Vanessa Rush didn’t set out to become a patchwork and quilting student. In fact, she wasn’t even looking for a course at all! She was looking for “something to fill a void” she’d only half-noticed in her busy life as a tax advisor. But one accidental click led her to the School of Stitched Textiles, where the work of our graduates stopped her in her tracks. Stupendous, she said. Work she instantly knew she wanted to be part of.
With no quilting experience and just a background in making her own clothes, Vanessa signed up for our beginner Patchwork & Quilting course (Skill Stage 2). She wanted to test a quiet question she’d been carrying for years: Am I capable of designing something from scratch? What followed was a journey of patience, creative discovery, joyful mistakes and the realisation that structured, accredited study can be deeply nourishing. It’s the kind of nourishment that spills into every part of life.
Vanessa is now studying our Patchwork & Quilting Skill Stage 3, creating with confidence, and connecting with a community of like-minded makers who inspire her daily. This is her #MyStitchJourney.
“The joy of undertaking a course of study in a subject such as this is nourishing for the soul, impacting positively on all areas of life.”
Looking to ‘Fill A Void’
I have no experience whatsoever in patchwork and quilting but am familiar with a sewing machine, as I have made my own clothes for many years, which has proved to be helpful.
I had been hunting around on the internet for something to fill a void that I was only half aware of. I can’t remember now what I’d been searching for, but I came across the School of Stitched Textiles.
I wasn’t even searching for Patchwork and Quilting courses, but I remember being inspired by the list of options and tempted by them all. I decided upon Patchwork and Quilting as I thought it would utilise an existing skill set as well as teaching me more. I was particularly interested in whether I had the ability to design something from scratch. To investigate what creativity I might be capable of. And I have always sought out the cross over of creativity with usefulness which results in beautiful practical items.
Motivation For Studying
I didn’t know how I might use what I had learnt in the future and therefore, whilst I hadn’t knowingly pursued an accredited course, once I realised it was available it seemed a wise choice to make. I was attracted to the school from it’s initial professional presentation via its website and other mediums. And once I saw the wonderful work produced by its graduates, I was sure it was a school I wished to be a part of and that I could learn from. The work was stupendous, and students reports of their experience glowing.
The school is an invaluable resource for making contact with like minded people and for introductions to artists and makers and events of interest.
Finding Creativity In Patchwork And Quilting
More than anything I have learnt to have patience. The rewards reaped from allowing my brain time to ponder and process and the joy and value of mistakes.
I’ve enjoyed finding creativity in Patchwork and Quilting, so I have already enrolled onto Patchwork and Quilting Skill Stage 3. I’m really enjoying working through that.
Advice For New Students
I would not hesitate to recommend this course. I have found it mentally refreshing to undertake a course of study so different from my day job as a tax advisor. It has brought me joy both in the process of creating and making but also in discovering new artists and makers.
Just do it! Enrol! The joy of undertaking a course of study in a subject such as this is nourishing for the soul, impacting positively on all areas of life. And with an online course such as this from a school with a healthy communication and inclusion policy you get the best of all worlds. You’ll be able to work at your own pace, in your own way, as well as interacting with and learning from fellow students.
