Testimonials

Susan – Chinese Knot Christmas Tree:

“Thank you Emily, I really enjoyed the class – fumbling fingers and all! Only hope I can now remember how to do the knotting!!! The picture is great of all of us and the ‘trees’ look pretty good too – attributable to your teaching skills!”

Private Pearl Party for Girls Graduation:

Avala, 12 years old – “The pearl making course has been an insightful experience for me and my friends. Despite tribulation and adversities, we continued the four hours task with courage and perseverance. With the help from Emily, we finally attained stupendous necklace that glistened under the splendent light, glimmering with our glory, our determination to succeed.”

Christine, 12 years old – “Emily is a wonderful and skillful teacher. She taught me important techniques in making my necklace, and I was so proud to have made it myself. I hope I can attend more courses to learn more techniques as it is such a challenging and rewarding hobby.”

Carol (mother) – “I spent a delightful afternoon watching the girls overcome obstacle after obstacle in the form of knots and tangles, and slowly but surely, under the superb guidance of Emily, I saw their faces beam with the gradual emergence of beautiful strings of beads between their fingers, and their triumphant smiles when they proudly modeled their masterpieces at the end. Emily is not only an expert at crafts and jewelry making, but she is also extremely patient, and during the session she explained everything and demonstrated the techniques in a very comprehensive way. Her collection of beads and accessories come in such a splendid array of colours and interesting shapes, that there really is something for everyone.”

 Anita, Coordinator, Motueka Biz-E Women’s Business Owners Group:

“We were excited to have Emily come and showcase her business with us at BIZ-E on one of her recent trips to New Zealand. It was interesting to hear about the qualities of fresh water pearls as it is something that we don’t see often. The natural beauty and individuality of her products told there own story and I wish her all the best on what I know will be a successful business.”

Lynne – Chinese Knot Basics, Advanced and Projects

“Emily is a skilled and talented teacher of textile arts and jewelry crafts. She is the best private teacher I have ever had the pleasure to study with. I have taken every Chinese knotting class she offers. Emily clearly loves the subjects she teaches and easily communicates her enthusiasm and pleasure to her students. When she isn’t teaching, she explores new ideas and creations, which, in turn, enables her to offer an expanding and ever-changing repertoire of classes.

In class, Emily breaks even complex designs into easy-to-follow steps. Each class builds her students’ skills in a logical progression of increasing difficulty and accomplishment. She pays careful attention to each student’s efforts and offers assistance tailored specifically to that student whenever she sees it is needed. She always has great tips and tricks for solving any minor difficulties that might come up with each project. Emily always provides meticulously prepared written reference materials. Every document contains detailed photos and explicit written instructions. Even months after taking a particular class, I have referred to one of her instruction sheets and found it easy to re-create the steps needed to complete the object I was making.

She has an open and friendly approach to teaching so that her classes always have a sense of fun and camaraderie. I always look forward to my classes with Emily, both in anticipation of what I am going to learn and for the pleasing companionship that she fosters among her students.”

Anita – Organized a Pearl Party as a going away event for a friend

“As a leaving party for a friend I arranged a ‘Pearl Party’ with Emily who brought so many different types of pearls and so many styles to choose from. There were about 10 of us and we all came home with different pearl necklaces which embodied our individuality and gave us a lovely memento of each other. Highly recommended.”

Cath – Participant for Sewer’s Tour of Sham Shui Po

“I really enjoyed the Sham Shui Po tour and it was just so useful to have Emily show us all the best places to go – the hawkers market, the various streets specialising in beads, trims, threads and fabrics etc. It’s a treasure trove and Emily is a great guide through the whole experience. HK is certainly a place where a little local knowledge goes a long way and it’s so much easier to be shown, rather than to have to negotiate a list of complicated instructions! I have kept the map Emily gave us of the best spots for various materials and I use it every time I go back – which is frequently. If you love sewing and fabric crafts – like I do – I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

Private Pearl Party for a group of friends:

Michelle – ” wonderful experience!! Gals gathering, learning new skill AND shopping at the same time. A very productive morning…And of course I love my pearl necklace so much!”

Erica – ” very nice arrangement, step by step , informative”

Cecilia – ” Emily is efficient and excellent. I love to learn from her . All the informations were provided. Super class”

Winnie – ” Love my necklace!! I had a wonderful morning learning a new skill; would love to do more classes”

Ina – ” great idea for girl gathering !! Very informative “

Jennie – ” great idea for birthday, mother’s day celebration or year end office party; Emily prepares all the materials including useful handouts ; We learn a new skill very quickly under Emily’s instruction. Time passes super fast while we making our own unique necklace!! The best thing is EVERYONE has something to take home!!! “

 Emma – Sewing Basics I and II and Sewing Group Participant

“I have found Emily to be a very pragmatic teacher, who explains things very clearly and is more than happy to repeat things, as she has often had to do with me, until the technique or procedure sinks in! I was very unconfident when I started my sewing but with Emily’s encouragement I am gaining confidence with each new project. Also, I am no longer so scared of my mistakes (of which there are many!) but instead see them as instrumental to my learning process”

The instructions and language used in a pattern packet can be very daunting. Emily has helped me make my way through the instructions, explaining each step and what each technical word means, so that now they are (almost) my second language!

My favourite project to date has been to make a dress for my one year old daughter. I gives me such pleasure to see her wearing it, knowing just how much love went into it. It makes every bit of effort worthwhile.

Emily’s range of expertise appears to know no bounds! She has given me such steady guidance on making things as simple as a tote bag, to making my first darts, from inserting gathers to hiding some of my bigger mistakes! One of my next projects is to make a quilt and I know I will receive the same level of instruction in this quite different craft.”

