Founder of the country’s hippest W.I branch – The Shoreditch Sisters, craft columnist for Company magazine and charity supporter Jazz Domino Holly has achieved a lot over the the last few years. She is a published author of a ‘Do It Yourself’ book the Queen of Crafts : The Modern Girls’ Guide to Knitting, Sewing, Quilting, Baking, Preserving & Kitchen Gardening and regularly holds events at which women get together to create and reinvent old objects.
Jazz is also the daughter of the rock’n’roll legend Joe Strummer, and is involved in the running of Strummerville, a charity supporting young musicians. This August she’ll be organising a big handmade hangout DIY tent at the upcoming Strummerville festival, Strummer Of Love.
One word that describes you?
Crafty! – In more ways than one.
In your own words, what do you do?
I’m a writer and a maker. I’ve written a book on DIY called ‘Queen of Crafts: The modern Girls Guide to Knitting, Sewing, Quilting, Baking, Preserving and Kitchen Gardening’, which was published by Fig Tree, Penguin in 2011. I also write a monthly craft column for Company magazine called ‘Mistress of Stitch’. But I’d say I’m also an ideas person – As the founder of the Shoreditch Sisters W.I., I like to make things happen DIY style!
Who is your greatest influence in your career/life and why?
I know it sounds contrived but its gotta be my family and friends – the people that inspire and support me on a daily basis are the ones that matter the most.
Which is your favourite part of your job?
Without a doubt it’s working for myself. Being in control of my time and ultimately how it is spent.
Which is the part that you enjoy the least?
Decision making and not always having someone around to bounce ideas off, self doubt is a terrible thing and can really get in the way of the creative process.
What is your greatest achievement?
Well writing my book was a massive achievement but I’m also extremely proud of my work with the WI – helping to reinvent the organisation for a whole new generation of women feels like I’ve been part of something much larger than myself.
What was your Plan B?
Never give up. You don’t need a plan B.
What is your most prized possession?
I don’t really prize possessions – things come and go.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I’ve ever been given is to go through life with guts and determination and to not be afraid of making mistake as you always learn from them in the end!
Please complete the sentence… I could not live without…..
My family and friends, oh and I’m rather sweet on my dog these days too!
Favourite place to be in the world?
Home, wherever that may be at the time. I’m a real homebody at heart and so whenever I go travelling I always long for that homecoming moment.
What is your personal luxury?
I spend far too much money on gadgets, be it time-saving kitchen kit or sewing aids and notions like pom-pom makers and cake decorating equipment. I can rarely walk past a haberdashery shop without buying something, be it a button or a spool of thread.
What steps do you take to make your life more positive?
Cultivate self-belief. This will get you everywhere in life, so the more you believe in yourself and what you do the happier you will be.