Meet The Wise Old Owl

My name is Clare Campbell and I run The Wise Old Owl.  Based in Edinburgh, I can be found most days working away at our dining table, looking out over the garden.  It’s a great view and I can see the birds at their feeder, people making their way up the street and, out over the rooftops, I can get a view of the Pentland Hills in the distance  

The Wise Old Owl – TWOO – was born out of a visit to my sister in the autumn of 2018.   I’d been playing around with different crafts earlier that year.  A little drawing, painting, papercraft, and some hand sewing.  I had discovered felt craft, making little ornaments and decorations from felt wool. And, as a gift for my sister, I made her a felt garland depicting her address with a postbox, a sheep, an owl, and a apple tree. It was rustic, to say the least!  But it was made with love and I really enjoyed the process of creating. 

I then spent the next few months designing and creating a Christmas wreath, an Easter garland, some felt heart ornaments, and strings of bunting. 

Then, in the summer of 2019 I came by a sewing machine. My husband’s grandmother’s old Toyota. I’ve no idea how old the machine is, the instruction manual was not to be found, but I got her up and running and started teaching myself how to machine sew. A pin cushion to start with, followed by a pot holder and then a cafetiere cover.

I fell in love with sewing, with fabric and prints, with bright colours and contrast threads. I began to adapt patterns, to understand how pieces came together. I would spend hours dreaming about what to make. I also spent hours in the fabric shops browsing over materials, ribbons and trims. 

It was, and has continued to be, a complete passion of mine. And so, I now share my small collection on The British Craft House.  My collection is always growing, taking inspiration from the seasons, and commissions from clients. 

I hope that you’ll find something that you like in my shop The Wise Old Owl