Susan Bates

Susan Bates is an experienced textile designer who regularly designs cross stitch and embroidery patterns for magazines, books and companies who sell cross stitch kits. To date she has published a number of books on cross-stitch and one on freestyle embroidery. Her book, 'Beautiful Stitches' uses simple freestyle embroidery techniques to create an array of sumptuous designs. The book covers a wide range of subjects, such as birds, flowers, country cottages, gardens and animals and displays Susan's love of colour and detail. Susan's set of cross stitch mini motif books each focus on a different theme. There are floral designs, birds, animal and scenes from nature, plus many more mini motifs. Susan regularly contributes to cross-stitch magazines in the UK and in Turkey. Her designs feature many different subjects, but it is her love of flowers and birds that really catches the eye. Susan's background is in fine art (painting) and she also has a love of textiles. Her cross-stitch designs reflect these influences. Her designs are beautifully detailed and richly coloured. At a young age Susan learnt to sew and knit and it was then that she developed her love for textiles, especially her interest in embroidery. She is an avid knitter and also teaches a beginners knitting and crochet class. She has also previously taught dressmaking. Susan's designs are suitable for beginners and for those wanting a more challenging level of stitching, as she designs for many different levels of ability.