Joy from Pink Coat Club talks inspiration, progression and her favourite Brother machines

Hello! I’m so excited to join the Brother blogging team and thought I’d start with an introductory post. My name’s Joy and I live in Cambridgeshire with my boyfriend and cat. I design and sell sewing-themed gifts and accessories through my online business, Pink Coat Club, and work part-time in a fabric shop. I spend most of my spare time sewing, but I also love country walks, visiting National Trust properties and afternoon tea. I guess you could say I’m old before my time! 

I got my first sewing machine – a Brother XL2620 - for Christmas in 2010 as my mum was fed up of me sending her my clothes to fix. She’s a fantastic seamstress so I assumed that sewing would come naturally to me and I’d be making my own swishy 50s style dresses in no time! As you can imagine, that didn’t happen and I mostly used it for alterations and fancy-dress costumes for a few years. It was only in 2016, when I discovered Tilly and the Buttons’ patterns and the online sewing community that sewing truly got a hold of me.

My abiding memory of textiles class at school was getting in a frightful muddle with a bobbin case so I was thrilled that the XL2620 was so easy to thread and had a drop-in bobbin. When I came to upgrade my machine in 2017, I knew I wanted another Brother. I had a budget of £200 and wanted something a bit sturdier, preferably with a one-step buttonhole and a speed dial. I opted for the FS40 which delivered on all of the above and more! One of my favourite features was the overcasting stitch and foot. I don’t currently have the space for an overlocker and this provided an amazing substitute. 

My FS40 served me incredibly well over the last few years but I was keen to tackle some more complicated projects such as jeans, and knew that a higher spec machine would make my life a little easier. I was absolutely thrilled when Brother approached me to try out their new Innov-is A60 Special Edition. 

I’ve been using the A60 for a couple of weeks now and can already really feel the difference. She runs so smoothly and quietly and tackles multiple layers of fabric with no effort! I haven’t had a chance to try out all of her bells and whistles yet, but I’m really looking forward to doing so. One of my favourite features is the wheel for changing stitch settings – a pleasing nod to my original machine!

I’m so pleased to be a part of the Brother blog and can’t wait to share more of my sewing projects with you. In the meantime, please check out my blog and follow me on Instagram!