Working with stitch gives you a different perspective on time, I measure my days in inches not hours. I used to be a computer programmer and tester, the best computer programmes are ones that you do not know you are using. I wanted to make something that you could hold and so decided when I was 40 to change direction and swap pixels for stitches.

I was working on a college project about embroidery patterns and won a box of patterns on ebay. When I got it home I found that it contained a whole womans life in knitting and stitching patterns. From her going away outfit to baby bootees and matinee jackets. School uniforms to home embellishments. Then right through to more modern times with matinee jackets for her grandchildren. A whole life spent knitting and stitching love, a true artist.

I decided to look into "home crafts" and found a whole army of women who did not see themselves as artists because "knitting is just something I do". Determined to remove the word "just" from every woman's vocabulary I set up my stitch business. I learned how to stitch from second hand tapestries I found in thrift stores and now have a small business that was built on the shoulders of giants.

Okay, okay but why do I call myself a stitch innovator? Well I use all different types of yarn in my work from really harsh garden twine to the softest of soft mohair. Any thing that is around I will stitch with it, stand around by me long enough and I'll include you in the latest artwork!!

I wrote a book called Modern Bargello which was published in 2020 by Search Press, so many people know me for bargello stitching. I create kits and patterns in many different canvas work stitches and also needlepoint.
I think that if you can stitch you can travel the world firstly because people always need things fixing and secondly because stitch is a language all of its own, no words required.

I adore working with hand dyed yarn as much as solid block colours, stitching only requires small amounts so it is an ideal way to use up scraps of precious yarn. Knitting (especially intarsia) and stitching share the same pattern charts, in fact you can stitch almost any pictorial knitting pattern and vice versa. Many a knitter has used my stitch patterns to create delightful knitted results mainly because most of my patterns are brightly geometrical. It's maths that links us all and yarn that binds us together.