About me

Hi I’m Libby Richardson, designer at and creator of Artsmart Craft Cottage. My love of designing and crafts started as a very young girl collecting gum nuts and all bits and pieces out and around the gardens of my home in a small country town called Maryborough, Victoria. My favorite memories growing up were sitting around the kitchen table with my wonderful Mum doing all sorts of crafts from fimo clay, Gum nut babies, drawing, paper mache, hobbytex, finger knitting, lace decorating, crochet and pretty much what ever the new craze was, we would give it a go. I even remember door knocking around the neighbourhood and earning a little pocket money selling my creations, the funny things we do as kids.

After leaving my job as a graphic artist to become a stay at home Mum in 1998, I started folkart classes and soon found myself creating my own designs. I then began to write patterns and teaching folkart classes from home. I remember my dream at that time was to have a booth at the Stitches and Craft show held in Melbourne. This soon became a reality and Artsmart Craft Cottage blossomed. At that stage I was only designing folkart patterns and doing a little fabric painting. I was asked from patchwork shops at the show could I convert my patterns into stitcheries and applique designs, never even reading a sewing pattern and not even knowing what a quarter inch foot was I designed a few small projects. I started collecting fabrics where ever I went and that was it, I was addicted, I released my first quilt pattern in 2001, followed by a BOM quilt Teddy’s Garden Treasures. I then designed and released Girls Day Out and from then it has become my full time career.

Over the past 10 years I have also enjoyed traveling to Patchwork shops and retreats around Australia teaching my style of fabric painting.

I have recently moved into a beautiful country property on the south-east fringe of Melbourne, Victoria, which I share with my partner, son and two dogs Gus and Missy. Spending my days at home has given me the time for all of the things I love most – designing and stitching, gardening, renovating, antiquing, painting, up-cycling old furniture.

A big Thank you to everyone that does and has supported me on my journey.

Libby Richardson