Category: Inspiration
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Fragments – Researching a new series of work
Small fragments of cloth combined to make a greater whole. Each stitch, each thread, each moment of the maker contribute to a broad canvas of narrative. I have been invited by the Quilt Association to showcase some work in their summer show and chose to spend time developing new work inspired by their collections. Fragments…
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Creative Workshop With Helen Hallows
I treated myself to another creative experimentation day this weekend, trying new materials, techniques and ideas. I spent the day on a Mark Making workshop with artist friend Helen Hallows whose work and philosophy I have long admired. When you teach a lot of workshops you really appreciate all the hard work which goes into…
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Little Selves exhibition
Little Selves is an exhibition celebrating the portrait miniature showcasing exquisite pieces from the collections at New Walk Museum Leicester alongside new work by Leicester Society of Artists members and a schools competition. The exhibition takes place 25 March – 25 June 2017. Although I am no portraitist, I was intrigued by the potential it gave me…
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Exploring DNA
Following on from our studio session exploring stains a couple of weeks ago, Gillian & I have started work on a new research and development project, inspired DNA using found objects as our source material. Each object will be changed, developed and combined with other altered objects to create a sequence of interactions and combinations. …
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On Patience
People often tell me how patient I am to hand stitch my work. I often counter that I am only patient with sewing, not with anything else (although that’s not really true*). We can all be patient doing something we love. It doesn’t require patience to get to the end of a good book as you…
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Seeing the Beauty in Everyday Things
Slowing down. Looking. Listening. Re-finding myself. Learning to love where I am. Right now.
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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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Natural Dye: local plant bundles
After a year or so of experimenting with natural dyes, I’ve had plenty of disappointments alongside a lot of happy accidents, although very few ‘turned out just how I planned’. I am not a precise, measuring, recording, repeating kind of dyer. I read a lot about dyes and then I experiment, break the rules, mess…
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The Business of Embroidery ecourse
I’ve just started Mastered ecourse on the Business of Embroidery taught by the amazing Karen Nicol. I’ve been looking for a while for an ecourse to take as research towards developing my own ecourses and had been pondering one of the Mastered embroidery courses, though I knew they weren’t quite right for me. It has been…
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Museum purchase
I’m delighted to announce that Shire Hall Gallery, part of Staffordshire Museums Service, are buying my whole collection of Criminal Quilts. The six textile pieces will become part of the museum service collection and will be displayed in the historic court room at Shire Hall. As an ex-museum person, having my work preserved forever in…