’s a dying art now which is a real shame as there is so much enjoyment in it.

“My granddaughter is amazed at how I can make things. She has started to take an interest.”

The idea for the business came after Anne-Marie made a couple of cushions and bears following the death of a relative’s sister.

She used the woman's clothes, allowing her relatives to have a lasting memory of their loved one.

She said: “I thought it would be nice to make a cushion rather than having the clothes just sitting in a drawer where no-one gets to see them.

“It’s a good form of recycling.”

Examples on Anne-Marie’s Facebook page include a cushion made of men’s ties and another made of a men’s polo shirt.

She is also just starting to make fidget blankets that are ideal for people with dementia.

She said: “They are popular with people who suffer from dementia because they have zips, pockets and buttons and it keeps their hands and minds active.

"They are made of fur or fleece.”

Anne-Marie, who has in the past worked as a support worker and a hotel supervisor, said: “I got the keys to my first shop last week. I decorated then moved all my sewing machines in.

"It’s great to get my own premises.”

Anne-Marie, who lives close to her new shop on Ruthella Street, says a lot of her business is online and last week she received her first overseas order when she made some cushions for someone in Australia.

She said: “It’s so nice when you see the reaction of some people.

“People can feel free to pop in and discuss ideas. I can also post items out.”

For more information visit the Facebook page - Anne-Marie's home sewing. Bespoke and patchwork Carlisle based.