Our graduates have stories to tell. Read through our Graduate Stories and discover how our courses have enabled them to begin new textiles careers, gain creative confidence and become more focused. Through these stories we aim to help prospective students decide what courses to study and demonstrate how they can benefit so many people.
Our graduates are shaping the world of textiles. They’re designers/makers who supply clients and stores in all corners of the globe, they’re authors for magazines and books, and business start-ups. Some even go on to work in TV/ theatre, teach or simply take pleasure in evolving their textile skills to a new level.
We are frequently asked about the direction that our students take after they have graduated from their courses at School of Stitched Textiles. So we ask our graduates to tell their stories.
We have combined their narratives with images of their work to showcase their very individual styles in our graduate stories publication. We hope their accounts inspire you to undertake a course yourself and see where it can take you.
Kirsten Shearer’s interest in embroidery was sparked while studying for a National Certificate in Art & Design. She enrolled onto our course to develop a greater understanding of embroidery and developing creative confidence. Having completed our beginner’s Hand Embroidery course (Skill Stage 2 ) Kirsten shares her experience of studying
Eve Llewellyn shares her heartfelt story of resilience and passion for crochet. Despite facing challenges due to a spinal stroke at a young age, she discovered the therapeutic power of crochet, igniting a lifelong passion for creating beautiful textiles. Having completed our intermediate crochet course (Skill Stage 3), Eve told us that
Clare Allison’s story will sound so familiar to many of us. Having always dabbled with various textile crafts, it wasn’t until her children went off to university that Clare had time to pursue and explore her creative side. Having completed our Beginner’s Patchwork and Quilting Course (Skill Stage 2) Clare
In the midst of uncertainty and solitude during the Covid lockdowns, many found solace in various hobbies. For Teresa Miller, it was a journey back to her roots of crafting that not only helped her navigate through the tough times but also unlocked a newfound passion for hand embroidery. Having
Judy Sendrove is our latest Crochet Graduate to complete our intermediate crochet course (Skill Stage 3). She has kindly shared her experience of studying with us and talks about developing an ability to progress her own ideas and designs, and gaining enough confidence to teach Crochet workshops! This is her
When Vivienne Richmond decided to study our intermediate Crochet course (Skill Stage 3), she didn’t really know where it would take her. However, she knew that she wanted an accreditation from a professional body like City and Guilds because she knew that the course offered high standards of learning which
Although Jan is an experienced knitter, she often felt limited by her technical ability to execute her designs properly. Having attended a few courses she yearned for a more comprehensive course that would introduce her to a wider range of skills and essential approaches to design. Having completed our Knitting
We often hear that hobbies, creativity and passions get sidelined for raising families, pursuing careers and other commitments. This was a similar experience for our next graduate, Victoria Vinten. When Victoria’s children started school she began to explore her creative side but struggled to find a group or course that
As an avid crafter and crochet addict Stéphanie Stafrach had accumulated a lot of hand-made items. Having decided to sell them she turned to our professionally accredited Crochet Skill Stage 3 course to develop in-depth skills to sell with confidence. This is her #MyStitchJourney. “The thing I am most grateful
First published in March 2020 and updated in 2023. Amanda has always had a passion for crochet, but life got in the way and prevented her from giving it much attention. Finding a way to switch off from life stresses she turned to crochet and realised that she was really
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