Where did it all begin?

Where Did It All Begin?

I am about to reveal a passion that has remained concealed for nearly sixty years—so well hidden, in fact, that even I barely recognized it myself.

My mother owned a treadle sewing machine, which she used to make our summer shift dresses. When I was around nine, I received my first Singer Junior sewing machine, allowing me to create clothes for my dolls and other small items. In junior school, both boys and girls learned cross-stitch every Friday afternoon. As teenagers, my friends and I designed outfits on Saturday afternoons to wear to the church hall disco that evening.

During secondary school, we participated in sewing classes during the first and second years, where our first project was to create an apron for domestic science classes, followed by a peg bag to hang on the laundry line at home. Fabrics and threads have always been integral to my life, and these skills were still deemed essential until around 1975—even at a Grammar School!

Throughout my journey, I have never been without a sewing machine. I created clothes, curtains (including for clients), blinds, bedding, cushions, and much more. Upon graduating from University, my initial jobs were in upholstery factories. As the company designer, I gained insight into the challenges faced by professional seamstresses who were using Japanese ‘walking foot’ machines, as well as the women who completed sofas and chairs with hand 'slip stitching'.

I collaborated with Italian and Belgian textile mills to design new Jacquard textiles for two upholstery companies, even having my own initialed ‘piece glass’ to count threads before making purchases.

In 2003, I picked up a needle and coloured cotton threads, embroidering my way through the weeks of quitting smoking. Whenever temptation crept into my thoughts, I would immerse myself in a complex embroidery piece I had designed, stitching away until all cravings for nicotine vanished. Unfortunately, I lost that piece in a flood in Vietnam (almost certainly stolen).

This marked the beginning of an embroidery renaissance for me, and since then, I've always had a piece of embroidery in progress. I completed a medium-sized piece to celebrate ten years of living aboard a wide beam Dutch barge. I also created a small embroidered map of the beautiful river island neighborhood that served as my home, studio, and gallery for five years in Vietnam.

While in Vietnam, I had the opportunity to employ local tailors to bring my clothing and embroidery designs to life. The girls worked with remarkable speed and precision. It was there that I discovered Sashiko embroidery from Japan, which I now incorporate to add new interest and durability to my favorite linen garments.

Now that I have returned to my homeland, which I feel I am seeing clearly for the first time, I am developing a continuous collection of small embroideries to celebrate my ‘Joy of Living.’ I pair the finished 30 cm squares with the most sumptuous velvets I can find to create goose-down-filled Art Cushions that can be displayed on a cherished old chair or a bannister. They have become so popular among art collectors that keeping up with sales has become quite a challenge! Who would have thought it!

Currently, all my hand embroidered Art Cushions are sold but I will keep on creating. If you would like to put your name on a waiting list to be informed of new pieces, please send me an email: hello@bridget-march.com