About

Part of Durham's thriving artist community

Based in Fowlers Yard as part of an artist community in Durham City, Tracy designs, stitches, makes, produces, sells, manages, teaches, promotes, conserves, restores, all kinds of stitched textiles and embroideries.

Originally from Durham, Tracy studied pattern cutting and garment construction at Jacob Kramer College in Leeds, now known as Leeds College of Art and Design. Having successfully completed the BTEC Diploma and being awarded the Burton Trophy award, Tracy went on to complete a Costume Making course at London College of Fashion, then continuing to work in the industry until 1991.

September 1991, Tracy enrolled onto the three year apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework, and then went onto coordinating and teaching the apprenticeship. She left the school in 2001 to start her own freelance business back in the Northeast concentrating on teaching, designing, and producing her own work, as well as working on her own publications.

Moving to Fowlers Yard

In 2003, Tracy moved into premises in 3 Fowlers Yard, Back Silver Street, Durham City an artist's community. Within her workspace, Tracy teaches workshops, classes and courses, works on commission work and preparation for various works as well as being open to the public as a tourist attraction and sells specialist threads and materials for embroidery.

By 2006, Tracy and Julia Triston formed STITCHBUSINESS, an independent stitch school designed to offer a range of creative courses in design and art textiles, teaching City & Guilds courses levels 1-3 and bespoke specialist masterclasses.

Then in 2007, Tracy became Head Broderer to an already established group, at Durham Cathedral, a position she feels very privileged to have. Durham Cathedral is the greatest Norman building in England, perhaps even in Europe and together with the Castle, is one of Britain's first World Heritage Sites.