Category: Books
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Narrative Threads Catalogues
The catalogues for Narrative Threads are now available to buy! 24 page full colour catalogue with details of the work in my Narrative Threads exhibition. This A5 catalogue is full of information and pictures including details of the work in the exhibition, my working processes and inspirations. Designed by Sophie Hardwicke and printed in the UK…
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Fat Quarters book & giveaway
I’m pleased to be part of this gorgeous new book from Lark Crafts. Fat Quarters, Small Fabrics, More than 50 Big Ideas comes out this week and I have contributed three projects. My projects are: A patchwork pieced tie, using complicated bias cutting and lovely fabric from Lu Summers. An origami-style folded decoration on a…
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Themed school workshops
I love collaboration; I find it exciting and engaging both creatively and practically. Sharing skills, knowledge and expertise is vital to creating a good outcome and I always find it pushes my own creative boundaries and helps me work better and learn all the time. Whether it is working with schools, community groups or other makers, I…
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The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews
Last week I had a short and ineffective battle with creating a simple 1920s-ish dress for an event. The dress was an utter failure, although the fabric has now been recut into something much better, to be made in less of a rush! I wore an original1920s coat and simple skirt and blouse instead, inspired…
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Pleated dress and hat decorations
In my research into manipulated fabrics, I have often come across trimmings created using pleated or gathered ribbon, most often on hats, although sometimes on garments too. 18th century dress trimmings are usually made from self-fabric (strips of the same fabric the garment is made from) rather than ribbons. Box pleating is common, as are…
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Fabric Manipulation : Stitch & Slash
Would you believe that ripped jeans of the 1990s are simply harking back to the 16th century? For a brief period, it was the height of fashion to ‘pink’ or slash luxury fabrics to create pattern and to reveal yet another fancy fabric underneath. That’s where the term pinking shears comes from, although they appear somewhat later.…
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Collaboration with Bethany Walker: work in progress
I’ve long been fascinated by Bethany’s combination of textiles and cement; the contrasting soft and hard materials, the transformation of cloth from malleable to solid objects and the potential her innovative techniques would hold for my kind of manipulated textiles. Last year I applied to a-n’s collaboration bursary to fund our travel and expenses to…
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Trapunto Quilting
Trapunto, Italian quilting or stuffed quilting is an old and rather under-appreciated technique which I am a huge fan of. Unlike ‘normal’ quiting, where two layers of fabric have a layer of wadding between them and are stitched through all the layers, Trapunto uses two layers of fabric and the stuffing is only placed in…
Ruth Singer 