About Susan
Susan has been teaching embroidery for many years and loves to share her enthusiasm for a wide range of techniques.
She completed her City and Guilds Part II in Embroidery with the inspirational Anthea Godfrey at the London College of Fashion (as it then was). Over the past twenty years, she has taught a wide range of classes including City and Guilds and leisure classes, with the WI, and most recently independently in the Wivenhoe and the Colchester area of Essex.
Susan took early retirement in 2013, giving her more time for embroidery and textile related activities. She enjoys being an active participant in the local branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild, visiting more exhibitions, attending workshops and reading more about her favourite textile art topics both in print and on-line.
She has also become a student again, signing up for the City and Guilds in Patchwork and Quilting with Creative Stitch Suffolk. According to Susan, “It’s been great to take on new challenges and learn new skills.”
Susan blogs regularly on her website, Threadlines, where she gathers together various elements of her long-standing fascination with embroidery and textile arts more generally. Her hope is that Threadlines will widen her circle of embroidery and textile art friends, and encourage non-embroiderers to try it – just once (that’s all it takes!
Signature Technique
Embroidery
Susan’s Top Tips
- The simpler the stitch, often, the more you can do with it.
- One of the (many) aspects of textiles that I love is that you don’t need to be doing just one project. Try new things…several at a time!
- Doing something completely new with a group of friends makes it extra special.
- If you want to know the ‘right’ way to embroider then turn to a technique manual.
Books and Patterns
Posts
Zig Zag Table runner
You may have watched Anne Baxter's workshop for a Zig Zag Table runner, which Anne creates cleverly using rectangular blocks, and simple strip piecing and without using triangles. This is Susanne's gorgeous version of the table runner. Susanne told us she wanted to use this lovely collection of batik strips she had in her stash for ages. But, she couldn't bear to cut off the points so she made a turn-through backing and top stitched all around.
More Fruity Friends from Valerie
I just loved this range of fabrics - they are so jolly - and in both colourways; so inspired by the cushion pattern from Lynne Goldsworthy - click here for the workshop - I worked on creating a fun quilt (wip) With my leftovers I quickly took my 40minute quilt idea to create this little charity quilt for a youngster (still to be quilted but now layered!) There is a bigger pink version too!
6th April 2018
New Videos Every Friday Fruity Friends Cushions with Valerie Nesbitt [...]