Alison Reid is a teacher, textile designer, author and illustrator. She gained a degree in Fashion and Textiles from Liverpool Polytechnic, now known as Sir John Moore’s University during the 1980s. She went on to run her own company selling hand-dyed and hand-stitched braids and has sold to fashion houses such as Marc Jacobs (USA), Etro and Rubelli (Italy) and TakaShimaya (New York).

Alison is also a talented illustrator who likes to illustrate maps and has had her work featured in a variety of magazines including Selvedge. Alison has been featured in articles for a number of publications including Elle Decoration, Homes and Gardens and The World of Interiors. She is the author of Learn to Sew and Stitch Magic, published by Bloomsbury.