My name is Barbara and I live in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs with my husband of 40 years. I trained as a nurse in the late 70’s and worked in various positions in nursing until my daughter was born. I began smocking when my daughter was small, I enjoyed the rhythm and precision of handwork. I moved on to ballet costumes and uniforms and all those things children get you into!
In 2004 I chanced upon a job offer to make dog training collars and harnesses and so began a new phase and relationship with my sewing machine.
I've always tended to sew things fairly fast in my impatience to get things done. My mum used to say I sewed with a "hot thread and burning needle" which I'm sure was not intended as a compliment! But thread painting and free motion embroidery really lend them selves to my way of doing things, so perhaps this technique was just waiting for me to discover it.
In recent years I have also delved into the world of pointillism, water colours and furniture restoration.