AFTER years of living away from her Fermanagh home, designer and mum-of-one Leanna Kirkup has returned and found a new business opportunity.

Spending lockdown at her home in Lisbellaw, Leanna decided to brush off her sewing machine and use her sewing skills to make face masks.

"I started making them for myself and my family and then for loads of people – friends, and friends of friends.

"I thought then, 'Maybe I could start selling these'," said Leanna.

With her recently rekindled love of sewing, Leanna decided to start designing and making some other products, taking inspiration from her one-year-old daughter, Mia.

"I always wanted to make clothes for my children so I started making some bibs and bonnets and making them for Mia, and now I’ve just launched my business, Mammy Mia," Leanna told The Impartial Reporter, adding: "Mia has inspired me to make the business, so it’s nice to see her wearing my designs; it gives me such pride and joy.

"I’m hoping to further that into making things that we can both wear together so we can match each other."

Leanna's passion and skill for design was developed during her time spent studying in England.

After finishing school in Fermanagh, she attended the University of the Arts in London, where she completed a Foundation Art degree, specialising in Theatre and Screen.

She then went on to study at London College of Fashion.

"I studied 3D Effects for Performance and Fashion. That was more about prop-making and 3D costumes for performance," she said, speaking about her background in design.

"I worked a little bit in the film industry, within prop making, and I’ve also worked on London Fashion Week, for two sustainable designers," Leanna added.

After some time working in the fashion and film industries, Leanna decided to "do her own thing” for a while, and went travelling in Australia before moving back to Northern Ireland, where she had her daughter, Mia.

Having studied and worked as a designer in England for many years, Leanna described moving back home to Northern Ireland as daunting.

She said: "It was daunting to begin with, but now it has gone in my advantage. Without being at home, I maybe never would have started this business for myself.

"Working from home is something I really want to do, so it’s nice to have that and have her [Mia] involved. I want to have her grow up watching me sew, and I can obviously make her clothes and teach her little skills as well," Leanna added.

For her designs, Leanna is influenced by "anything vintage".

She said: "I love trying to source any materials that are pre-loved, but that’s not usually what I work with. Usually, I just use cotton material. I am inspired by vintage things and just something a bit different, something that you can’t find on the high street. I just love anything handmade."

Leanna currently sells her pieces online via her social media sites (see @mammymia_ on Instagram), and her Etsy page, but she hopes to have more opportunities to sell at pop-up shops and fairs.

"I had my first pop-up stall a couple of weeks ago in Enniskillen at Carefree Travel, and I would love to do some more of that," she said.

Although still in the early phases of her new business, Leanna has hopes of expanding her brand in the future: "I’d love to develop my designs, but it’s a one-woman kind of team at the minute.

"It’s just me that does all the sewing and, obviously, I’ve got my daughter – who is a little model and face of the business – so I’d like to further that, but it’s just getting that work-life balance [that I'm currently focusing on]," she told this newspaper.