I believe that every single stitch you make is a BEAUTIFUL STITCH. Each stich is a small brush of love on the fabric, which records forever the time you put aside to create something special with your own hands.
Hi! My name is Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes. I am a passionate embroidery artist and teacher based in Perth, Western Australia. I believe in building creative confidence so that everyone can discover the joy of making and creating.
I love the feel of needle and thread in my fingers. The freedom to sew every day is a gift I treasure. When I am engrossed in a project, time is almost suspended in the meditative joy that comes with the rhythm of stitching.
I love colour – blue skies, green grass, white snow, grey mountains, purple flowers, burgundy dresses, yellow egg yolks, and even pink food colouring! Amazing colour surrounds us everywhere and I am constantly inspired to stitch with rich, vibrant colour palettes.
I love the history of embroidery. Every time I work a stitch, I am echoing an action that has been repeated by countless artisans and craftswomen for centuries. My humble needle and thread connect me to the past, the present and the future.
I love embroidery from every corner of the globe. I love the fact that when I see a piece of embroidery I immediately feel a sense of connection to the maker because I know just how much work it took to create each beautiful stitch. Even if we do not share a common oral language, we are connected by the language of needle and thread.
My passion is helping you to create beautiful hand embroidered items.
I love the joy that comes with sharing my passion – by teaching someone else to sew. When a student starts to understand my style of stitching and is inspired to design their own pieces, my heart is filled with joy and contentment.
Other stuff you might not know about me…
1) I love to dance in my kitchen when doing the washing up – there has to be something to make the dull chores of life more fun!
2) My least favourite chore – cleaning bathrooms. We have three at our house. WHAT??? Who thought that would be a good idea!!!
2) I love to cook because I love to eat. Bliss is a home cooked meal made with fresh ingredients, shared with family and friends.
3) I have moved all my life – I sometimes feel like I am a rolling stone. But I would not change those experiences for anything – they have provided countless wonderful memories!
4) I am an optimist and I like to believe that there is good in everyone – I am just wired that way.
5) I listen to storybooks when I am stitching – it is a wonderful way to do two of my favourite things at once.
6) If I had a time machine I would go back as a rich person to the Jane Austen era – just so that I could wear a gorgeous dress of embroidered silk and dance with a handsome gentleman wearing pantaloons!
7) My family is everything to me. My husband, my two children, my parents, my sister and her family are unashamedly the centre of my world. I am a very lucky woman 🙂