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
Quilts for Momentum – Kingston upon Thames
The many and varied blocks made for the 'Be a Star' competition are now merging into quilts; here are the first two (as work in progress) Thank you to all who took part. Momentum is a registered charity established in 2004 which aims to help children (up to the age of 17) and the families of children, undergoing treatment for cancer in Surrey and South West London.
Textiles Fair – Teddington Middx
Textiles Fair Teddington – more detail Diversity Textile Group This was such a fun few hours and I met some really interesting artisans; of course there was Lois Bellew and Julie Winter from Diversity (who we have met before) (www.diversity-textileart.com )who are mixed media textile artists; Made in the United Kingdom Golden Trees Bridget Skanski-Such who creates pictures of golden trees and magical landscapes – https://www.bridgetskanskisuchtextiles.com/
mine is in shades of burgundy but there were some in blues and turquoises; Vintage fabrics and Stitch for Home Decoration Zara Day who trades as Rosemary Rose (www.rosemary-rose.co.uk) who takes pieces of antique and vintage fabric and adds to them her own hand and free machine embroidery to create stunning pieces including upholstered chairs;and here's one that was made for me: Woven silk scarves and finally Nick Ozanne who creates wonderful woven silk scarves in his studio in Thrupp – (www.letoariadne.com) wonderful as a gift for the adult male in your life.
Worth checking out – and certainly a date for next year.