About me

Like so many other needlewomen I began playing with fabric at a young age by making clothes for my dolls and soft furnishings for the dollshouse.  Inspired by the women in my family I gradually tried new techniques on larger and different projects. However, it was under the guidance of a fastidious but encouraging school mistress in primary school that I learnt the importance of paying attention to detail.

My love for quilting came early. An aunt had made the most gorgeous silk cushion in corded quilting and already as a young girl I was wondering if I myself would ever be able to make such a work of art.

At the age of 11 I made my first patchwork cushion by machine. I soon found though, that I much preferred to work by hand. Most of the sewing I do today is therefore done by hand, turning to the sewing machine mainly for construction.

My love for needlework and embroidery show up in many quilts and wall hangings, as well as in cushions, bags, photo frames, album covers, ornaments, and am especially fond of making stumpwork ladies.

As my hectic work and daily life has left me little time to attend classes,  I have learnt most of what I know from books, the Internet and then developed that knowledge into my own style. Wanting my work to be original I tend to ‘add’ something to a fixed pattern, be it paint, beads, colonial knots, fancy stitches, lace or other embellishments.

I love rich fabric and have made several quilts in velvet, and of course, since I moved to Japan have had the fortune of easily finding kimono silk scraps.

It is often the material itself that is the main source of inspiration. I find a piece of fabric, a reel of thread, a bit of ribbon and the ideas come flowing. Taking part in competitions and challenges is something else that makes me tick; I can focus on the project and the time limit spurs me on.

In January 2012 I joined a stitch challenge called TAST2012. TAST stands for Take A Stitch Tuesday and is an on line project run by Sharon Boggon at Pintangle.com. Each week a new stitch is introduced and we are encouraged to either learn it, if it is new to us, or to be creative and explore it. Embroidery has always been close to my heart and I am truly enjoying every new Tuesday  assignment.

Undoubtedly the most valuable fountain of support and inspiration comes from my many good friends and great family. In spite of living far away from many of them,  thanks to the Internet, we are constantly keeping up with each other and exchanging news and ideas. I hope this web page will further my chances of ‘Show and Tell’ not only my old friends but new ones, too.