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/fleurwoodsartwww.sofst.org
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Textile Talk with Emma Rosa
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.LinksEmma Rosa Textiles WebsiteSchool of Stitched Textiles Watch with Captions
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Artist Interview - Ellie Hipkin
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
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Artist Interview - Kelley Aldridge
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 StitchesInstagram: @kelleyjanestitchesWebsite: www.kelleyjanestitches.comRSN Tutor work exhibition https://www.instagram.com/handstitchedheritageSchool of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/
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Artist Interview - Amanda Cobbett
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/
This podcast is for craft and textile enthusiasts all around the world. We're constantly adding great interviews with textile artists, tutors and retailers plus a little advice on our own distance study courses in craft and much more. The School of Stitched Textiles is the largest UK provider of City & Guilds Accredited Textile based distance learning courses. You can find out site at https://www.sofst.org/. We also host the Stitch Directory, which showcases independent craft retailers and suppliers from around the world https://www.sofst.org/stitch-directory/.
UK