Offcuts

Winter 24/25

I’ve been quietly piecing things back together over the last few months following a break - time spent with my children during their youngest years.  I’ve begun a new body of work with some self-imposed constraints that come from a place of want and need.

There is a real need for me to use the stock of fabrics, yarns and resources I have around me – to clear space, both literally and mentally. There is also a real want to explore all of the ideas I’ve been thinking about, to explore how the last few years have altered me as a maker.

I’m already finding these constraints quite freeing as they are making me really focus on what I already have and on what I can do with it all - not just the textiles but the books, magazines and the thousands of photos collected and kept and never fully explored. I have some clear intentions for some fabrics, but others like the offcuts and yarns can be more challenging. 

This first collection of offcuts started from a place of play, emptying a bag of oddments from a previous textile commission into a big heap and playing with the pieces until I quickly found myself in a place of flow.

A new pattern I had already developed for another stack of Yorkshire textiles, fit most of the offcuts perfectly and I took that as a good sign to progress. I quickly found myself with a collection of 16 compositions of colour, shape and texture that felt overwhelmingly positive.

This has been a really enjoyable project to work on, the colours are both muted and bright tones that fit so well with the season and the optimism felt as we head into spring. The warmth and comfort from the brushed wools is much needed as even though the days can be bright, they and the nights are still very cold.

More updates of the making process to follow soon.