Fleur Woods is a Contemporary Fibre Artist, Author, Teacher and Mentor based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Inspired by nature and drawn to fibres and textiles Fleur has developed her 'stitched paintings' through a decade of experimentation in her studio. Largely self taught she creates intuitively and her works evolve organically, often combining concept development and research as the pieces evolve. Stitch became a large part of her practice, making marks with thread has overtaken brush work due to the beautiful texture and dimension it brought to her pieces. A collector of all things vintage and pre-loved many textiles and found objects are repurposed into her maximalist works.

The Untamed Thread, Fleur's popular book is part journey from corporate world to full time artist and part creative inspiration and guide to the art of living creatively and developing an art practice. When she's not in the studio creating originals, dying wools & textiles or creating other projects, Fleur can be found on the road teaching in person workshops / online gathering with her Joyful Embroidery students or enjoying creative conversation mentoring sessions. 

https://www.fleurwoodsart.com/

https://www.instagram.com/fleurwoodsart/

https://www.facebook.com/fleurwoodsart

www.sofst.org

With a keen observation of nature, Emma Rosa uses multi-disciplinary techniques and mixed media to create botanical studies from fabric and thread.

Marrying a foundation in fine art and a past career in dressmaking, she utilises machine embroidery with traditional Japanese flower making techniques, creating sensitive and intricate detailing. 

Through closely studying flora, she aims to capture the essence of a plant, or indeed a particular stage of growth such as the fleeting moments of efflorescence and senescence. Seeking out lesser-known species and native wild plants while focusing on distinctive botanical elements, allow her to pursue a unique sculptural presence.

Emma is constantly pushing the boundaries of fabric and thread utilisation to acquire a desired effect

She is drawn to antiquated botanical illustrations, how they show the whole plant – every element is important, not just the flower that most regard as the focus of beauty - where science and art meet.

Nestled in the heart of rural Devon, the turning of the seasons, conservation and folklore are the threads that weave through her work.

Links

Emma Rosa Textiles Website

School of Stitched Textiles

Watch with Captions

Ellie is a textile artist working from her garden studio in Brighton. Surrounded by the South Downs, Sussex coastline and wild plants discovered on walks, she draws inspiration from colours, contours and the ever-changing atmosphere of the natural world. Ellie's artworks reflect this connection, blending abstract painting with delicate textile techniques to create pieces that evoke a sense of place and season.

Ellie's paintings often feature unique imprints taken from seed heads and grasses, preserving their organic forms in fabric. Drawing into these compositions with free-motion embroidery, appliqué, and hand stitching, utilizing techniques she honed during a decade as a fashion designer.

At the heart of her practice is a passion for creating and teaching. Through the Flourish Textile Art Hub, an online platform she founded in 2021, Ellie shares a wide variety of textile techniques, inspiring creativity. Recently she has introduced guest tutors, expanding the Art Hubs offerings and fostered a vibrant, supportive community. Alongside this, she continues to deliver in-person workshops and exhibit her work nationally.

School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/

Art website: www.elliehipkinart.com

online courses: https://flourish-hub.com/

Join the community: Free Facebook group

Instagram : @elliehipkinartist

Kelley graduated from the Royal School of Needlework Apprenticeship in 2005 after many years in Management Development Training. She went on to establish the very successful Bristol branch of the RSN in 2011 and was involved in creating the replacement for the Apprenticeship, known as the Future Tutors Programme. In 2019 she relocated to London to run the course at Hampton Court Palace. One year later she shepherded the School’s tutors through the shift to online teaching during the Covid pandemic and found a new outlet for her embroidery, teaching and IT passions. In 2021 she returned to self-employment and has been teaching online ever since, utilising a wide variety of digital technology to bring the classroom into students’ homes around the world. 

Kelley is a popular teacher and thanks to a background including project management, IT and training, her courses are known for their high level of content, student support and overall quality. Students return year after year and frequently ask ‘what’s next?’ The online community has allowed students from across the globe to meet and make friends with similar interests and she is very proud to be part of this. Her vision is to foster lifelong creativity through the art of embroidery.

