Textile artist, lover of wild places, day-dreamer, fresh-air freak, responsibility-for-the-world-taker, cat-lover, list-maker, sailor, injustice-challenger, gardener, water-baby, social worker, traveller, stitch fanatic, mountain walker, word-lover, fortunate friend, sea-kayaker, dawn-chorus listener, skier, big sister, colour enthusiast, country-girl, organiser, adoring auntie, night-owl, rule-breaker, book-worm, explorer, freedom-seeker, silence-lover.
A Textile Journey
Fabric always fascinated me. One of my early memories is standing next to the table where my mother was sewing, with the old singer sewing machine at my head height, and being allowed to turn the handle while she steered the material and gave instructions. We grew up with no TV or ‘passive entertainment’. We entertained ourselves, running free in the woods and fields on the edge of Dartmoor, climbing trees, making rafts and watching badgers. When it rained, books fired my imagination. And we made things. In earlier years my parents ran a small free-holding in the Shropshire hills, where they were more or less self-sufficient. They could turn their hands to anything, from raising chickens to building dry-stone walls. For me, this self-sufficient approach to life found its’ outlet in art and textiles. The pleasure of making things has stayed with me for life.
In later years, alongside my professional life, I dabbled with various creative activities – drawing classes, life painting classes, silk painting, batik, mosaic etc. It wasn’t until I started on City and Guilds Stitched Textiles courses that these apparently diverse interests finally found a focus. In 1999 I went on a one-year City and Guilds Textile Decoration course at Northbrook College, taught by Kim Thittichai. We exhibited alongside the C&G Stitched Textile students, and I signed up for the two-year ‘Part One’ course there and then, and then for a City and Guilds course in machine-embroidery. This was when my enthusiasm for stitched textiles really started to take off.
Gold-work fossil Trilobite
After a long gap (enforced by life/work demands) I signed up for the Diploma in Stitched Textiles (Embroidery) at Missenden Abbey, taught by Janet Edmonds. This was a wonderful three years of camaraderie and creative challenge. Together with a lovely group of fellow students, we talked, laughed, learned, explored and created. The subject of my main project was rocks and fossils, triggered by my brother finding his old fossil collection when we were clearing out the family home.
The Missenden Abbey Contingent at The City and Guilds Lion Awards: Jill Booker (Floristry Tutor) Jill Harden (Medal Winner, Floristry and Lion Award) Jane Robinson (Medal Winner, Stitched Textiles), and Janet Edmonds (Embroidery Tutor)
At the end of the course I was delighted and honoured to win the Gold Medal for Excellence in Stitched Textiles.
In 2015, together with four of my fellow-students on the Diploma course, we formed a new exhibiting group ‘FIVE’. We started by exhibiting at The Studio Gallery at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery in May 2016, followed by an exhibition in Milton Keynes. We tend to work to a fairly broad theme for a couple of years, in preparation for a joint exhibition. Our first two exhibitions were based on the theme of ‘World Textiles’. Currently we’re working on the theme of ‘Special Places’. My choice of special place is my garden; it is the first garden of my own and it fills me with joy. ‘Special Places’ will be exhibited in Ely Cathedral and Milton Keynes in 2020. There is more information about the group on the FIVE page.
Over the last few years I have taken part in Worthing Artists Open Houses, Lewes Artwave, and various other exhibitions such as Ramster 2017 and 2019, The Thread at Roffey Park and others. I offer workshops including ‘Beginners Introduction to Goldwork’, ‘Hand-stitched Coiled Pots’ and ‘Indian-inspired Crazy patchwork’.
Textile art feels like a lifelong adventure…and who knows where it will lead. ‘Watch this space’, as they say!
C.V.
TEXTILES-RELATED TRAINING
2010-13 City and Guilds Diploma in Stitched Textiles, Missenden Abbey
2001-2 City and Guilds Certificate in Stitched Textiles, Northbrook College Worthing
2001 City and Guilds Machine Embroidery, Northbrook College Worthing
1998-9 City and Guilds Textile Decoration, Northbrook College Worthing
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS
Practice Teaching Award University of Southampton, 1998-1999
Master’s Degree in Social Work University of Sussex, 1983-1985
Certificate of Qualification in Social Work University of Sussex, 1983-1985
Batchelor of Arts Degree in English (2:1) University of Sussex, 1977-1980
AWARD
2014 City and Guilds Gold Medal for Excellence, Stitched Textiles
MEMBERSHIP OF TEXTILE GROUPS
Worthing Embroiderers Guild (Committee member, set up and run branch website and blog)
Member of ‘FIVE’ Exhibiting Group
EXHIBITIONS AND ARTICLES
2024
Worthing Artists Open Houses
Ramster Embroidery Exhibition, Ramster Hall
2023
Worthing Artists Open Houses
2022
Ramster Embroidery Exhibition, Ramster Hall
Special Places’. FIVE Textile group at Ely Cathedral
Festival of Quilts
2021
‘Special Places’. FIVE Textile group at Milton Keynes (postponed due to Covid)
Special Places’. FIVE Textile group at Ely Cathedral (postponed due to Covid)
Worthing Artists Open Houses (cancelled due to Covid)
2020
‘Special Places’. FIVE Textile group at Milton Keynes (postponed due to Covid)
Special Places’. FIVE Textile group at Ely Cathedral (postponed due to Covid)
2019
Oxmarket Gallery, Chichester
Ramster Embroidery Exhibition, Ramster Hall
Commission for Sussex Eye Hospital
Embroiderers Guild Open Exhibition at Roffey Park Institute
2018
Lewes Artwave
Worthing Artists Open Houses
‘The Thread’ Embroidery Exhibition, Roffey Park Institute
My ‘Goldwork Poppy’ was chosen for the National Embroiderers Guild annual Christmas card.
Page 17 Embroiderers Guild (cont)
100 Hearts, Open Exhibition, Embroiders Guild
2017
Ramster Embroidery Exhibition, Ramster Hall
Page 17, Embroiderers Guild, Open Exhibition
2016
Worthing Artists Open Houses
‘FIVE’ Textiles Group Exhibition, Worthing
‘FIVE’ Textiles Group Exhibition, Milton Keynes
Worthing Embroiderers Guild, Open Exhibition
2015
Creative Waves ‘Art on the Pier’, Worthing
Festival of Quilts
2014
Article in ‘Inspired’ magazine
Article in ‘Workshop on the Web’
Creative Waves ‘Art on the Pier’, Worthing
WORKSHOPS
I have run workshops in Embellishment for Quilters, Coiled Fabric Pots, Beginners Goldwork, and Indian-inspired crazy patchwork, for groups such as the U3A, West Sussex WI and local textile artists.