Carol Coleman

Carol has specialised in free-machine embroidery since 1997 and now teaches her methods and techniques to groups of embroiderers and textile artists throughout the UK.

Her work is often directly inspired by the materials and ‘finds’ of fossils, broken jewellery and other gems and minerals to create fantasy jewellery, wall-hung pieces, boxes and larger wearable art.  Almost all her work is begun by using the sewing machine on dissolving film and finished by hand; giving the satisfying tactile experience that is part of the pleasure of embroidery.

Carol has published articles and workshops for Workshop on the Web, Stitch magazine, Classic Stitches, Sewing world and been featured in Flair, Workbox and Sewing World.

Carol demonstrates and exhibits at several needlecraft shows throughout the country, with some of her larger pieces appearing on the catwalk at Harrogate and the NEC.  She has three times had work accepted to Wearable Expressions, a biennial, juried open International Wearable Art Exhibition in California and exhibits as an individual as well as part of a group in the Yorkshire area.

Her most recent work is derived from her own photographs of rocks, shells, tree-bark and other interesting natural forms, often manipulated on computer before machine stitching to produce densely stitched panels.

Future plans include experimenting further with the Embellisher and other felting techniques, pushing the boundaries of using only stitch onto dissolving fabric and exploring the potential of more unusual and unlikely materials such as rubber, latex and other non-woven materials.