A few days ago I finally had my first Narrative Threads residency day at The National Centre for Craft & Design after January’s went awry with snow and illness. It is such a rare treat to spend a whole day focussed on just one project and a day just making my own work is still disappointingly unusual (although that is set to change very soon).
I’ve started working on a new piece in the Criminal Quilts series, using tiny hexagon patchwork pieces and mainly old fabrics, which I’ve been carefully cutting out to preserve details. My aim is for this to be a major piece in the Narrative Threads exhibition.
I also got the chance to do a first experiment with some dye ideas I’ve been pondering, which needs some more work but I think it going to create what I want. Watch this space for developments.
It was a fantastic treat to see this amazing fragment brought in by gallery staff member Harriet, which she had found in the walls of her ancient house. It looks to me like a neckline of a shirt or smock-type garment, 18th century or earlier I suspect, and undoubtedly a deliberately concealed garment. I’m hoping to include it in the exhibition in some way. This is just the kind of intriguing piece of textile history that I love.
My next residency day is Monday 30th March. I’ll be around, working in the 4th floor workshop from 10am-4pm including running a workshop for all ages (adults welcome!) making pincushions inspired by mine shown below. Experiment with some dye techniques, paint, pens, print and stitch to create effects on fabric then make it into a little pebble pincushion,
Ruth Singer 
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