artists and tutors sharing ideas imagination and skills
Fascinating Rhythms
Hand and machine stitchery on various fabrics
Italian Balcony detail
Machine stitchery on gesso with graphite and coloured pencils
Waistcoats 1 & 2
Hand & machine stitchery based on 17th century waistcoats in Taunton Museum
Waistcoat 2 detail
Hand and machine stitchery
The One that Got Away
Homage to Juan Gris
Trained as a secondary school teacher, I have spent my working life teaching textiles in Primary and Secondary schools and in Adult Education. I was tutor for the City & Guilds Creative Studies Embroidery courses at Strode College, Street and at Exeter College for 18 and 20 years respectively.
A contributing author to Needlework School and Embroidery Studio I have written articles on embroidery for various magazines. As a reviewer I worked with the Embroiderers' Guild on the Embroidery Development Scheme. My work has been exhibited widely in this country and abroad.
Now retired from full-time teaching I continue to teach classes and courses throughout the country.
The obsession to stitch has been with me all my life and since retiring from teaching I have time to develop my own ideas and work, which is mainly machine stitched but does not exclude the use of hand stitchery. A long-time interest in dress and fashion has been the source of a great deal of my recent work, thus combining my early training with my love of stitched textiles. I am fascinated by the detail of decoration on, and the construction of, historical costume.
Other work is influenced by places and their history. I frequently use stitched text in my work using the rhythms of lettering to produce abstract areas of texture and to emphasise the meaning of the piece.
My work is exhibited regularly in the South West Textile Group’s exhibitions and at Somerset Art Works events.