About Me

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Sudbury, Suffolk, United Kingdom
I am a textile artist living on the Suffolk Essex border. I am a member of the Out of the Fold Textile Group and East Anglian Stitched Textiles (EAST) I am the Principal Tutor for Creative Stitch which offers courses in Creative Patchwork and Quilting and Creative Stitch Textiles. I teach each year at the Knitting & Stitching Shows and Festival of Quilts. I also offer workshops and talks to groups throughout the UK in person and via zoom. I am also a member of the QGBI and the specialist Contemporary Quilt Group and STARS (formerly Suffolk West Embroiderers Guild)

Sunday 14 January 2018

Out of the North East - hookie

Finished my third piece for the Out of the Fold exhibition at Textiles East Fair in February. This is so unusual for me as I am normally still stitching the night before. 

This piece is also inspired by my Granny's mat making and is my interpratation of a 'Hookie' mat where short strips of recycled fabrics were hooked through the hessian  leaving both raw edges on the same side. Always worked from the back so you only saw the finished result right at the end. They were densely worked and took a long time to complete. They were my favourites - lovely and soft.
Out of the North East - Hookie (detail)
 My Out of the North East pieces are all double sided so I will need to find an appropriate way of hanging them for the show
Hookie - reverse side (detail)


Wednesday 10 January 2018

Out of the North East - second piece completed

I am really enjoying making my exhibition pieces for the Out of the Fold exhibition at Textiles East in February 2018 https://textileseastfair.wordpress.com/

Inspired by my Northumbrian Granny who made clippie mats from old clothes. This second wallhanging is my interpretation of a 'proggie' where strips of cloth were woven through the hessian sacking. Mine is made from all recycled calico. Stitched, painted, dyed, and discharged cloth.

Out of the North East II (detail)
This is only a small close-up. To see the whole thing you will need to come along to the Textile East Fair in Swavesey Village College on 16th and 17th February 2018

Wednesday 3 January 2018

Preparing work for Textiles East

Out of the Fold have a major new exhibition of work on the theme of 'out of the East' which will appear first at the Textile East Fair in Swavesey in February 2018.


My work will have the title 'Out of the North East' and inspired by my thrifty Northumbrian Granny who made clippy mats out of donated clothes.

Here is a glimpse of my first completed piece - number one of a series of three




Watch out for future blog posts showing work in progress