| Carol Wilkes Life is too short to view our elements as single images alone- - - |  Carol |  "Gathering Moss" | I was born and raised in rural New South Wales, into a family of knitters, dressmakers and fancy-workers.I reside in the picturesque Blue Mountains west of Sydney where I work and stitch from my studio home. I specialize in the art of free machine embroidery, hand embroidery and quilt design. My teaching takes me all around Australia and I have taught in Japan and New Zealand as well as exhibiting around the world. | Having completed many years of formal study and the accumulation of extensive experience and expertise, has determined where I am today. |  detail, "Gathering Moss" |  "Earth's Crusty Layer" | When asked what I do, I reply that I am a surface embellishment technician, an experimentalist and embroiderist. I often add that I am also obsessed, possessed, and passionate about all that is textile. It's my life. I love to motivate others into learning how to relax, enjoy, play and most of all keep questioning and asking over and over "What Happens If?" | Because of my addiction to textile and related THINGS, I have built up a huge resource of samples. My sample books will continue to grow. As I play and experiment with new THINGS, or rediscover the old, I will always keep a sample of my plays as reference. It is these plays that are the basis of a lot of my teachings. |  detail, "Earth's Crusty Layer" |  "The Passing of Time" | Although I exhibit regularly and do the odd commissioned piece, my first love is teaching, creating and sharing. I have often been referred to as The Tupperware Tutor (When I arrive the whole car unloads with samples, visuals, etc) and others have been known to say "there is that shoulder pad and panty hose lady", not because I look like a front row footie player with stilettos, but because these items are found regularly in my work. | Nothing escapes me. If it can be stitched it will certainly be there. It may not always be recognisable, but be assured it will be there. |  "Body Art" | |