Precious Memories Jo’s work is a reflection on memories of people we love and how we associate them with what they wear. Their patterns and colours are embedded into our memory and become inseparable from our image of them. Our patterns and colours determine not only our character and how we want to be perceived by others but also define us in a time, place and culture.

Jo’s recent work uses shadow to reflect the image of our patterns and identity and how she can enhance the idea of memory by having a shadow of the image reflected onto a plain background a distance away from the actual work. This enables the shadow to  become larger and more defined.

From Intangible History to Creative Practice.

Engagement with the deep-sea trawlermen of Hull and their fashion design process 1950s to 1970s.

The daughter of a hull trawler man, brought up  in a  matriarchal household of talented weavers and stitchers  Claire gave us a fascinating talk about her own career and study exploring both aspects of her heritage.

The 1970s saw the demise of the deep sea trawling industry in Hull and with it a whole culture passed into history.

Clare spoke about her initial interest in weaving, her experimentation leading to innovation, working for some of the major textile companies. Her natural curiosity brought her full circle and her own father. The Hull trawlermen had a distinctive on shore style of dress. Claire spoke of the particular style of the suit having elements of a variety of influences. Her latest research is an attempt to discover the roots underlying this style. One theory is that it originated through popular Wild West cowboy outfits as depicted in films of the 1950s.

Claire showed us samples of her early design work and sketch books with ideas for adapting the decorative ‘cowboy’ jacket using fish and flower designs.

Another element Clare is following is looking at the actual dyeing process and its ecological effects. To this end she has been experimenting with a reduced number of dyes. The combining of threads during weaving produces different colours thus eliminating the need for potentially harmful and unnecessary dyes.

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Sarah’s first foray into textile work was foundation piecing a patchwork of hexagons from scraps of 1970s fabrics of her mother’s. In fact it was her mother who then backed this piece after it had been ‘finished’.

Sarah then told us of her work as a political journalist reporting on Parliament, this work meant her leisure time was in the morning. Determined to make the best of her free time Sarah returned to her teenage interest in patchwork and eventually quilting.

Over time her art and techniques developed and Sarah now combines both interests creating quilts with writing as an integral part. The art of making the quilt and the words almost philosophical; links to past quilters, a circular quilt describing a feeling of going around in circles linking problems associated with old age and Alzheimer’s.

Beautiful looking quilts with thought provoking text, thank you Sarah.