My day in cups of tea

We pull up a pew in embroidery artist Rebeckah Kemi Apara’s home studio and chat about how cuppas – and chocolate chip cookies – fuel her creativity…

Morning! Are you rising and shining?

I normally get woken by my daughters, who are three and one. Once I’ve dropped them to nursery, I might have a lemon and ginger tea with honey, although most days, I get an oat latte from my local café.

Tell us a bit about your work

I’m an embroidery designer, specialising in hand embroidery. I work from home and it can be hard to maintain tidiness with small children, so I have my own room that's light, calming and organised. What led to this career?

After graduating with a Fashion Textiles degree, I taught myself hand embroidery. I started Embellished Talk in 2016 and then quit my office job in order to teach workshops and become an embroidery designer.

Fantastic! What does the day’s work begin with? Admin gets done in the morning to get it out of the way, then I research brands that I want to work with. Can we get you a cup of anything?

Mmm, I love rooibos tea with honey. I'm a big tea drinker and my favourite mug is from Oliver Bonas which my friend bought me. I love how simple it is. What do you get up to when you stop for a cuppa?

I like looking at other creative mums on Instagram. My faves are @Ivorybizz and @kaiaventdeleon.

We’re hungry! What’s on the lunch menu?

I often eat out locally with my husband, but when the girls are home, we’ll make pancakes or waffles. And what’s on the cards this afternoon?

Embroidery – I love that I have full control of my work. I’ve worked with incredible brands that believe in me, so I know that I’m doing something right. Agreed. Finally, what’s your snack of choice? Chocolate chip cookies, always chocolate chip cookies.

Embroidery designer REBECKAH KEMI APARA lives in north London. She founded Embellished Talk, which runs workshops and creates commissions. embellishedtalk.com.