I live 1,000 feet above sea level in the Rossendale Valley. Our home is a 1950s renovated bungalow with windows that overlook the beautiful Healey Dell Nature Reserve and surrounding farmlands. The views reach for miles over three counties.
The house, named Four Winds, has been our home for the past 35 years. It started out as a two-bedroom bungalow, and after 16 years we lifted the roof and added an enormous lounge, bedroom and en suite bathroom. This gave us stunning views and is where we spend many hours just daydreaming, listening to music, reading and watching the seasons roll from one into another, each one as spectacular as the last. I can’t even tell you which is my favourite.
Spring and summer are lush green; the sheep are in the fields; horses chase each other round in the cool of the evening; and the bats flick past our windows in the dark of the night. Autumn and winter are a riot of colour with the changing of the leaves on the trees — from deep greens to browns and golds. When the snow falls, the whole vista is a blanket of white and we hibernate, as we can’t get down the hill until it clears.
What was our living room is now our kitchen and the dining room has been converted into the studio, which is flooded with glorious daylight from floor-to-ceiling windows. What a lucky lady I am!
At the age of 45, after a discussion with my husband, Philip, I went back to full-time education at the local college (for the first time in 30 years) and studied for a Higher National Diploma in textile design. Imagine my delight when I achieved distinctions all the way through the two-year course. Not bad for a lass who had been told that she was only average during her school years.
We have owned our own engineering business for many, many years and I needed to stretch myself and find a new direction away from the day-to-day role of company secretary, following procedures, method statements and insurance rules and regulations.
“Why don’t you look at a floristry course and we can buy a shop which you can run?” said hubby. “No chance,” I replied. There was no way I was swapping sitting in an office all day for being stuck in a shop five or six days a week, even as much as I love flowers. I still had to do the admin for our business while I studied, but I knew I could fit it in in the evenings. And so, I joined the youngsters at college. It was a very proud moment for me when I donned cap and gown and received my diploma in the town hall in front of my relations.
So where to next? I spent a year in a little studio with a friend, who ironically enough went on to open her own flower shop. At the time, I loved collage and created a range of pictures inspired by the doors, windows and balconies of Florence — and the Italian Lakes — in a country we have visited many times. I had a lot of success selling original pieces and prints. Sadly, that was before the days of fancy phone cameras and I didn’t keep any record of them.
At the same time, I was asked by a gallery and individuals to create a range of painted canvasses for modern house interiors. I don’t know about other artists, but quite often once I’ve cracked a technique or exhausted a theme, I have to move on to something different; so after a while, I lost the spark for creating them.
Fast-forward a few years and I had a spell of making different products with a doodly bird theme. It was great fun covering books and bags, illustrating clocks, mugs, pin badges, bookmarks, etc. These were sold at craft events and the ever-popular summer event PromArt at Grange-over-Sands in the Lake District here in the U.K. It was a lot of hard work and came to a natural end after a couple of years. A few of the clocks I illustrated were sent to Australia and Canada.
Moving on again when COVID devastated our world, I spent the time creating weekly displays outside our front gate for the neighborhood walkers, young and old, to cheer them on their way. We had a different theme each week, including a doggy daycare made up of soft toys, dog baskets, books, dog biscuits and water bowls. Other themes were Land Girls (to celebrate the Jubilee), animal magic, and scarecrow days. Everyone loved it. We had bags of wrapped sweets and biscuits and books for people to take away with them. It was a lot of fun.
To maintain a link to creative folk, I became a founding member of the No Rules Textile Society, set up by Gloucester-based Jayne Emerson. We hold weekly Zoom meetings with members stretched across the globe, with the aim of encouraging one another in our practice, chatting, laughing and enjoying the feeling of finding your tribe.
Through the passing of time, I’ve discovered my true passion is bringing together collections and ranges through pattern and colour for others to study and inspire their own work. I am a visionary with a love for collecting and curating fabric, images and objects. I’m mainly led by colour; black is a real no-no for me, both in my clothes and home interior.
I don’t make a finished item or product. What I do is create a vision, an illusion of pattern, and design mainly on the large cork-covered wall of the studio. A feast for the creative eye.
With my second cup of tea of the morning, I will head into my studio and either pick up from the day before or just meditate and look for ideas from the images on my mood board wall.
It’s been a passion of mine to collect and promote the work of British artists and makers via my Instagram account. There is so much talent in this country that I feel it needs to be celebrated. We are also blessed with a wealth of artists and textile tutors who run both in-house and online workshops, so part of my day is spent researching what events are currently available and spotting new pieces of work to be shared via my Instagram and blog.
