Textiles

In textiles, student artists are empowered to create items for themselves and others, learning everyday skills such as replacing buttons and mending clothes, as well as more creative skills such as needlework, knitting, scrapbooking, and using sewing machines. They can work on their own or in small groups to make fabric artwork, including quilts, wall hangings, bags and soft furnishings. Textiles at Rowan is led by tutor Hilary Sugai and Sarah Khan.

Hilary joined Rowan as a volunteer in 2011, before joining the team as a tutor and establishing the textiles studio in 2013. Before joining Rowan, Hilary worked to deliver the Cambridge City Council’s Children and Young people’s Participation Service (ChYpPS), offering arts and crafts activities to families in Cambridge, and was also an arts and crafts instructor at Kneesworth House Hospital.

Sarah joined Rowan in November 2024. Sewing and creating are her passions and does this whenever possible. Passing on this passion and enabling others to do the same is such a privilege and something she relishes. Her specialisms are soft furnishings, alterations and re-imagining clothing. She studied Performing Arts, is a Forest School Teacher and a trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant). All of these skills support her role at Rowan.

If you are interested in getting crafty with textiles – why not become a student?