Somewhere between a pandemic and a ceremony at London’s Guildhall lies one of the most quietly remarkable journeys we have seen at SST. For now, it ends with opus anglicanum, the medieval English embroidery once prized across Europe. It began when Bronagh Sullivan enrolled at a time when the world had shut its doors and online study was the only way in. She kept going long after those doors reopened, working through Skill Stage 2, Skill Stage 3 and finally Skill Stage 4 in hand embroidery.
When Bronagh first shared her story with us in 2023, she had just finished Skill Stage 2. She was working part-time in a craft shop, planning workshops using beach shells, and hoping one day to join the Durham Cathedral Broderers. She was also thinking about Skill Stage 4. Three years on, she has done all of it. She leads her own embroidery classes using shells, sea glass, buttons and beads, and stitches alongside the cathedral’s broderers, most recently as part of the team behind ‘Circle of Life’, an opus anglicanum commission for the 400th anniversary of the Worshipful Company of Upholders.
Yet the heart of this story is not the cathedral or the ceremony. It is a stitcher who wanted to prove to herself that she belonged among the people she now works beside, and who discovered that she did.
If her story has stirred something in you, the City & Guilds accredited Skill Stage 4 Hand Embroidery course at SST could be your next step. Studied online with dedicated tutor support, it is designed for experienced stitchers ready to deepen their technique and develop a creative voice of their own. New to formal study? Skill Stage 2 is where Bronagh began. Find out more about our beginner’s hand embroidery course.
“Be dedicated and organised, banish imposter syndrome, and if for no other reason, do it for yourself.”
Bronagh Sullivan, Hand Embroidery Skill Stage 4
Unfinished Business and Something to Prove
I have recently completed Skill Stage 4 in Hand Embroidery, having previously completed Skill Stages 2 and 3. It was always my aim to complete every Skill Stage. If I hadn’t, I think I would have felt like it was unfinished business and that I had missed out on something (and I would have been right)!
More specifically, I enrolled on Skill Stage 4 because I wanted to keep learning and challenging myself. I also wanted to prove to myself that I was on a par with the embroiderers I now stitch with on a regular basis.
It was important for me to choose an accredited course. I needed to be sure I was signing up for something rigorous and recognised, and that offered real progression.
SST’s accredited courses have fitted the bill perfectly. At first, it was crucial that everything was online (spot the person who first enrolled during a pandemic)! Since then, studying online has continued to be a huge benefit to someone living in the far north of England.
More Knowledge, More Confidence and So Much Enjoyment
I have gained several invaluable things on this latest course: an even greater breadth of knowledge and experience, a further boost to my confidence, a great sense of achievement and, last but not least, so much enjoyment.
Each module is very well structured, with a balance of research and practical tasks and an emphasis on developing your own creative style. Feedback, support and advice from a dedicated tutor is always speedy, constructive and encouraging.
Unsurprisingly, I highly recommend the courses I have studied with SST.
Shells, Sea Glass and Opus Anglicanum: Where Hand Embroidery Has Taken Me
Having left teaching, I now work in a craft shop, where I also use my teaching skills to deliver a variety of creative hand embroidery classes I have devised, incorporating things like shells, sea glass, buttons and beads.
I am also now one of the broderers at Durham Cathedral, working alongside very experienced and skilled embroiderers on a wide variety of projects. The latest of these was ‘Circle of Life’, an opus anglicanum commission to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Worshipful Company of Upholders. It was unveiled earlier this month at a fabulous ceremony at the Guildhall, London.
Going forward, I will continue to learn, try new things, improve my skills and have fun. In the days and weeks after finishing the course, I had a nagging feeling that I was wasting my time and not being very productive. Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed having the summer off from coursework, I have decided to enrol on the Royal School of Needlework’s Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery.
I will continue to teach embroidery classes in my local area, and I will ponder how I can get a studio space of my own… A bit of a pipe dream, maybe, but who knows?
My advice to anyone thinking of enrolling on a course? Don’t hesitate. Be dedicated and organised, banish imposter syndrome and, if for no other reason, do it for yourself.
Every Skill, Every Stage
From an online course started in uncertain times to a place among Durham Cathedral’s broderers, Bronagh’s journey shows what steady, dedicated study can open up. It is also a reminder that the voice of imposter syndrome rarely tells the truth. We are so proud to have been part of every Skill Stage of her progress, and we cannot wait to see where her needle, and perhaps that studio of her own, takes her next. Don’t forget to visit our Student Excellence Awards where you can see more of Bronagh’s work.
