frayed works, 2023-26

I treasure all textiles: exquisitely rich in history and possibility. Fabric is everywhere in our world, silently comforting us, softening and enhancing our lives. I’m a pack-rat for any scavenged scrap of fabric or thread: no shred’s too small or unworthy to preserve and re-use.

My frayed works are basically studio clear-outs, gathering favourite remnants of (recycled) cotton, linen, silk, sari silk, lace, old table cloths, lace, yarn, roving, rope, electric cables, whatever.

Updating old-fashioned samplers — stitched showcases for needlework varieties — these celebrate the infinite shades and textures of thread-based materials, and are often inspired by natural landscapes.

Morning on West Sands Beach, St Andrews, Scotland, 2023.
Silk, sari silk remnants, recycled cotton, recycled linen, string, 190x90cm. Main photo: Jackson White. Studio photo, also showing Silk-pleated Cool Edge – Budget Riley, 2023, right.