Page 30 - The Digital Cloth Issue 7

The stories I tell in some of my textile
pieces may be imagined but the real
stories are also present, lying within
the fabric, remaining hidden among
the layers. This thought literally sends

a shiver down my spine!
However I also work with real life
stories. For example my series ‘Not
Just Blue’ shares often hidden
experiences of motherhood through
fragile looking cot sized quilts, vintage
baby garments & shoes.
The words and handwriting were
gathered as mothers told their
personal stories of postnatal
depression. I worked creatively for

many years within family support
community projects and have listened
to hundreds of stories of family life.
I can never forget leading a project
where one woman started a
conversation about postnatal
depression and, one by one, more
women joined in and shared their
experiences. I then opened up this

conversation over five family centres
and women started talking, many
never having done so openly before. It
was profoundly touching.
The words in these pieces are simply
stitched. The quilts are deliberately
fragile looking – in the words of one
mother ‘barely holding it together’.
It seems appropriate that each small
paragraph takes hours of stitching –
giving the words the attention and

thought that they truly deserve.
You can find out more about the
stories behind my work at my website
and on textileartist.org.
I’d love to connect with you on
Facebook and Instagram