After a late breakfast, I take myself off for a walk with a friend around a local beauty spot. Cowm Reservoir is set in the dip of surrounding moorland and is home to a water-ski school with facilities for the disabled. It’s a place to recharge your energies and connect with nature. Capturing images on my little mobile phone is all a part of collating collections to add to mood boards.
Sometimes I drop in for a cuppa with my sister, who works from home, before I head off back to the studio.
Part of my day is spent having one-to-one chats with fellow creatives, encouraging them in their practice and exchanging ideas. It’s important to build each other up, and the role of supporter and encourager is top priority for me.
By early evening my brain starts buzzing with ideas, so I keep a pen and paper by my side before they disappear and before I start preparing the evening meal. Hubby Philip usually has to be called to the table several times, as he will be engrossed in researching tracks for the weekly country music radio programme he hosts.
I recently started co-hosting the show with him, which is great fun (and it’s funny to hear my broad Lancashire accent over the airways!). For the first show, I was given a script of what to say but I’m now given free rein to do my own thing. Most of the time, Philip and I have different tastes in music, but share the same passion for art and textiles.
We both love visiting vintage fairs and charity shops, along with art and textile exhibitions. While Philip collects CDs, I’m a sucker for books. Don’t ask how many I have; it’s an embarrassing amount. My studio is open to anyone with a love of textiles to come and find inspiration via my library, display boards, creations, fabric stash and art collection. The kettle is always on, and we often end up chatting for hours, sharing lunch and stitching little samplers for folk to take home as a reminder of their visit.
Our home and studio are often referred to as a wonderful resource centre and peaceful escape from the everyday humdrum of life. I love nothing better than seeing visitors leave relaxed, full of ideas for their own work, and as friends after arriving as strangers.
Going forward, I am planning group visits. Small parties of creatives spending a day in the studio chatting, creating, exchanging ideas. Other events will be trips to museums, galleries, exhibitions and other studios.
A friend once said to me: “Show up in your studio every day. Not with a plan, not at a specific time — just go in there and see what emerges.” She was so right. Try it, you’ll be surprised.
Enjoy and thanks for reading. Don’t forget the kettle’s always on if you fancy a cuppa and a chat.
I live 1,000 feet above sea level in the Rossendale Valley. Our home is a 1950s renovated bungalow with windows that overlook the beautiful Healey Dell Nature Reserve and surrounding farmlands. The views reach for miles over three counties.
The house, named Four Winds, has been our home for the past 35 years. It started out as a two-bedroom bungalow, and after 16 years we lifted the roof and added an enormous lounge, bedroom and en suite bathroom. This gave us stunning views and is where we spend many hours just daydreaming, listening to music, reading and watching the seasons roll from one into another, each one as spectacular as the last. I can’t even tell you which is my favourite.
Spring and summer are lush green; the sheep are in the fields; horses chase each other round in the cool of the evening; and the bats flick past our windows in the dark of the night. Autumn and winter are a riot of colour with the changing of the leaves on the trees — from deep greens to browns and golds. When the snow falls, the whole vista is a blanket of white and we hibernate, as we can’t get down the hill until it clears.
What was our living room is now our kitchen and the dining room has been converted into the studio, which is flooded with glorious daylight from floor-to-ceiling windows. What a lucky lady I am!
At the age of 45, after a discussion with my husband, Philip, I went back to full-time education at the local college (for the first time in 30 years) and studied for a Higher National Diploma in textile design. Imagine my delight when I achieved distinctions all the way through the two-year course. Not bad for a lass who had been told that she was only average during her school years.
We have owned our own engineering business for many, many years and I needed to stretch myself and find a new direction away from the day-to-day role of company secretary, following procedures, method statements and insurance rules and regulations.
“Why don’t you look at a floristry course and we can buy a shop which you can run?” said hubby. “No chance,” I replied. There was no way I was swapping sitting in an office all day for being stuck in a shop five or six days a week, even as much as I love flowers. I still had to do the admin for our business while I studied, but I knew I could fit it in in the evenings. And so, I joined the youngsters at college. It was a very proud moment for me when I donned cap and gown and received my diploma in the town hall in front of my relations.
So where to next? I spent a year in a little studio with a friend, who ironically enough went on to open her own flower shop. At the time, I loved collage and created a range of pictures inspired by the doors, windows and balconies of Florence — and the Italian Lakes — in a country we have visited many times. I had a lot of success selling original pieces and prints. Sadly, that was before the days of fancy phone cameras and I didn’t keep any record of them.
