I am an artist, researcher, stitcher, teacher and researcher whose practice moves between drawing and stitch.
Making has taken me in directions I could never have predicted. My background spans teaching, art and community practice, and over time textiles and drawing have become central to the way I explore ideas, identity, belonging, memory and place.
I am particularly interested in the knowledge held within the making, what we learn through our hands, through repetition, observation and working alongside others, Travel, particularly my encounters with textile traditions and makers in India, has profoundly influenced the way I think about stitch, learning and cultural exchange.
I am currently undertaking a practice based PhD at Arts University Bournemouth. Alongside my research I make my own work, teach workshops give talks and develop participatory textile projects that bring people together through making.
For me, stitch is both a visual language and a way of thinking—a process of drawing, recording, and reflecting that allows ideas to emerge slowly through the rhythm of making.
If you’d like to see current projects and travels, you can follow along here:
📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook
For enquiries, collaborations, or conversations about textiles, please feel free to get in touch.
I love talking about textiles and working with others to share skills, ideas, and a passion for making. I deliver talks on textile traditions alongside my contemporary practice, and teach classes in hand stitch and drawing.
My workshops explore a range of stitch-based techniques, including Indian-style embroidery, Kawandi, Sashiko-inspired stitching, visiblemending, freestyle stitch, indigo dyeing, and sketchbook development.Whether introducing new skills or encouraging creative exploration, myteaching is grounded in practical making, careful observation, and a thoughtful engagement with textiles and material culture.
TOURS/TRAVEL
I have a long-standing fascination with South Asian textiles. I first visited Gujarat and Agra in 2018 and was immediately captivated by the depth and diversity of textile traditions there. Since then, I have returned to Gujarat several times to learn more about regional embroidery practices and to work alongside makers. I currently host textile tours to India and Uzbekistan in collaboration with the Indian-based tour company Aahilya. Recent journeys have taken us to West Bengal and Odisha, as well as Nagaland, Assam, Delhi, and Rajasthan and Uzbekistan.
Travel is an important part of my practice. I’ll be returning to Northern India in 2027 with Aahilya for more carefully planned trips. These tours are a chance to meet artisans, learn about regional techniques, and experience textiles in the places and communities where they originate.
I’ve also spent time travelling, trekking, sketching, and researching textiles in Morocco and Nepal. I’m happiest with a sketchbook and needle in my bag, always looking, learning, and asking questions.
Textiles have an amazing way of connecting people, places, and stories, and that’s at the heart of everything I do—whether I’m making work in the studio, teaching, travelling, or researching. I’m currently studying for a PhD at Arts University Bournemouth, where my research focuses on embodied making through textile practice.
Check out the Aahilya holidays website for details of my UPCOMING Textile Tours:
For the quickest response contact me by email or social media (not through this website) for details on classes look at SewCreative Workshops and Talks for classes I teach in Petersfield, Hampshire.
Other stuff:
https://mrxstitch.com/helen-sill//helen-sill/
BIT OF BACKGROUND
I was an Embroiderers’ Guild Graduate and Guild Scholar and completed a Masters Degree in Fine Art in 2021 where my research interests were around making and community focusing on the rich textile traditions of Gujarat in North West India and the North East of England.
Past commissions have included work for West Dean Gardens, the Petersfield Museum and being Artist in Resident at Chichester Festival Theatre. My work is in private and public collections.
Granularity of language….
helen sill 