For Alison Fraser, creativity was once second nature. Inspired by her mother’s exquisite hand embroidery, she spent her early years immersed in knitting, patchwork, and needlework projects. But like so many of us, life took her in a different direction—into a decades-long career in finance that left little time for creative expression. That all changed when Alison made a bold decision: to step back from full-time work and reclaim her artistic identity.
Now a proud graduate of our Skill Stage 3 City & Guilds Accredited Intermediate Textile Course, Alison shares how the course helped her overcome self-doubt, reconnect with her creative instincts, and build the skills she needed to flourish as a textile artist. With the flexible, structured learning provided by the School of Stitched Textiles—and the unwavering support of her tutor—Alison not only rediscovered her passion but also developed the confidence to create and exhibit her own textile art.
If you’re looking for a way to unlock your creative potential, no matter how long it’s been since you last picked up a needle or sketchbook, Alison’s story is living proof that it’s never too late to begin again.
“It has given me more confidence in my artistic abilities than I have ever had before. I now believe that I am capable of producing textile pieces that people will actually enjoy looking at. I didn’t believe any of this was possible before I started this course.”
Motivation for studying
As a youngster I was always working on a knitting, patchwork or embroidery project. My mother had taught me these skills at an early age. I remember being absolutely fascinated by the hand embroidered pieces she produced, and I wanted to be as artistically creative as she was. It was no surprise that I went to art college, just like she did.
After graduating from art college, life, with all its demands and complications, led me into a career in finance. Fast forward 30 years and I desperately wanted to find the time to be creative again. I made the decision to resign from my full-time job and find part-time work to free up some hours.
I thought it would be easy to pick up my artistic skills again but I struggled to put pencil to formulate my ideas on paper or fabric. I needed help. I searched online for a structured course that would provide the support of a tutor and came across the School of Stitched Textiles. I was excited – so many creative courses to choose from and at different levels too. But how to choose? Delving further into the SOST website, I found plenty of guidance on which course level best suited to my skills level. I decided on Textiles Level 3 which would enable me to study machine embroidery, patchwork and quilting.
Reigniting Creativity
I chose an accredited course with the School of Stitched Textiles (SST) as I wanted to invest in gaining a widely recognised and reputable qualification. SST clearly had well qualified and enthusiastic tutors and the online reviews were positive. Added to this, the flexibility of studying the course online would work best for me as I was still working part-time in finance.
I have always strived for perfection in everything that I do and the fear of making mistakes was holding me back from formulating ideas on paper. Early in the course I was taught how to throw off the shackles of fear and embrace imperfection! This experience was incredibly liberating and my ideas at last started to flow.
The course then progressed to teach me the fundamental skills required to become an able and confident textile artist. There were times when I questioned why I was doing certain tasks but, just past the half-way point, I was marvelling at how much I had learnt. Everything started to come together as I progressed onto the assessment pieces and I also started to see my own individual style emerge.
There were several occasions when I struggled to stay on track, trying to juggle coursework with an increasingly demanding part-time job that was eating into my creative hours. Despite this, and with support and encouragement from my tutor, Debs, I managed to complete all 12 modules within the time limit. I don’t believe I would have managed this without her.
Future Plans
I continue to work part-time but will be retiring at the end of June. I am looking forward to being able to spend more hours creating machine embroidered and appliquéd artwork.
I want to produce a sufficient body of work to apply for full membership of a Scottish textile art group which organises exhibitions across Scotland. I have recently become an associate member of this group, which will allow me to attend meetings, talks and workshops alongside other textile artists based in Scotland. I am very much looking forward to making new friends and contacts in this textile art community.
I would recommend this course in a heartbeat! It has given me more confidence in my artistic abilities than I have ever had before. I now believe that I am capable of producing textile pieces that people will actually enjoy looking at. I didn’t believe any of this was possible before I started this course.
I wasted a lot of time not quite knowing how to proceed on a couple of the earlier modules, so my biggest regret was not contacting my tutor for advice sooner. It wasn’t until the second half of the course that I realised she could quickly help me focus my ideas and point me in the right direction. So, my advice would be to not hesitate to contact your tutor as soon as you feel in need of some additional support or guidance.
