Every Stitch A Story

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Every Stitch A Story

My passion lies in uncovering & sharing these stories. Private Clients: Assessing, documenting and archiving private collections.

Community Arts Practitioner & Textiles Artist

Textiles are made of narrative threads, if we take the time to look & listen, they contain & communicate stories, messages and memories. Museums: Archival work, costume consultancy, research, interpretation & engagement activities. Communities: Participatory textile projects & workshops.

22/08/2026

The 80 Candles Quilt is heading to WirksworthFestival!

I’m delighted that The 80 Candles Quilt will be part of the Art Trail on 12th & 13th September 2026.

The Art Trail transforms Wirksworth into a huge, wonderfully varied gallery, with over 140 artists and makers exhibiting across more than 70 venues. From stone cottages and Georgian townhouses to gardens, courtyards, shop windows, historic buildings, civic spaces and churches, it’s a brilliant way to explore the town while discovering an incredible range of creative work.

The 80 Candles Quilt brings together the stitched contributions of 76 people from across the UK, created to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Each square carries its own story, reflection or remembrance, brought together to create a collective textile memorial.

🕯️ Art Trail: Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September
📍 Wirksworth

And if you’d like to hear more about the project, I’ll also be giving a talk and book signing on Sunday 13th September at 2pm at The Orchard Studio, South View, just off Cromford Road.

Come and see the quilt, hear the story behind it, and explore the wonderful Wirksworth Art Trail while you’re here. ❤️

21/08/2026

Stitching Ashbourne is on the move again!

Today I dropped the triptych off Hopton Hall Gallery, where it will be part of Surface: Stitch & Story from 2nd - 26th September. And what a gorgeous exhibition it’s set to be, a celebration of texture, textiles, stitch and storytelling, featuring the work of some incredibly talented local artists.

I’m ridiculously excited that Stitching Ashbourne gets to be part of it. This project has already had quite a journey, and I absolutely love that it continues to be shared and seen.

If you love textiles, creativity and a good story stitched into cloth, this one is definitely worth a visit. Who’s coming?

Surface: Stitch & Story
Hopton Hall Gallery
2–26 September

04/08/2026

Today was one of those essential-but-exhausting errands days... school shoe shopping, ticking off the to-do list, and generally wondering why it all takes so long!

We escaped for an hour to the Museum of Making to see From Field to Fashion and take another peek at the Ripple Effect community dress. What a joy it is. A garment stitched with promises, pledges, outrage, compassion and hope – a reminder of what can happen when lots of small voices come together.

I'm so grateful to have been able to add a tiny piece to it, and even more grateful that Isobel had the chance to share her own passion too, with Netty's gentle encouragement.

A gentle reminder that creativity can hold space for both outrage and hope, often in the very same stitch.

Netty Lou The Ripple Effect

03/08/2026

The Festival of Quilts 2026... what a day!

An absolute feast of colour, texture and stitch, oozing with narrative and meaning.

As always, I found myself drawn to work created collaboratively by communities and to pieces with deeply developed narratives; storytelling of self, culture, history, memory and the issues that shape our lives.

I lingered longest over work that stepped beyond traditional quilting into experimental textile art. Vessels, books, bobbins and sculptural pieces that held stories as much as they held objects. Work that resonated deeply with the direction I’m exploring in my own practice.

A beautiful, artistically satisfying and inspiring day. I left with a notebook full of artists to revisit, ideas to explore and a renewed excitement for where my own creative journey is leading.

My personal favourites portrait.s_of_camden, .b.e, . ♥️

01/08/2026

My first little treasure vessel is finished.

It has wonky stitches, uneven seams and all the little imperfections that come with making something for the very first time. But as anyone who's ever joined one of my workshops will know, my mantra has always been connection, not perfection.

This first vessel is inspired by girls. Alongside being a workshop sample, it'll become a home for some of the tiny treasures they've given me over the years: Hama bead creations, heart-shaped stones and all those tiny gifts that were pressed into my hand with enormous love.

It feels rather fitting that the very first one already has a story to tell.

30/07/2026

Happy World Embroidery Day.!

I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with coffee, a beautiful view across Ironbridge Gorge and a little stitching.

I've brought my experimental embroidered vessels along on our latest adventure, finding moments to stitch while exploring one of Britain's most remarkable heritage landscapes. It feels rather fitting that these little pieces, designed to hold tiny treasures gathered on walks, are themselves being stitched in a place layered with stories.

The more I explore this work, the more I'm drawn to the idea of textiles as vessels. They can hold found objects, of course, but they can also hold memory, emotion, history and the quiet moments that might otherwise slip away.
Sometimes the simplest stitches carry the most meaning.

29/07/2026

Enjoying a little studio time this week, preparing for a mini woodland proposition for the creatives joining the Derbyshire Makes retreat at Shining Cliff hostel.

I'll be bringing along materials for people to create a tiny woodland treasure vessel. A simple activity with unending creative potential.
I've always loved, perhaps even been a little obsessed with, collecting small treasures on walks. A little stick, an acorn, an interesting stone, a fragment of bark... the kinds of things that catch your eye and somehow feel too special to leave behind. These little stitched vessels offer a private place to keep those discoveries; a space to hold memory, joy, curiosity or a quiet moment in time.

I'm increasingly fascinated by the way textiles can become vessels for emotion, memory and narrative. Looking forward to spending time in the woods, stitching and sharing this simple process with fellow creatives.

27/07/2026

A little bit of lovely news to share…

I’m delighted to say that support has been secured from the Ashbourne Partnership Trust towards the remaining costs of the Stitching Ashbourne Souvenir Guide.

A huge thank you to Ian and Jacqui Marsh for helping to make this funding connection possible. Their support means that this important legacy resource can continue to celebrate the stories, creativity and community voices that shaped the Stitching Ashbourne project.

The guide captures the journey behind the artwork, from the people who contributed their memories and stitches, to the making process and the final piece, helping the project continue to reach audiences as the artwork travels around Ashbourne.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project in so many different ways. Community projects truly are built stitch by stitch.

The Stitching Ashbourne souvenir guide is still available for anyone who would like to own a copy. The 18-page full-colour booklet is £5 each and includes the story behind the project, photographs of the finished artwork, behind-the-scenes images, contributor details and activities.

To order a copy, please email me at [email protected].

26/07/2026

I’m spending a peaceful Sunday afternoon adding the finishing touches to the first Windows of Leicester contributions.

When you’re working with hundreds of people, not every piece gets finished. Some designs were wonderfully ambitious, others simply ran out of time. Many contributors left me with very specific instructions – “just one more flower”, “please finish the fox’s tail”, “don’t forget the French knots!”

It’s such a joy to sit with each piece again, following those little notes and helping to bring people’s ideas to life. Every stitch represents a memory, a favourite place, a family story or something they love about Leicester.

These moments remind me that collaborative artwork is built on trust. People leave a little piece of themselves with you, and it’s a privilege to help honour their vision while preserving the character of their contribution.

The windows are growing one stitch at a time, and I can’t wait to see all of these individual stories come together into a collective celebration of Leicester.

Address

Ashbourne
DE6

Website

https://everystitchastory.co.uk/

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