My Fibre Art Journey

Welcome to my creative space! Here, I'll share the story of how Escape Textile Art began and my adventures in becoming a fibre artist. Grab yourself a coffee and enjoy my story.

 

Creativity has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.  Even at primary school,  I was fascinated by colour and texture.  One of my earliest creative memories is making pictures from scrunched up tissue paper - I loved how something so simple could be transformed into something full of life and feeling. That joy of experimenting and playing never really left me. 

As I grew older,  my creativity evolved into drawing and painting, and I happily tried my hand at all sorts of crafts.  I've always been curious, always eager to learn, and always drawn to making things with my hands.

Everything changed in my 30s when I got a job in a local craft and hobby shop. It opened up a whole new world for me. Surrounded by materials, ideas, and inspiration, every day I discovered a deep love of textiles. It was there that I created my first abstract painting using fabric and my sewing machine.  I also knitted constantly and collected an ever growing stash of wool, which inevitably found its way into my artwork.  I was completely hooked - lost in my own creative world of fabric, fibre, and colour. Sadly,  that wonderful shop closed, and I had to move on. But my love of textiles never faded. By then, I new in my heart that my lifelong ambition was to become a full-time, self-employed artist - even if I didn't yet know how I would get there.

By the time I reached 50, I was working as a food hall manager at a local garden centre.  Although I enjoyed the job, I couldn't stop thinking about slowing down and devoting more time to my art. Eventually,  I plucked up the courage to step down and go part time - a small but very important step towards the life I truly wanted.

In 2023, I felt another creative shift. I decided to create my textile paintings using merino wool instead.  I spent two years teaching myself how to felt, experimenting,  learning and gaining confidence.  When I felt ready,  I invited friends and family to my home to share what I'd been creating.  Their response was overwhelming and incredibly encouraging- it inspired me to keep going. 

Before long , friends who owned coffee shops offered me space on their walls to exhibit my work. I made sales, which was exciting, but a big question remained: how do I turn this into a full-time business? I needed to be able to take a wage, and the whole idea felt daunting. 

By this point, my art had outgrown the kitchen table,  so I transformed my spare room into a studio.  I also reached out for support from Perthshire Business Gateway,  which turned out to be exactly what I needed.  A few meetings gave me clarity, confidence and a real buzz, for the first time it all started to feel possible. 

In 2025, I took another brave step and applied to join Perthshire Artisans.  Being accepted was a huge moment for me.  It helped me truly believe that my work had value and that it deserved to be seen. I went on to organise several exhibitions,  all of which were a great success and gave me the courage to finally cut the apron strings after 10 years at the garden centre,.

With a rewritten business plan and a very full heart, I made the decision to take the leap.  At the end of December 2025, I handed in my notice. I invested my private pension- with the intention of paying it back - and purchased a beautiful log cabin, which will soon be built in my garden. This will be my very own studio, where I'll create my artwork and run workshops. 

I'm happy to say that everything is finally falling into place. This journey has taken time, patience and determination - but I truly believe that determination will get me there.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my website and follow my journey.  I'm still working on it, and my online shop will be opening  this year 2026. I will continue to add updates, so I hope you'll pop back and visit again. 

 

With love,

Wendy X