A Country Bouquet – Ribbon Embroidery

Tutor information

In 1979 Helen Roskell qualified at University of London, Goldsmiths College with a Bachelor in Education degree. During her time there she always had one eye on another department in the College! Goldsmiths’ highly-renowned Textiles Department was a thriving hub of creativity and on countless occasions she found herself wondering if she should have changed direction. She would spend time wandering along the Kingsway Corridor fascinated by the workrooms and the different forms of creative textile work in progress.

Since the age of four Helen has been interested in colour, stitch, form and texture. Even at this young age she would be arranging threads and fabrics into some kind of order and would glean pleasure from analysing tiny handmade pieces. Her love of the natural world and for collecting embroidery from all corners of the globe spilled into adulthood and she now has an extensive collection of antique textiles and reference books. In 1998 she obtained the City and Guilds Certificate in Creative Embroidery at Exeter College and as well as running the workshops she has given talks on stitch techniques and antique textile collections to W.I groups and Rotary Clubs as well as smaller embroidery groups.

All of Helen’s embroidered pieces are stitched entirely by hand and produced from her own sketchbooks and designs. The whole process is very detailed and time-consuming, but she is never tempted to use a machine as she feels this would compromise her individual style and detract from the experience of what she enjoys doing most.