I’m Michelle. From my studio on the South Coast of England, within sight of the sea, I spend most of my days running my own little business, called The Fox in the Attic. I share my home with my daughters Penelope and Beatrix, my musician husband, and a very naughty cat called Keats. I am a one woman band. I come up with the ideas, paint the illustrations, design the patterns and photograph my products for promotion and for my website myself. I deal with all customer queries and customer service, I hand-pack all my orders, and my lovely husband is my post-boy! The creative ideas that end up being on my muslins have roughly followed a thematic pattern that began in childhood, from a natural love of everything that was around me growing up in South Africa - flowers,insects, birds, the river, animals…pretty much everything! My products include muslins, prints, cards, zipper bags, tea towels and I am now expanding the business to include custom illustrations. Birth announcements, commisions and wedding stationery.

I’m so happy to be making my life on my own terms as a woman, a small business owner and a mum. The challenges are just as great as the rewards and satisfaction, and as long as it stays that way I know I’ll be happy.