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
Not considered to be art!!!
Amanda Richardson creates pictures by using fused applique as a technique having first dyed her fabrics. She was featured recently on the BBC programme 'Show me the Monet' and her work was not considered to be art and therefore not eligible to be hung at the Mall Galleries -the judges felt it was craft Here is an example of her work and here is the link to her website What do you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What to watch in March 2013
This will be a busy month as there are 5 Friday’s so lots to see and be inspired by: Inspiration from the Embroiderer's Guild We start the month off with enjoying a quilt made by members of the Embroiderer’s Guild entitled ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ with Jo Bostock Workshops to Enjoy and a workshop with another Jo - Jo Gourlay – sharing with us how to create a delightful cushion for the house and/or garden using recycled fabrics and being inspired by the fabric itself. This is a great project for the younger sewers to try as well as it uses fused applique and some simple embroidery stitches.
What do you do when the Rugby is on?
Having taught all day on Saturday up at Bee Crafty I was desperate to get to my own sewing machine and the Rugby 6-Nations is a perfect opportunity in my house for me not to be missed! I took a few moments in the afternoon to make these two quilt tops for the Alzheimers' Charity fundraiser - check out our blog about it ; Hampden Park and you can download the patterns FOR FREE.