I 💙 to use what I have and find. I am a hoarder of all things that I see potential in. Anything others see as worthless is even more likely to be stored for an unknown future project - just to prove to myself and others that we often overlook too much. That too much goes into landfill. That we throw away items far too readily - ever in pursuit of the next shiny, new trend. My latest project theme is Trash To Treasure, which is right up my street! The photos show cloth I've held onto since my uni days way back in the 90's. I'm trying my hand at quilting. My collected ceramic sherds are the main focal point of my exploration for this project. Particularly the colour palette. I love how that faded, stripped fabric, which until recently was a favourite tea towel of mine which belonged to my mum originally; looks so beautiful alongside that field find. I've also set myself a rather tough challenge to somehow turn a pile of these plastic rings, (which hold highlighter tape); into brooches. I love brooches!

I really enjoy the tactile nature of stitching into handmade paper. I am also a hoarder of field pottery and ceramics. So what better than combining two of my favourite loves by transferring the details of one onto the other?! 🩵

A collection of items that reflect the long history of the Symington Building where corsets and bodices were made for generations. I wanted to create a collection of original items to give authenticity and a sense of place to the artwork. There are two genuine items made of paper in the design : the bobbin-shaped card which holds darning thread, and the splayed buttons box. This red 'Dainite' box used to contain lots of cream rubber buttons, (also seen within this collage). Interestingly, the buttons, which were made only a 'stone's throw' from the factory, we're also used to finish the world-famous Liberty Bodice! I was delighted to find this box for sale online. The artwork, once framed, will be in a group exhibition in Market Harborough in the New Year. The venue of the gallery is very appropriate. It's in The Symington Building, which is what the repurposed factory is now called.

Pulling together my ideas -together with my cats.

I'm exploring the history behind the corsets and bodices made at Market Harborough's Symington Factory. I'm particularly interested in the fibres used to make the garments and the souls who worked here, to cloth thousands more over the many years it was open. Early next year I'll be showing my work in a group exhibition, along with other members of @second_turning_textile_gp

I'm exploring the history behind the corsets and bodices made at Market Harborough's Symington Factory. I'm particularly interested in the fibres used to make the garments and the souls who worked here, to cloth thousands more over the many years it was open. Early next year I'll be showing my work in a group exhibition, along with other members of @second_turning_textile_gp

A photo of some of my field finds with typography on them. I use my field finds to inspire my art making - to draw from, to stitch from (see my other sub here); to print from, to emboss directly from - to generally draw inspiration from.

Signing an embroidered artwork. Embroidered with vintage cotton thread on a deep blue and white to echo the pattern on a found on a ceramic sherd - a field find from a walk along the Robin Hood Way beside my home. Extra texture details were made using simple needle perforations.

The past few weeks I've been duplicating tiny seed stitches. I've lost count of how many I've attached to this calico background. Hundreds? Definitely. Maybe more than a thousand. My fingertips certainly believe so anyway!

I'm holding tweezers to delicately pick-up sycamore keys. This method avoids me anything the wet printing ink and leaves me with crisp impressions of the natural objects.