When Elizabeth Hill signed up for our accredited Patchwork and Quilting course, she wasn’t chasing a qualification or working toward a defined career path. Instead, she was answering a quiet, persistent call. One rooted in a lifelong love for fabric, thread, and the gentle rhythm of making something beautiful by hand. What began as a personal passion evolved into a powerful journey of self-affirmation, creativity, and transformation.
Having spent her life immersed in nature and inspired by simplicity, Elizabeth’s relationship with needlework goes all the way back to childhood. Over the years, patchwork became more than a hobby; it was a form of reflection, healing, and artistic expression. Especially during significant life events like recovering from cancer. For Elizabeth, each stitch became a way to reconnect with herself and with the world around her.
The course didn’t just sharpen her skills; it shifted her perspective. Through engaging modules and design challenges, Elizabeth gained not only a deeper understanding of the craft but also the confidence to dream bigger. The course acted as a springboard, catapulting her into exciting new territory. She’s now planning to travel the world teaching arts and crafts aboard cruise ships!
Now, with sketchbooks full of ideas and a heart full of ambition, she’s focused on creating art quilts, exhibiting her work, and one day opening her own creative space. Her advice to others? Say yes to yourself. Invest in your passions. Because when you do, extraordinary things can happen. You’ll achieve your hand-stitched dreams.
“This course marked a significant turning point in my life, as embracing my true self led to profound changes. I subsequently secured an opportunity to teach arts and crafts on cruise ships, allowing me to travel globally!
My Advice? Say yes to yourself, even without having a forward plan.”
Elizabeth Hill
After careful consideration, I decided to enrol in the Skill Stage 2 Patchwork & Quilting course. This decision stemmed from a thoughtful evaluation of my personal interests, rather than being driven by a specific goal. My interest in patchwork has been long-standing, and I believe that pursuing activities aligned with my passions is all-important.
Since childhood, I have had a passion for needlework, often receiving commendations for my precise ‘Elizabethan stitches’. Approximately twenty years ago, while residing on a secluded mountaintop in France, I embarked on the creation of small patchwork wall hangings, utilizing fabric designs of my own creation.
Motivation for Studying
Twelve years ago, during my cancer recovery, I rediscovered quilting. The patchwork process gave me time to reflect, learn new techniques, and enjoy working with fabric again. I gifted this quilt, extending the joy and connection it brought.
Reflecting, I see that creativity involves hope. Creating is a journey of searching, healing, transforming, connecting, and expressing something new. Even small sparks of hope can help you move forward, day by day, stitch by stitch.
I have always been drawn to simplicity. Additionally, I appreciate painting, folk art, pottery, and gardening. Having spent a significant portion of my life in rural areas, I am an enthusiast of walking and engaging with nature.
My decision to pursue studies with the School of Stitched Textiles (SST) evolved naturally over time. I became aware of SST during the pandemic when I participated in a free online workshop led by Gail, where I created a hand-stitched cushion cover. The process of selecting and stitching the fabrics was thoroughly enjoyable. After considering the various courses available, I determined that an accredited program would best align with my commitment to craftsmanship and building a strong foundational skill set, which I also developed through my previous experience with City & Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery. I chose to enrol in Level 2 and decided to specialise in Patchwork and Quilting.
My primary motivation was to affirm my own interests and aspirations. I came across an issue of Art Quilter magazine, which provided significant inspiration. This experience left an impression on me, and the goal of becoming an art quilter remains one of my aspirations. I also have maintained numerous sketchbooks filled with ideas and designs and I envision these concepts being developed into quilts, patchwork and clothing pieces in the future.
The SST offer a friendly, accessible online learning experience with talks from contemporary textile artists and inspiring work by alumni. The variety of available courses allow you to see other students’ work and connect with people globally.
Achieving Hand-Stitched Dreams
This course marked a significant turning point in my life, as embracing my true self led to profound changes. I subsequently secured an opportunity to teach arts and crafts on cruise ships, allowing me to travel globally!
My Advice? Say yes to yourself, even without having a forward plan. If textiles excite you, as they do me, then explore that and be curious. When you invest in yourself, amazing things can happen. There will be distractions along the way but keep the end goal in mind – you’ve made the investment in yourself. The course may challenge you in unexpected ways – this is growth! Keep going to the end!
The most beneficial lesson I have learned relates to the design module, which presented the greatest challenge for me. Due to my inclination towards spontaneity, this module taught me the importance of adaptability, time management, flexibility, and the confidence to explore multiple options before finalizing a design.
What’s Next?
My next plans? I aim to create art quilts and unique patchwork pieces. I also plan to join a sewing community, engage in therapeutic projects, further my studies, and finish my current projects. My goals also include exhibiting at craft fairs, selling my work, and eventually opening a haberdashery and workshop space. I plan to develop these ideas and explore my options now that I’m back after an inspiring year of round-the-world adventure.
I highly recommend this course as it provides dedicated time for self-development as an artist, enhancing your work and advancing it to a higher level of professionalism. It is also an excellent foundation for all creative textile ventures. Start here!
Maintaining a record of learning is part of the course and it also serves as an effective self-reflection tool. This practice allows for the realization of certain truths regarding one’s work habits. For me I realize that patchwork serves as both an interior and exterior pathway. There is a spiritual element to the process of creating, transforming fabrics into new forms, repurposing, and salvaging materials, one stitch at a time.
The outcomes reflect the effort you invest. The time it takes depends on how much time you want to dedicate. This course is designed to inspire and encourage you to invest your best effort, as it is aimed at providing personal fulfilment and intrinsic reward for something that matters to you.
I have learned that patchwork and quilting symbolize my personal journey, providing a structured and joyful way to express my creativity while simultaneously navigating life’s pathways.
