As a child I was fascinated by the way the women in our family could take thread, fibre and cloth and, seemingly with only a needle and scissors, turn out beautiful items. As I grew older they shared the secrets by tutoring me in various textile and needlework skills nurturing a creativity which would stay with me all my life.
In these days of technology and machines I believe we need to maintain traditional crafts skills and that we should be respecting the work of those artisans who used manual craft skills to produce items which were not just useful but beautiful. Over time I have also come to understand that working creatively with your hands brings benefits to body and soul – something society in general has failed to value. It is good to see that there seems to be an increasing recognition and acknowledgement of these benefits with more people exploring, enjoying and valuing these crafts.
My main strengths and interests lie in Curve stitching and canvaswork, wool applique, tapestry weaving and using embroidery to enhance items and accessories. My work is by no means traditional. I introduce non-traditional materials to my textile work and use textile techniques on those materials. During research and production new areas of interest arise and lead to the next body of work. In my classes I offer materials, designs and techniques, but rarely a set design to work, instead encouraging participants to take what I offer and use their own creativity to make their own interpretations.