I have been interested in stitching since childhood. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t sewing. One of my dreams as a child was to own a sewing machine and my parents finally bought me an old hand sewing machine when I was nine years old.
At school, I was lucky enough to be able to take an A-Level in Embroidery but once I had started my full time career I concentrated on that, continuing to stitch over the years in my spare time. Since I stopped working full time, I have explored a wide variety of fabric and stitch related themes including dyeing fabrics, machine embroidery, hand embroidery, experimenting with printing photographs and family memorabilia onto fabric – as well as more traditional patchwork and quilting. In 2011 I rediscovered some turquoise Harris Tweed that had been given to me when I moved on from living, and working, in the Highlands of Scotland. That tweed inspired me to develop textile art pieces using a variety of tweed, adding embroidery and assorted embellishments. I have developed my work with tweed, sourcing my tweed from the Isle of Harris, Beauly in Inverness-shire and Yorkshire. I have also continued to produce personal presents using photographs printed onto fabric. More recently I have focussed on completing The Certificate in Technical Hand Embroidery at The Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace. I am now working towards their Diploma In my spare time I am a trustee of two different charities. From 2008 until 2014 I was also a trustee of The Royal School of Needlework. |
Website © Philippa Laughton, 2014. Website design by Jane Glennie.