Lyn White’s journey into patchwork and quilting proves that it is never too late to unlock your creative potential. Having retired a few years ago, Lyn wanted to upskill and explore her artistic and stitching capabilities. With just a basic skirt made at school and no formal art background, she could never have imagined the transformation that lay ahead.
Having studied our advanced Patchwork and Quilting course (Skill Stage 4) she is sharing her experience of the challenge to to push boundaries, experiment fearlessly, and create designs unlike anything she had made before. Beyond skill, the course gave Lyn confidence. She now produces designs that can be transformed into quilts, prints, greeting cards, and coasters. Looking ahead, Lyn plans to exhibit regionally and nationally and develop a series of designs that showcase her new techniques.
Lyn’s story is proof that the right guidance, structure, and creative freedom can transform passion into exceptional work. She encourages anyone at any stage of their creative journey to take the leap. With dedication, imagination, and expert tuition, the results are nothing short of remarkable.
Lyn White
“The course has given me more confidence to try new techniques. The unique quilt designs I have created are testament as to how much I have learned during this course.”
My Experience
I have been patchwork and quilting since 2011 and having retired a couple of years ago, was keen to upskill in respect of my artistic and stitch capabilities. Prior to taking up patchwork and quilting, I had limited sewing experience (I made a skirt at school), and certainly had no background in art. Forty plus years on from the skirt, I find stitching can be fun, addictive, and creative.
Early in my patchwork and quilting journey, I completed a Machine Embroidery, Level 1, City and Guilds accredited course through my local craft shop. It gave me some very good basics with regard machine stitching, colour and design. Subsequently, my focus has been on learning new quilting techniques from others, as well as making numerous quilts. Alongside this I have undertaken several exhibition challenges, and commissions, which have allowed me to design my own pieces. I have enjoyed this aspect immensely and have won quite a number of prizes, but still felt I needed to learn more.
So my goal in doing this course was to essentially broaden my skills. I was keen to develop my capability further using a wider range of artistic techniques that I could use in my quilts. I think I achieved this in my adjacent assessment piece – this being one of three panels which was inspired by the wildfires in California early 2025.
I heard about the School of Stitched Textiles through another quilter, who had recently completed the programme. Her experience inspired and motivated me to give it a go.
Studying Quilting
My designs are so different to anything I had done before. Whilst I was never a ‘traditional’ quilter, I think the course has enabled me to take my quilt making to the next level.
The samples we made were a great way to experiment with a variety of techniques and resources; some of which I am looking forward to incorporating into my future designs.
The other aspect of the course I found very interesting was researching the history of quilt making in various countries. It was fascinating to see how quilt design and techniques have evolved over time. I also enjoyed researching other artists’ work. Before I started this course, I used to skim through Pinterest looking at quilts, but now I find it inspiring taking time to look more closely at individual artist’s ideas.
Future Goals
I liked and will continue the design process we followed. Research, drawing ideas, creating samples and finally making the piece. However, my drawing skills are amateurish, so I am planning to complete the SST Drawing for Design course.
Looking forward, my goal is to design and make quilts to exhibit at regional and national events. I’d like to create a ‘series’ of designs using the new techniques I have learned, that can be made into small quilts, patterns, cards or prints to sell.
I would definitely recommend this course to others. It is well-structured, easy to follow and flexible, so you can undertake the modules at your own pace within the broader guidelines. It took me longer than planned to complete a couple of the modules, but I found I caught up during the next module. My tutor was very supportive providing great advice and feedback throughout the course.
Advice For New Students
The course has given me more confidence to try new techniques. The unique quilt designs I have created are testament as to how much I have learned during this course. The above assessment quilt is beyond what I could have done at the start of the course. It was inspired by geometric shapes and colour I created in my self-chosen design project.
The final area I loved was using my designs to make products. This was very satisfying. I used the above design to create, art prints, a quilt pattern, greeting cards and coasters.
My advice to prospective students is to give it a go. Its loads of fun and the results are amazing. It doesn’t matter where you are in your journey; you will be amazed at what you can achieve!
