Maria Stables-Page

I live at Matatoki, a small village south of Thames in the North Island of New Zealand. My house is surrounded by lush farmland and looks to the southern Coromandel Range.

The inspiration for my embroidery work is all around me. The hills always change colour. They go soft pink as the sun sets. In bleak weather the cloud settles into the valleys and turns the hills forty shades of grey. The pasture around my house changes from green to gold with the seasons change. This is my inspiration.

I have embroidered since I was a little girl, taught to me by my grandmother who is now 93. Naturally I started to follow patterns in tapestry, cross stitch and crewel. My involvement with the Thames Valley Embroiderers Guild introduced me to a wider world of embroidery techniques including hardanqer, blackwork, kalocka, corn pad embroidery, silk painting, schawm, samplers and canvas work to name a few.