About Us

Hello there,

I am Amanda Rickard, the self-confessed Home Economics addict, owner, dreamer & manifestor of Stir & Stitch; the unique and inspiring 'back-to-basics' business located in the beautiful seaside town of Yeppoon on the Central Coast of Queensland. My passions are building community, life-long learning, teaching, back-to-basics living and relishing the slow things in life.

In March 2020 I decided to pursue my dream of opening my own home economics 'school' for all ages and abilities and took the opportunity of 'time' (thankfully a positive outcome of the pandemic) to set about planning, learning and finding the perfect place for this one-of-a-kind project. With the help of my husband Jai and my very patient and supportive friends and family, we opened the gate to our magical place exactly one year later.

Stir & Stitch has evolved, changed and grown over this time. As planned, the business opened as a 'back-to-basics cooking and sewing 'school', and has now grown to be so much more. Our community is growing beautifully with the addition of Yeppoon's only teahouse and BYO project Makers Mornings; we host networking events, cater for private parties and collaborate with other creatives to inspire our town with various opportunities to learn new skills.

Since moving to Yeppoon in 2011, I have been lucky enough to work in different roles at various primary and secondary schools in Yeppoon and Rockhampton. My roles included teacher-aide, special education, administration, pre-service Home Economics and Business teacher, Farnborough State Schools award-winning tuckshop lady and Kitchen Specialist in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program for several years. All these experiences have lead to me opening Stir & Stitch, with confidence in my knowledge and abilities.

My team and I would love to see you for a class or cup of tea soon!

Love Amanda x