About BillyNowMakes

What began as a way to switch off has become something far more meaningful.

After many years away from making, I returned to sewing in 2019 as a way to step back from the demands of a full-time career. In 2021, following a diagnosis of ME/CFS, life shifted in ways I could never have anticipated. By late 2022, I stepped away from my career — and what had started as a hobby became a form of therapy, a way to create, to pace, and to rebuild.

Each piece I make is made with intention. Not just as a product, but as part of a slower, more considered way of living and working

Thoughtful Materials, Purposeful Design

I work primarily with deadstock fabrics — materials left over from designer collections that would otherwise go to waste. By giving these materials a second life, each piece becomes part of a more responsible approach to making.

Alongside this, I use natural cork sourced directly from Portugal, where it is carefully harvested without harming the trees. It is a material I value for both its performance and its environmental integrity.

Where possible, I choose to support small UK suppliers, valuing craftsmanship, quality, and connection throughout the process.

Designed with Intention

Every piece I create is something I genuinely want to make — whether it’s a design I love or a new technique I want to explore. There is no mass production, no excess — only considered design, made at a pace that reflects both the process and the person behind it.

The name Billy Now Makes comes from a long-standing nickname given to me by a close friend — a reminder not to take things too seriously, even while doing something meaningful.

A Different Approach to Making

This is not fast fashion.

It is about creating high quality pieces.

About working with what already exists.

About designing with care, intention, and longevity in mind.

Each bag reflects that journey — of adaptation, creativity, and a quieter kind of resilience.