my Background
I have stitched for as long as I can remember! My journey has been a long one, learning from supportive and talented women who have nurtured my developing talent. I am lucky to have the time to spend working on my skills and developing my practice. Based in Northamptonshire I am fortunate to belong to a number of textile art groups with whom to share the passion. the techniques and the joy of exploring a well trodden medium in the company of other like minded people. Now retired, I have the times to develop my practice.
Without that peer input my practice would be far less developed and I recognise the need to learn from others who offer their experience and ideas to others
The groups I work with have their own online presence linked below
www.allthreadedtogether.com
https://www.art2stitch.com/
From childhood dolls clothes through teenage mini skirt making to serious dressmaking and tailoring I got to my thirties before I understood that I needed to let my creative instincts loose and develop my own textile practice to satisfy my need to work with fabric.
Any success I may have in the field is in part owed to four talented and generous textile tutors from whom I have learned aspects of the art which are now key to my work.
Initially Susie Corke taught me the quilting basics, design and block construction and making any block any size. She taught me to choose fabrics and to hand quilt. The three stitched layers became the major feature of my creative practice from this point on. Everything stitched by hand!
Initially Susie Corke taught me the quilting basics, design and block construction and making any block any size. She taught me to choose fabrics and to hand quilt. The three stitched layers became the major feature of my creative practice from this point on. Everything stitched by hand!
Having learned to follow other people's patterns and conventions I was ready to become a more independent quilt maker, but how? I was lucky to find a day a month course with Bren Boardman who patiently coaxed me to recognise the possibilities and to have the confidence to remove the crutch of a pattern!
Over those first ten day sessions I had mastered some of the simple textile techniques that would take the place of the block. A quilt resulted, 'The Pen is mightier than the Sword'. It does represent a huge shift, new skills and a frre approach, but viewed now, I recognise its limitations and the errors.
Over those first ten day sessions I had mastered some of the simple textile techniques that would take the place of the block. A quilt resulted, 'The Pen is mightier than the Sword'. It does represent a huge shift, new skills and a frre approach, but viewed now, I recognise its limitations and the errors.
Continuing to work with Bren Boardman a group of us committed to another 10 day sessions across the year where we individually defined our own programme for the year with support from Bren.
During this year I conquered my worry about being able to generate my own spark and see it into a variety of design ideas. I was helped by the experience of an amazing trip to Jordan, Petra and the desert which still lives on as a major inspiration for my work. I was now developing my own practice and understanding the rhythms of my creative obsession. The wall hanging which reflects this work is "Petra 2"
I was now committed to working with a sketchbook and recognising the need to sample, sample, sample if I was to get exactly was in my head!
During this year I conquered my worry about being able to generate my own spark and see it into a variety of design ideas. I was helped by the experience of an amazing trip to Jordan, Petra and the desert which still lives on as a major inspiration for my work. I was now developing my own practice and understanding the rhythms of my creative obsession. The wall hanging which reflects this work is "Petra 2"
I was now committed to working with a sketchbook and recognising the need to sample, sample, sample if I was to get exactly was in my head!
It's fascinating that one gets just so far only to realise that one lacks a key skill to develop the work further.
My lack was a complete lack of skill and confidence with Free Machine Quilting and embroidery. It was preventing me from getting the quality of finish on the work surface. Serendipity, threw a huge opportunity my way with Angie Hughes offering a day and month programme for a year. Slowly, bit by bit I learned to master the machine speed and fabric movement and then to be creative about the patterning I created. Looking back, my sketchbook reminds me just how much I was taught over the year. I learned that I did not need to put work in a frame if I backed it with wadding, then I could move in all directions and still keep my fabric flat. A bit of a 'light-bulb' moment!
My lack was a complete lack of skill and confidence with Free Machine Quilting and embroidery. It was preventing me from getting the quality of finish on the work surface. Serendipity, threw a huge opportunity my way with Angie Hughes offering a day and month programme for a year. Slowly, bit by bit I learned to master the machine speed and fabric movement and then to be creative about the patterning I created. Looking back, my sketchbook reminds me just how much I was taught over the year. I learned that I did not need to put work in a frame if I backed it with wadding, then I could move in all directions and still keep my fabric flat. A bit of a 'light-bulb' moment!
Once you begin to master the art of machine quilting, the surface of the quilt seems very uniform and I really felt that I needed to add something in the way of surface decoration. I had recently joined my local branch of The Embroiderers' Guild and through this was introduced to the work of many amazingly talented artists. So I now appreciated that stitch could add to my quilt surface interest but not how!
By luck a fellow member ran an Embroidery education workshop locally and again I signed up for a year to learn basic hand embroidery. My good fortune was that my fellow students were also looking for ideas in this area. It was eye opening considering my experience of embroidery thus far was counted thread cross stitch and printed cloths as a child. With Alyssa I used many thicknesses and types of thread, varied the size of the stitches and over laid stitches all in the same piece. Amazing! I took to it! My practice now has hand stitched surface decoration as a key element of most designs, and I found it could be used to enhance shop bought clothing! |
Once again serendipity dropped another key influence into my practice. I attended a day course on Abstraction with Christine Restall. From a really basic introductory session I was able to see a way of freeing up the initial stages of design to allow me to create images which would reflect the essence of a place without it being a representative image.
"Moonlit Zambezi! was created at this point in my development and reflected an evening beside the Zambezi river as it gathers speed to rush headlong over Victoria Falls.
This element of my practice is now well developed and my combining all the influences above in varying proportions I have now developed a style of my own which reflects.
My work is explored in detail in the following pages.