Student of the Year Award: Fiona Greenwood

Hello from STITCHBUSINESS, and a warm welcome to all new subscribers.

It’s been a while since you have heard from us, as we have been busy with various projects and teaching commitments.  But this spring newsletter isn’t about us, it’s about our latest Student of the Year: Fiona Greenwood.

Many of you will have met Fiona, one of our distance learner students from Edinburgh, who occasionally comes to class on site and regularly attends our DL weekends in Durham.  Fiona started studying at Level 1 with us and recently gained her Level 3 Certificate in Stitched Textiles.  She is now one of our dedicated Diploma students, and is still fully immersing herself in learning. 

Fiona is a very worthy winner of our Award.  She has embraced every challenge we have set her, and has thoroughly enjoyed being on such a creative learning curve.  She has mastered many different methods of working, explored new products and techniques with great passion, and has designed, made and finished her projects with much research and care – all to a very high standard.

We have asked Fiona to write about her learning experience with us, and to share an insight into a student’s perspective at STITCHBUSINESS.  We hope you enjoy reading about her journey.

ARTISTS PROFILE: stitchpickings with . . .

Fiona Greenwood
STITCHBUSINESS Student of the Year 2017

I have always loved to stitch and I well remember receiving a child’s sewing machine as a present. My grandmother made clothes for herself and I would look forward to her visits as she always brought a bag of scraps with which I made clothes for my dolls using the machine. I also remember using money received for my 10th birthday to purchase the Golden Hands Encyclopedia of Embroidery which I still possess.

While I would complete embroidery kits and make my own clothes for years, I knew that it was only when I retired that I would have the time to really pursue my passion for stitching. Investigating the City and Guilds courses online, I realised that there was nowhere in my home town of Edinburgh offering the opportunity to study these and the nearest place was Stitchbusiness in Durham which offered distance learning.

Not knowing where my enthusiastic amateur status stood in the overall scheme of things, I started with Level 1 and over the next 4 years quickly progressed through Level 2, and Level 3 Certificate. Being able to study and work at my own pace with regular trips to Durham both for classes and distance learner weekends has been ideal for me. The support and advice I have received from Julia and Tracy has been fundamental in my progression and being able to chat to and admire the work of other students has been inspirational.

As someone with a mathematical and scientific background, I felt somewhat daunted by the design elements of the course but completing sketchbooks on line, colour, shape, form and texture helped enormously.

I am currently almost a year into the Level 3 Diploma and the depth and breadth of the course is fantastic enabling me to use and apply all the techniques that I have learned in the previous courses. I don’t know where my stitching will take me when I have finished the Diploma but I do know that it will never cease to fascinate and enthral me.

All images worked by Fiona Greenwood.

Image one - Inspiration for liberated canvas work - Level 3 Certificate

Image two - Liberated canvas work for Level 3 Certificate

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING: news and views . . .

STITCHBUSINESS would like to extend congratulations to the following students who have completed a City & Guilds course with us recently: -

Barbara Reece (Merseyside, UK) who has gained her
City & Guilds 7716-64 Level 3 Research for Design Diploma

Louise West (Gloucestershire, UK) who has gained her
City & Guilds 7716-06 Level 1 Certificate in Hand Embroidery

WHAT'S ON: shows, exhibitions and places to visit . . .

Exhibitons . . .

DIS / rupt - Spring exhibition
Textile Study Group’s touring exhibition opens in North Wales
21st April 2018 - 28th May 2018