Nicole Mallalieu has been sewing obsessively since the age of three. She graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1989 with a degree in fashion, and has worked in Australia, England, and Ireland as a designer, pattern maker, and product developer in the commercial fashion and accessories industries, as well as making clothing, hats, bags, and furnishings for exhibitions, commissions, and the boutique craft market. Since returning to Australia in 2002, Nicole has designed and manufactured YOU SEW GIRL sewing patterns in conjunction with teaching courses and workshops in pattern making, sewing, and bag making. She teaches design, pattern making, and garment construction at Torrens University/Billy Blue College of Design in Melbourne.