Susan Bates
How did you begin cross stitching?
As a child I was always sewing and knitting. My mum used to make a lot of clothes for us, so I grew up helping her sew. I taught myself how to cross stitch as before that I was stitching needlepoint designs, using yarn and 10-count canvas. For me, cross stitch is just an extension of my interest in sewing.
How did you begin designing?
I studied fine art at Bath college, specialising in painting. Because of my art degree, drawing is something I do a lot and I take in influences from many places, such as the V&A in London. My love of sewing encouraged me to look at fabric and understand how patterns are used in fabric design. And so I