Facebook: Kelley Jane Stitches

Instagram: @kelleyjanestitches

Website: www.kelleyjanestitches.com

RSN Tutor work exhibition https://www.instagram.com/handstitchedheritage

School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/

Amanda Cobbett is an award-winning textile artist with over 25 years’ experience. Inspired by nature in all its forms, Amanda’s 3-dimensional, papier-mâché and free machine-embroidered sculptures are created from her studio in the Surrey Hills. She scours the understorey of the forest floor seeking its hidden treasures. Over time, she has honed an inherent ability to locate intriguing flora in the most unexpected of places.

Amanda’s 3 Dimensional embroidered sculptures appear to float in their Perspex cases and have the feeling of just being collected from the forest for display, very much a modern version of a Victorian plant hunter’s specimen case. ‘I like to think that my pieces could trick the eye into thinking that what you are seeing might be real. I am also passionate about highlighting and preserving specimens from the forest that could, without care, become red listed. If we are not aware that they exist, how will we know when they have disappeared? By recreating an embroidered sculpture of a natural object and displaying it in a case in a gallery, it brings our natural world into another dimension, we then might look for that specimen in nature, and care about its existence.

Amanda grid references her original finds and offers that information with the embroidered artwork, further giving it an authenticity.

School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/

Amanda Cobbett's website https://www.amandacobbett.com/

Karen L. Miller, owner of Redbird Quilt Co., is Master Educator for Aurifil USA, an Aurifilosopher, author, and passionate advocate for free motion quilting.

Her quilting journey began in 2007 when her sister invited her to join a simple block of the month program. Karen quickly fell in love with hand appliqué and free motion machine quilting, sparking a passion that would shape her career.

As Karen's enthusiasm for learning and developing her quilting skills grew, she naturally gravitated towards Aurifil's 100% Egyptian cotton threads. The exceptional quality and impressive range of weights and colors captivated her, aligning perfectly with her creative vision.

In 2019, Karen's expertise and passion led her to join forces with Milan-based Aurifil, becoming their Master Educator and launching the innovative thread education program called "Aurifilosophy".

Her work with Aurifil thread focuses on educating quilters about how these high-quality threads can elevate projects from simply finished to artistically extraordinary, unlocking new creative possibilities.

Karen's versatility shines through her love for both hand and machine creations. She continually designs and experiments with all weights of Aurifil thread, generously sharing her knowledge and experience with the broader quilting community.

Her commitment to education and inspiration has made her a respected figure in the quilting world, known for her ability to instill confidence and creativity in quilters of all skill levels.

School of Stitched Textiles: View her work here https://www.sofst.org/textile-talk-with-karen-miller/

Aurifil Website: https://aurifil.com/

Aurifil USA Shopping: https://shopaurifil.com/

Aurifil Blog:https://auribuzz.com/

Aurifil Thread Education Program: https://www.aurifil.com/aurifilosophy

Aurifil Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurifilthread/

Aurifil Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurifil.quilt.thread

Aurifil Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aurifil/

Aurifil Newsletter Subscription: http://eepurl.com/M6vOn

Aurifil Resources: Thread Reference and Product Guides can be found here: https://www.aurifil.com/auriworld/resources

Gail is a Canadian who resided for 20 years in Britain, until returning t the US in 1995. She moved to Britain in 1976 with her American husband and family. She studied art in Canada, England and Scotland. She completed both parts 1 and 2 (Diploma) of the City & Guilds Design and Embroidery course, achieving a distinction in both parts. She was awarded the Senior Award of Licentiateship (LCGI)by the City & Guilds Institute. Gail has previously taught City & Guilds Embroidery courses and was for many years, a City & Guilds External Verifier for various colleges in the UK. She has authored five books in Embroidery. Since moving to the US she has directed and taught at the Arts Centre she founded in Washington State - Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts. She has taught Certificate and Diploma Courses in Design and Embroidery to hundreds of students from all parts of North America. She says that living and working in the UK was the single most important contributor to her labour of love as a designer and embroiderer that continues to lead her on a lifelong journey of discovery!

Links

School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/

Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts

Blog: https://gailcreativestudies.wordpress.com/

Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gailcreativestudies

Website: https://gailcreativestudies.com

Lorraine has been creating with fiber since she was a young girl. As a child she would while away the hours sewing, crocheting, and working with crewelwork. She learned to sew garments at the side of her mother and paternal grandmother who were both gifted seamstress’. 

