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 and of Stitch 50 Dogs, Stitch 50 Cats and Stitch 50 Birds published by David & Charles. She lives in Liverpool, UK.