 Brooke – Fundamentals of Sewing

“I have been meaning to email you since last week to say a big thanks for the course – it was fantastic and I really enjoyed it! I would highly recommend her courses – they are brilliant!”

Helen – Sewing Group Participant, Chinese Knots, Pearl Knotting

General – “Emily’s classes are informal enough to be fun but well structured and led in a manner that by the end of the session you have learnt a new skill to take forward with you.”
Sewing group – “it’s great when people ask “have you lost weight?” – no I’m wearing a dress/skirt/blouse that actually fits! Thank you Emily for showing how it’s done.”
Chinese Knotting and Pearl Stringing – “As an ex-pat it’s great to be able to give friends and family at home personalised presents that have a unique taste of Hong Kong”

Tanya – Sewing Basic I and II and Sewing Group Participant

“Using Emily’s sewing classes as a ‘refresher’, after many years away from sewing, I have expanded my skills & gained confidence to try new techniques under her thorough & patient guidance. Emily’s detailed course notes & step by step demonstration of techniques have been invaluable for me to increase my sewing knowledge. Her guided tours of Sham Shui Po for sewing & craft materials are very helpful to source all supplies & equipment needed – I still take Emily’s map every time I go!”

 Yuko – Sewing Basics I and II and Sewing Group Participant

“Before I started sewing with Emily, I had very little experience in sewing. I was even scared to use a sewing machine. But to my surprise, I have sewn skirts, shirts, dresses, blouses and pants in one year. Emily is an amazing teacher who can teach a student of any level. Her instructions are very precise and easy to follow. Her love and passion for sewing is contagious. I have never imagined that I would enjoy sewing this much. It’s all because of Emily.”

Bettina – Chinese Knot Basics, Advanced and Projects; and Pearl Knotting

“Having shortly moved from Beijing to Hong Kong, I thought that there was not much left that Emily could teach me about pearl knotting and Chinese knots when I got to know her, but how wrong I was! Emily’s knowledge about pearls and Chinese knotting is unbelievable. Having attended a class of hers once, you get addicted to it. The vitality and enthusiasm she spreads around while teaching creates a wonderful atmosphere among the people and is so enjoyable to everyone. I was really looking forward to every single session and still get many comments for the necklaces I have created under Emily’s guidance.”

Renate – Chinese Knot Basics and Projects

“Emily’s courses were definitely among the top-five-experiences while being in Hong Kong!!! Emily is a great teacher with excellent explanations, well prepared, always patient, friendly, passionate, and a lot of fun to work with. You can learn a lot of things from her and you wouldn’t expect a non-Chinese woman to be such an expert in Chinese handcrafts. Incredible.”

 Ursula – Chinese Knot Basics and Projects

“I participated in quite a few Chinese Knotting courses at Emily’s. I started off with making the shrimp and the dragon fly as a key ring, which were a great success. I made quite a few with different shiny colours on my own at home; it is a nice small gift representing Chinese culture for my friends. Soon I got inspired by other classes of Emily’s, where Christmas decorations were made such as angels, Christmas trees, stars, candles and candy cane. I just love all these knots; they are beautiful and make me feel happy, when I knot. Angels have been a great success for friends’ new born babies, the mothers loved it. Emily is a very gifted teacher. She explains well how to work with all the materials and is happy to explain knots in details. I can warmly recommend to sign up for her Chinese Knots Courses, it is great fun to join her classes together with other ladies.”

 Anita – Sewing Basics I and II, Sewing Group Participant, Pearl Knotting

“I learned pearl knotting with Emily and I still wear the beautiful and unique pearl necklaces that I made under Emily’s tutelage. I also learned to sew with Emily and have made clothes that fit me perfectly which I still wear and feel proud of the fact that I have made them. Now that I am no longer in Hong Kong, my clothes and pearls are not just my favourite things to wear but also a reminder of the good times I had in Emily’s classes and the wonderful women I met there.”

Laura – Sewing Basics I

“I took the ‘Introduction to Sewing I’ class with Emily and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Emily is a clear, methodical, and patient teacher, and her knowledge of garment making and the industry is superb! The information provided and practical experiences were both very thorough. I am looking forward to taking Sewing II in the future to further improve my newly acquired skills!”

 Jan – friend

“I met Emily in a knotting class and I was impressed by how quickly she mastered the art of Chinese knotting. We became friends and Emily took me under her wing and showed me the things I hadn’t mastered. Emily was very patient with me and went out of her way to share things from her own personal collection and took me on trips to Sham Shui Po to bargain shop at places she had found. When she began teaching jewelry, I benefited from her creativity and expertise once again. She walked me through the process of stringing pearls, using findings correctly and creating bookmarks, bracelets, etc. I highly recommend Emily’s classes. She is the most talented woman I know and she’s willing to share her expertise with all of us! I was sad when I left Hong Kong that I wouldn’t be able to spend time with my talented friend and teacher. I wish her well and know that you are in for a real treat when you sign up for her classes!”

 Alicia – Fundamentals of Sewing

It has been a nostalgic experience coming for class with you. I used to see my mother sew when I was a little kid. I remembered sitting with her while she attends her sewing class. My grandmother quilt all the time and she gave each of us a blanket she quilted before she died. Hence coming to the class is very meaningful for me, though I still have a LONG way to go before I am confident and comfortable to ever sew something but the experience has been great.

Janine – Chinese Knot Beaded Tassel Wall Hanging

It was great to see you yesterday and of course to do yet another one of your courses. They are always very enjoyable and I find your method of teaching very easy to understand and you have the patience of a saint!