Sheila Apperley

Throughout her life Sheila, has had a a strong desire to express her creativity through fabric and other mediums. She vividly remembers mastering her grandmothers old treadle sewing machine at the age of ten allowing her to make her own clothes.

Sheila studied Silversmithing, enamelling and metalwork, and was registered with Edinburgh Assay Office, she designs, makes and sells bespoke jewellery.

She has completed a three year City & Guilds course in Creative Textiles, Embroidery and Design.

She gained a Teaching Certificate and a Reflexology Diploma which have proven invaluable throughout her professional and artistic careers.

Sheila has a wide knowledge of paper-craft and has taught on this subject at various venues as well as demonstrating and creating sample cards for a rubber stamp company.

In her professional career Sheila was a Registered Nurse and Midwife advancing to Senior Midwifery Sister on a busy Labour Ward. She was a mentor to student midwives and was a visiting lecturer for undergraduate midwives at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The varied situations encountered throughout her career have given her a host of skills and experience which have been easily transferable into the role of craft instructor on board a cruise ship. She has worked on the MSC Cruise Line along with her husband Richard as Craft Demonstrators for the last three years.

She has been a member of Durham City Embroiderers Guild for sixteen years and a member of the executive committee for ten years. For seven years she was programme secretary researching and booking speakers and tutors for their monthly meetings.

Sheila keeps up to date with current trends and new techniques as well as satisfying her creative needs by frequently visiting exhibitions and attending workshops.

Due to her interest across a wide spectrum of crafts her classes are varied and interesting and she is always researching for new ideas which are destinations inspired.

Sheila is patient, supportive with a convivial personality and gains satisfaction from helping people unleash their own creativity. She regularly exhibits her textile work throughout the country and more recently abroad.