Bridget Bailey is known for her intriguing ideas, observations and very particular skills with materials.

Over a career spanning almost 4 decades, Bridget has created pleated scarves for Liberty, designed and made hats for many clients including Jean Muir and Saks Fifth Avenue, and brought her Pea pod jewellery to the V&A. She has also developed an international reputation as a teacher over the last 10 years.

Besides all this Bridget says her greatest achievement is somehow managing to change and evolve and find ways of being relevant over her 35 years of making. If only there was an award for that!

In 2017 Bridget opened her first solo exhibition entitled Absolutely Buzzing. This exhibition about insects offered the chance of an investigative making-challenge at Inspired by… Gallery, in the North York Moors National Park.

Irem Yazici was born in Istanbul Turkey. She studied public relations and advertising at Anadolu University.

Irem says: I didn’t like my department and I didn’t want to work in an agency. I feared when I graduated, I would be sucked into a lifestyle that I did not want. So I stopped going to classes and delayed my graduation. With dropping the classes, I had so much free time. Then I suddenly took an interest in embroidery. I spontaneously bought some fabric and threads. That was the best decision I made in my life….

In this interview, Irem reveals how she transfers images from her imagination into her delightful miniature hoop landscapes and explains exactly why embroidery is so precious to her.

Irem Yazici, Celebration in the Forest, 2016, 4” x 4”, Hand Stitch

Author, artist, advocate and social entrepreneur Mary is a global leader in the arena of social change through positive thought and action. Her interview with TextileArtist.org in 2016 was seen by over 6,000 people, many of which were moved to contact us:

Singularly one of the most powerful, thoughtful and socially motivated artists I know. A leader, a big heart with massive creative talent. Cas Holmes

We bring to a close our Artists that inspire series with Mary’s thoughts on inspiration and we discover who has influenced her throughout her prestigious career.

Mary Fisher, He’s My Baby, 2009