Pauline Verrinder teaches embroidery throughout the UK and abroad on occasions, runs two exhibiting fibre arts groups, an annual show - Textiles in Focus and has written 4 books with her textile arts group Fibre Fusion. Luckily she managed to fit some time into her busy schedule to be interviewed by us:
So Pauline, let's start at the beginning, how did you first get interested in sewing, specifically embroidery?
I have always been interested in arts and crafts as long as I can remember. As a child I dabbled with pretty much everything. We lived in a country on a farm so I didn't have access to materials easily so I used to just make things with whatever I could find around me. It wasn't until I had my first son that I actually went to any formal classes. Prior to that I used to devour every book or magazine I could find! Once I started having children, we had no money so whatever I wanted for myself, my kids or the home I had to make.
How did you first get into embroidery?
I couldn't really get out much whilst I was at home with the children I started inviting friends over to the house, initially just for coffee and a chat. We soon got bored of just that and started bringing something to stitch. I taught people what I already knew and if someone wanted to learn something new I would go out of my way to learn how to do it and then teach them.
Is that when you first started teaching?
Well after 4 or 5 years of informally teaching friends I was invited to teach an evening class. After that I decided to get my formal teaching qualifications. Then I went down the City & Guild route. I was teaching it up until 2 years ago, until the government withdrew a lot of the funding and many of the courses stopped. Unfortunately the centre where I taught was closed down.
So are you entirely self taught in embroidery?
I did do a City & Guilds, plus I am also rather into cookery so I did a City & Guilds in cookery too. For a while I taught both, but one had to go so the cookery went.
Now you travel the country teaching?
Yes, literally the whole country. I was just working out the other day that I have been as far north as Inverness as far south as Jersey teaching, and many points in between. Sometimes I teach at colleges, sometimes at groups and guilds. I also teach abroad too, I will be spending a month in Australia and New Zealand teaching next year. 
Where do you get the inspiration for your embroidery?
Generally it is a topic that I have set for one of my exhibiting groups; I try to do the same work that I set them. For instance our last exhibition the topic was ‘affinity', we all took our own inspiration from that. In my case it was seed heads, I tend to be inspired by nature.
Do you have preferred materials or techniques?
I do a lot of free machine embroidery, but I do a lot of hand embroidery too. I think the whole point with creative embroidery these days is that it is mixed media, we incorporate about every media going. One day I could be making felt and the next making paper, one day on the embellisher and another making buttons or beads! A lot of people who are into creative embroidery like to be doing different things all the time, they tend to get bored otherwise.
What lead to you setting up your fibre arts groups - Fibre Fusion and Fen Edge Textiles?
I found that often when the students doing the City & Guilds finished their diploma they had nowhere else to go. So initially I set up an advanced workshop which a lot of them joined. Then in about 2001 I started Fibre Fusion, they were a particularly good workshop group, they got on well together and there was a lot of talent within the group. So I decided it was time to set them up as an exhibiting group.
How did you end up writing books together?
Around the time Fibre Fusion was created one of the girls bought a new book with her and we were looking through it when she said ‘we could do that'. I wanted to try and show them that it wasn't that easy to write a book, so I set them a project as if they were working on a book and explained that they had to bring new and innovative ideas forward if they were going to write a book. We all really enjoyed doing it and were coming up with such good work after 3 or 4 sessions that we decided to write our own book. We worked on it for around 6-9 months, initially we were each writing our own chapters but it really didn't work as there were too many different writing styles. So in the end we decided that everyone would have an input but I would write the books so the style would be consistent throughout. Everyone has contributed ideas, samples, techniques and images for the book and I bring it all together.
Now you have 4 books - are you working on anymore? 
That's right, we have now published 4 books, On Form, Beyond Boundaries, Encrustation and Evolutions. More information and the option to purchase the books can be found on our site. We are currently working on a 5th book. We can't tell you much about it at the moment as we are still in the very early stages and coming up with ideas.
How long does it take for you to produce a book, from the idea stage to published book?
It does vary a lot, for instance recently we have been focused on our exhibition and not the book. However the book will be out within a year.
How many exhibitions do you tend to do a year?
Because it is travelling we move it to several different places, we started in the NEC at Fashion Embroidery and Stitch and I am now currently finalising venues now in Newbury, Edinburgh and Newcastle hopefully. The details will be added to the site once the venues have been booked. Normally it takes around a year to 18 months to get a body of work together ready for an exhibition.
You also run an annual show - Textiles in Focus. Please tell us a bit more about that
I run Textiles in Focus, which is a 3 day textile artists exhibition and trade show in Cottenham near
Cambridge. We have suppliers selling textile, knitting and stitching supplies, workshops and lectures. It runs end of February and only costs £5 to visit. We have around 30 workshops which we end up with a waiting list for as they are so popular; we have demonstrations and a visiting lecturer. We get around 1,500 visitors each year, 2011 will be our 10th year of doing the show. The dates will be the 25th, 26th and 27th February 2011. The website is http://www.textilesinfocus.com/
I understand Fibre Fusion meet once a fortnight, how do you find time to fit everything in?
We only meet during term time, so effectively we only have about 15 sessions a year so we do meet away from the sessions too. We often meet at each other homes, or go out on study days. It's not easy to fit it all in.
Are your groups only open to people who have been on your City & Guilds courses?
No, we are very open. It started initially as being just my ex-students but very quickly other people came along. You do have to be of a certain level of expertise to join, whether it is City & Guilds, a degree, or even just a good portfolio of work. You do not have to have a qualification to join. If your work is strong enough and your personality fits then you can join. We spend a lot of time working together and all get on really well so we want other members that will fit in, and won't mess up the group dynamics. The fact we all get on so well together is one of our strengths.
What advice could you give to someone looking to get into embroidery?
I would have to say go to your local library and see what is going on around you, whether it is groups in your area, or local evening classes. Alternatively you could join your local Embroiderer's Guild, they run regular groups and workshops. I'd also say creative embroidery is a good place to start as there is such a wide range of crafts and techniques going on within that field so you should be able to find something you enjoy.
You can find out more about Fibre Fusion by visiting the website: http://www.fibrefusion.org.uk/about.html
To find out about Fen Edge Textiles visit their website: http://www.fenedgetextiles.co.uk/
Plus find out about Textiles in Focus here: http://www.textilesinfocus.com/
