Sew far, sew good

VAL BURKE”S gift for needlecraft was evident from the moment she was old enough to thread a needle.

In fact, she was still at primary school when she started creating simple outfits for her younger sister.

 This talent, nurtured by her maternal grandmother, didn”t go unnoticed as friends gradually got married. Requests came in for wedding dresses and many a stylish bride walked down the aisle wearing a gown designed and made by Val.

It was after Val and her husband, Mark, left the family farm in Hampshire and moved with their children to a 67ha (165-acre) National Trust arable and sheep holding in Pembrokeshire that her sewing took a new direction, driven by the county”s close links with southern Ireland.

This Welsh county shared a common bond for traditions and heritage. Irish dancing, characterised by elaborate costumes decorated with Celtic-inspired embroidery and appliqu, was gaining a cult following in Pembrokeshire.

Val”s daughter, Tessa, joined an established and successful Irish dancing group in Pembrokeshire and her first costume took centre stage when she made her competition debut.

“It took me six weeks to make because all the embroidery had to be done by hand. Everybody loved it and soon other parents were asking me to make their children”s costumes,” she recalls.

 To produce these outfits more efficiently, Val invested in a second-hand machine specifically designed for embroidering.

 “I can now run up an outfit in 48 hours, but that doesn”t take into account the time I need for taking measurements, preparing the design and finding the right materials.”

 trauma

 For some time after she moved to Wales, Val”s needlework was a hobby which took second place to her job at a local estate agency. Everything changed dramatically when a colleague was violently attacked while Val was trapped helplessly in the office. Val was left deeply traumatised and unable to work in an office environment.

Her needlework was to be her salvation. She absorbed herself in it and the orders for Irish dance costumes kept coming in.

Skeins of embroidery silks, multi-coloured fabrics and glittering sequins now adorn her spare bedroom at Craig-y-Borion Farm, Llanteg.

This room is her makeshift studio while she negotiates with her landlord to rent a neighbouring workshop. “There are too many distractions at home and Mark moans about the sequins and bits of material littering the house,” she says.

The sequins add sparkle to each unique outfit. Some of her clients have very specific ideas about colour and decoration while others ask Val to interpret her own ideas.

Celtic symbolism is a central theme running through each design. Many feature interpretations of the harp or the Claddagh, the so-called “hands of friendship” symbol, and Celtic knot work.

Val has albums crammed with photographs of dancers wearing the costumes she has created. To pick a favourite among so many would be a challenge but she admits the vibrant orange and silver dress Tessa now wears for competitions is at the top of that list.

Tessa is an excellent dancer and has won many competitions. This in itself draws attention to Val”s designs. “When my daughter is up there wearing a dress I have made it is quite something, it certainly helps,” Val says.

deal

Tessa, 15, has been quick to notice this and is negotiating a deal with her mother. “I have told her that she has got to make me a new dress every year, it will be good advertising for her business and having a nice dress makes me dance better!” she jokes.

 Val”s needlecraft has developed tremendously since her maternal grandmother taught her to sew. Her next move will be to invest in a computerised sewing machine to give her the ability to make the championship-standard costumes worn by the world”s best dancers.

 “When a dancer gets to championship standard, the outfit becomes more intricate and expensive,” she explains. “My dresses are fairly elaborate but are done on a low cost basis to suit the 200-250 price bracket which parents want to spend. When the children get to championship standard, particularly in Ireland and America where Irish dancing has a huge following, parents will pay upwards of £1000.”

Another favourite pastime for the Irish, horse-racing, could also be an outlet for Val”s work. Again, it is one of her children in charge of promotion. “My son, Francis, works for a National Hunt trainer and I make all the silks for his hats. I also embroidered an exercise blanket for him,” she says.

Could this mean another deal is about to be struck in the Burke household?