She is a self-taught artist. She began quilting in 1997 and immediately was intrigued with the design elements of the quilt. Thus, began her exploration of color, repetition, design, and texture. Soon Lorraine began to experiment with a more contemporary approach to textiles and developed her own artistic voice. Her creative roots are firmly embedded in the traditional needle arts and this is reflected in her current body of work. Inspired by her Faith, her travels and the natural world, she employs layers of both hand and machine stitches together with various surface design techniques. This unique approach allows her to successfully captures the depth, color, contrast, and texture of her subject matter. 

Since 1993 Lorraine had lived in the Ithaca area of the Finger Lakes Region in Central New York until 2019 when she relocated to The Villages, Florida. She recently retired from a career in nursing. She enjoys the support of her husband, their children, and grandchildren. 

Lorraine is an exhibiting textile artist and has won several awards for her fiber art.

She owns and operates The Tangled Thread, a longarm quilting business; gives presentations and teaches classes focused on mixed media and stitched art.

These days, she dedicates her energy to facilitating a group of twenty-five local artists, who meet twice a month to share and explore their common love for textile art. Lorraine also enjoys writing poetry and painting with acrylics and watercolor.

School of Stitched Textiles MP Programme https://www.sofst.org/courses/masters-courses/

Contact Information:

Lorraine Benjamin

web https://lorrainebenjamin.com/

email [email protected]

facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lorisue28

instagram https://www.instagram.com/lorisue28/

Lucy Martin from Hand and Lock grew up in the Peak District, where her love for stitching began as she helped her mother make wedding dresses from age three. Her talent led her to work with renowned brands like Alexander McQueen, Burberry, and Catherine Walker. A classically trained embroiderer with a first-class honours degree, Lucy joined Hand & Lock in 2022 as Head of Education. Since then, she has transformed the school into an internationally recognized centre for contemporary embroidery, building a supportive community for students of all levels.

Lucy’s role involves designing and implementing a dynamic educational program, organizing diverse classes with guest tutors, and collaborating with venues like The National Portrait Gallery and Kew Gardens for private courses. Her responsibilities also include hosting embroidery retreats worldwide, sharing her passion and dedication to preserving this craft.

Currently, Lucy is teaching the Hand & Lock Diploma in Contemporary Embroidery, a rigorous program combining traditional and modern techniques. Her goal is to guide students in mastering technical skills while encouraging them to find their artistic voices, fostering the evolution of contemporary embroidery. Lucy’s commitment ensures that each student’s learning experience is challenging and couture-focused, leaving a lasting impact on the craft’s future.

Links: 

@handandlocklondon 

https://www.handembroideryshop.com/  

@lucymartinembroidery https://lucymartinembroidery.com/

School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/

Annegret is a German American fiber artist who divides her time between Chapel Hill, a university town, and Kill Devil Hills, a town on the North Atlantic coast. Born in Germany and now residing in North Carolina, she lived in Ghana, France, Great Britain, and Australia before moving to the United States in 2001. Together with travels to countries as varied as Italy and India, these different cultural frameworks have shaped both her life and her art. The shores of the Albemarle Sound, near Kill Devil Hills on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, have become the inspiration for her recent work which explores the fragile ecosystems of the seaboard, where the impacts of global warming, human expansion, and nature’s resilience create a beautiful albeit precarious environment. Both the colors of the seashore and the use of earth pigments shape her palette, and photography serves as visual inspiration.

Her journey as an artist started almost thirty years ago as a traditional, self-taught quilter. After taking numerous in-person and online workshops, she decided that it was necessary to acquire a more formal education. Between 2018 and 2020, she completed an advanced (Level 4) City and Guild accredited course with the School of Stitched Textiles, followed by its two-year Master Practitioner Course which emphasized design skills and artistic development. She is active in the Studio Art Quilts Associates – both in the European and Middle Eastern region and the one covering North Carolina and Virginia. Her work has been exhibited in Europe and the United States, and she has her first solo exhibition coming up in May.

School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/

Annegret's website https:/www.afauser.com

Instagram @annegretfauser