Our Story
About Sam Killian & The Silent Stitchery
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Email: hello@silentstitchery.co.uk
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The Silent Stitchery
57 Burton Road, OversealSwadlincote, DE12 6JJ
How it all began
The Silent Stitchery was formed in 2022 by Samantha Killian.
Sam and Martin live in a village in South Derbyshire with their three dogs. They both have worked within the care sector for many years supporting people with both learning disabilities and mental health issues.
Stitching has always been a love of Sam’s since childhood and has been a constant throughout her life. She was originally accepted to train as a theatre costume designer, but family circumstances put paid to the opportunity and the corporate world of care and Business Development called instead. Sam continued to train in many different stitching genres throughout the years, and maintained her knowledge and study outside of her work, but has always enjoyed teaching some of her clients stitch techniques as well as other crafts such as knitting.
Martin remains working within the care sector, and supports the business wholeheartedly when he isn’t pursuing his love of diving, fishing, paragliding and any other adrenaline-fuelled sport he can try!
Our Team
Sam Killian
Creative Director
Sam has been stitching for many, many years, and instead of following her dream of becoming a Theatre Costume Designer, she found herself climbing through the ranks of the care industry until she became the Business Development Director of a Midlands-based firm. Her decision to leave that position at the end of 2022 coincided with surgery to remove the last of her hearing and have a cochlear implant inserted in the right side of her head. Whilst working her way through her significant rehabilitation after this surgery and life change, Sam finally achieved the qualifications in Hand Embroidery that she had wanted for so many years. Sam now teaches on a 1:1 basis and offers workshops, and this will soon expand further.
Sam is also responsible for overseeing the design element of the kits and designs offered across all elements of the embroidery genres at Silent Stitchery
Martin Killian
Caretaker
Martin plays a vital role within the Silent Stitchery, one that if we attempted to do without, we would fail miserably. The role is cohesive, and vital and is of such importance that every process within our well-oiled machine would grind to a halt without him. His role – The Caretaker. What does he take care of? Us.
Martin is the glue that holds The Stitchery together, he is the sounding boards, the voice of reason, the man who puts the kettle on, the man who produces the chocolate biscuits from nowhere, and the man that stays up at night packing that last minute order ready for the following morning.
Cara Palmer
Production Assistant
Cara is our production assistant and as such is often found packing the kits and the orders as well as supporting Sam with ordering stock from suppliers. Cara also attends some of the live events if she isn’t too busy.
Cara is our eldest granddaughter, and it’s been a busy year for her, what with GCSE’s, leaving school, starting a new job, helping with The Stitchery, and just about to start her new college course. Cara takes it all in her stride and doesn’t ever let anything phase her.
Jess Marriott
Creative Content
Jess provides the photographic content for the website and the brochures, instruction booklets, leaflets, as well as producing the videos etc.
Jess fits us in between being a mum of two girls, completing the final year of her degree, working part-time and running her own photography business. Busy lady!
Eloise, Alexa & Elsie
Support & Opinions Team
These three young ladies play a vital role in our venture. They will be found helping out in all aspects of the business and are dab hands at packing kits, and organizing stock.
What they are most expert at though is voicing their opinion on designs. If they do not like ideas, they simply don’t make it through to the sales floor. If they are not keen on a potential set or colour of beads, then we don’t order it. Why do we listen to three young ladies I hear you ask? It’s simple. They are the customers of tomorrow whilst being very absorbed by stitching and craft at such a young age, and because of that, their judgement is key, plus their opinions are funny and wise and honest!
Join us on Instagram @the_silent_stitchery
Swadlincote, DE12 6JJ
