Spotlight Textiles

Rose was born in Hilversum in the Netherlands as the eldest of 4 children. She started sewing at an early age as her mother used to be a tailor and there were always bits of fabric and thread in the house. She sewed on her mum’s sewing machine making doll’s clothes when very young and upcycled garments in her teenage years. She trained and worked as a pharmacist’s assistant studying chemistry, physics and Latin. In 1971 she came to England for a few months to improve her English with the intention to then also live and work in Germany and France for a few months to improve her knowledge of those languages. However, she met her husband when working in London and the rest is history. While living in London she worked for a South African bank in the city as a money dealer as she speaks several languages. After getting married she moved to Felixstowe in 1976 and carried on stitching mainly making clothes for herself and her 2 children and other domestic sewing. In the 1990’s she ...

Karen was born in Yorkshire, and her secondary schooling was in Beverley. She then went to Manchester University and completed a degree in American Studies.   A one-year PGCE in Nottingham followed, after which she taught primary aged children for many years, a career which she loved.   Both her children were born in Nottingham, but not too long afterwards her husband was offered a job in Cambridge, and this is where they settled for the next 26 years. Karen taught in four different schools in Cambridgeshire and was also asked to become a member of the PGCE teaching team at Cambridge University’s Faculty of Education.  One of the highlights of her teaching career was to work on a project alongside the education team at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and write a paper on the value of outdoor education.   Karen has always loved textiles. Both her mother and grandmother were great dressmakers, and she has inherited a love of fabric and the u...