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
New look website seems to meet with approval
Well the big move happened! and on the whole pretty smoothly; thanks to all those who helped test the site and pointed out typo's and other horrors. I thought I would share some of the nice comments we have had: I love your site for information and fun. Janice Brilliant – new website is great, much easier to navigate around, clear and packed with information.Thank you. Carol The website is excellent and I'm having great fun exploring its nooks and crannies!
Kind regards Sandy Hi I love the way you have organised the new site ,brilliant you can get quickly to where you want to be for help so so quick .
Thank you Liz Wall Have really enjoyed looking round the new site.
Contribution from Catherine in France
Hello, I have joined your club as I was looking for an idea to recycle men's ties. I did find your excellent project and have started working on it. I also want to show you the entirely handmade bed cover that I have just finished. It took me about 12 years. In 1994 I stopped working as an English teacher and joined the patchwork club of Alençon.
Log cabin by Lucy
Lucy is one of Val's students and was given patchwork classes as a gift (she chose these over a skydive!); She had no knowledge of sewing or indeed a sewing machine and her first quilt was a Trip Around the World. This is her second quilt which was given as a Christmas present to her Mum and now proudly displayed on her bed.