For Cecilia, embroidery has always been part of her life. She grew up in Brazil surrounded by creativity, with a mother who encouraged making and a grandmother who worked intricate tambour embroidery into carnival costumes. From an early age, working with her hands felt natural, and embroidery in particular became a place of calm and quiet focus.
Later, as her children grew older and time began to open up again, Cecilia found herself returning to stitching with a new sense of intention. She wanted to deepen her skills, to understand embroidery properly, and to explore whether it could become more than a personal practice. Studying our beginner Hand Embroidery course, Skill Stage 2 gave her both challenge and direction.
The course pushed her technically, helped her build creative discipline within a busy life, and reawakened a burning desire to create and keep learning. What began as a return to something familiar gradually unlocked confidence, clarity and the beginnings of a path towards developing her own voice and future in textile art. this is her #MyStitchJourney
“I had never had formal embroidery or even art training. But the challenges made me feel alive, after each conquest I felt ready and eager to face many more. This course awoke a burning desire to create and learn all I could about embroidery and textile arts in general. It also made me learn about myself and establish artistic discipline in my busy life.”
Previous Experience
I grew up in Brazil with an artistic mother who was always teaching me different ways I could create using my hands. She pushed me and challenged my skills at an early age. My
grandmother was also an important influence in my life as she made expensive carnival
costumes using tambour embroidery. When we visited, we were hired by her to pick sequins and beads from in between parquet wood floor tiles in her house which was a lot of fun.
I have always enjoyed hand crafts – embroidery the most. I always found solace and peace
while embroidering and that brought me a tremendous feeling of contentment.
As my children got older and I had more time on my hands, I returned to embroidery and
decided to not only expand my knowledge and skills, but to take it further and explore the
possibility of making it a business.
Awaking a Burning Desire to Create
In my search for a way to make that idea a reality I came across the School of Stitched Textiles,
and the City & Guilds textile art courses offered felt they would give me the guidance I needed, and also perfectly fit my
schedule.
The first course I took, Hand Embroidery Level 2 was challenging, I had never had formal embroidery or even art training. But the challenges made me feel alive, after each conquest I felt ready and eager to face many more. This course awoke a burning desire to create and learn all I could about embroidery and textile arts in general. It also made me learn about myself and establish artistic discipline in my busy life.
Course experience
The courses are structured in a way that it provides a scaffolding of tasks within modules that not only train you but make you want to do more. The tasks might feel a little frustrating at times, as the instructions seem somewhat vague, but I believe they are intently done so, and I
experienced an immense growth from navigating the course and conquering one task at a time.
You’re assigned a tutor that is available to help you throughout the course. My tutor was
incredible and supportive all through my first course. I am now in Hand Embroidery Skill Stage 3 course and luckily I have the same tutor, I am loving it just as much!
Future plans and advice
I wish I had more hours in a day to work on my projects but I make do with what I have right
now. My next steps are to deepen my study and knowledge about not only embroidery but
textile arts in general.
If I was able to, I would enrol in other courses within the school right now and work on them simultaneously. My plans are to keep on exploring techniques and define my own unique style, and start my own business.
My advice for new and prospective students is to embrace the course and explore the tasks they challenge you with. Be diligent and set yourself goals and deadlines, there are no classes, and you may get a little lost if you do not do that. Seek out your tutor often, they are a great
resource.
You will learn so much, not only about yourself but all the historical and cultural facets of your chosen field of study. It is definitely worth your time!