At the same time, I was asked by a gallery and individuals to create a range of painted canvasses for modern house interiors. I don’t know about other artists, but quite often once I’ve cracked a technique or exhausted a theme, I have to move on to something different; so after a while, I lost the spark for creating them.
Fast-forward a few years and I had a spell of making different products with a doodly bird theme. It was great fun covering books and bags, illustrating clocks, mugs, pin badges, bookmarks, etc. These were sold at craft events and the ever-popular summer event PromArt at Grange-over-Sands in the Lake District here in the U.K. It was a lot of hard work and came to a natural end after a couple of years. A few of the clocks I illustrated were sent to Australia and Canada.
Moving on again when COVID devastated our world, I spent the time creating weekly displays outside our front gate for the neighborhood walkers, young and old, to cheer them on their way. We had a different theme each week, including a doggy daycare made up of soft toys, dog baskets, books, dog biscuits and water bowls. Other themes were Land Girls (to celebrate the Jubilee), animal magic, and scarecrow days. Everyone loved it. We had bags of wrapped sweets and biscuits and books for people to take away with them. It was a lot of fun.
To maintain a link to creative folk, I became a founding member of the No Rules Textile Society, set up by Gloucester-based Jayne Emerson. We hold weekly Zoom meetings with members stretched across the globe, with the aim of encouraging one another in our practice, chatting, laughing and enjoying the feeling of finding your tribe.
Through the passing of time, I’ve discovered my true passion is bringing together collections and ranges through pattern and colour for others to study and inspire their own work. I am a visionary with a love for collecting and curating fabric, images and objects. I’m mainly led by colour; black is a real no-no for me, both in my clothes and home interior.
I don’t make a finished item or product. What I do is create a vision, an illusion of pattern, and design mainly on the large cork-covered wall of the studio. A feast for the creative eye.
With my second cup of tea of the morning, I will head into my studio and either pick up from the day before or just meditate and look for ideas from the images on my mood board wall.
It’s been a passion of mine to collect and promote the work of British artists and makers via my Instagram account. There is so much talent in this country that I feel it needs to be celebrated. We are also blessed with a wealth of artists and textile tutors who run both in-house and online workshops, so part of my day is spent researching what events are currently available and spotting new pieces of work to be shared via my Instagram and blog.
After a late breakfast, I take myself off for a walk with a friend around a local beauty spot. Cowm Reservoir is set in the dip of surrounding moorland and is home to a water-ski school with facilities for the disabled. It’s a place to recharge your energies and connect with nature. Capturing images on my little mobile phone is all a part of collating collections to add to mood boards.
Sometimes I drop in for a cuppa with my sister, who works from home, before I head off back to the studio.
Part of my day is spent having one-to-one chats with fellow creatives, encouraging them in their practice and exchanging ideas. It’s important to build each other up, and the role of supporter and encourager is top priority for me.
By early evening my brain starts buzzing with ideas, so I keep a pen and paper by my side before they disappear and before I start preparing the evening meal. Hubby Philip usually has to be called to the table several times, as he will be engrossed in researching tracks for the weekly country music radio programme he hosts.
I recently started co-hosting the show with him, which is great fun (and it’s funny to hear my broad Lancashire accent over the airways!). For the first show, I was given a script of what to say but I’m now given free rein to do my own thing. Most of the time, Philip and I have different tastes in music, but share the same passion for art and textiles.
We both love visiting vintage fairs and charity shops, along with art and textile exhibitions. While Philip collects CDs, I’m a sucker for books. Don’t ask how many I have; it’s an embarrassing amount. My studio is open to anyone with a love of textiles to come and find inspiration via my library, display boards, creations, fabric stash and art collection. The kettle is always on, and we often end up chatting for hours, sharing lunch and stitching little samplers for folk to take home as a reminder of their visit.
Our home and studio are often referred to as a wonderful resource centre and peaceful escape from the everyday humdrum of life. I love nothing better than seeing visitors leave relaxed, full of ideas for their own work, and as friends after arriving as strangers.
Going forward, I am planning group visits. Small parties of creatives spending a day in the studio chatting, creating, exchanging ideas. Other events will be trips to museums, galleries, exhibitions and other studios.
A friend once said to me: “Show up in your studio every day. Not with a plan, not at a specific time — just go in there and see what emerges.” She was so right. Try it, you’ll be surprised.
Enjoy and thanks for reading. Don’t forget the kettle’s always on if you fancy a cuppa and a chat.
