As the light fades

I pick up a needle

Welcome to my wee corner of Substack. I am a seasonal artist living on the Isle of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland. I am the custodian of approximately two acres of land that includes a woodland, a meadow and my wee garden. I offer a seasonal book arts project for paid subscribers if you are interested and you can read more about that HERE. Grab a cuppa and lets delve into our relationship with the shifting seasons…..

As the light begins to fade I pick up a needle and I do that every year. The darker and colder months are my stitching months and I look forward to their return. Seasonal creativity allows for that sense of ‘returning’ which is always so comforting. My late grandmother taught me to sew and sewing time was in the afternoon in the parlour where she always had a basket of projects. Mostly, these were repair projects or altering projects. She was the master of recycling and she also ‘took in’ repair work for neighours. She wasn’t a decorative stitcher so I learnt that in a very dry GCE O level course after which I vowed I would never sew again. At the age of 38 I retrained from performing arts to visual arts with a specialism in textile art - enough said.

In recent years I have moved into mixed media art but my stitching roots are still very evident. In my sewing room (which is more of a small box room) I have my grandmother’s apron and her sewing work basket. I have repaired both and use them daily at this time of year. She always had a wee sewing kit in her apron pocket because ‘you never know when you will need it.’

I am in the process of redefining my creative work as I need to work less so I am looking backwards to move forwards. I am considering my past as a way of charting new directions that feel very familiar. My entire creative life is getting an overhaul and it is exactly the right time to be doing this as the light begins to fade. I do my best thinking in the colder and darker months. Mindful of my grandmother’s commitment to repair, I am looking to pick that essence up but bind it in a creative process that offers more than a simple repair. Decorative repairs are becoming very popular but I have a slightly different take on it. I am setting myself a monthly task beginning in January next year. At the beginning of each month I will visit our two island charity stores and select one fabric item that has seen much better days. From that starting point I am going to upcycle it into something new and shiny…..I want to breathe new life into something unloved. This, I feel, pays homage to my grandmother’s skills and my textile art journey that has always been captivated by world embroidery.

This entire collection above was made from a much worn, but very tired, dance costume. I was a dancer for many years and in my loft I have two childhood dance costumes left to upcycle and one wedding dress. So, I have plenty to keep busy with. Each new piece will have its own story to tell and, should it sell, the new owner will be gifted that story. I am blessed to have incredibly loyal customers for my Etsy store and many of them have become friends. They will get this new direction entirely. Globally, the fashion industry produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually. More and more designers are waking up to that situation and upcycling is finding a place in design but much more needs to be done.

If you fancy joining me on this journey but are new to stitching I would encourage you to ‘forage’ in your own textiles in your home. A few years I designed a wee slow stitching project using up bits and pieces of fabric. If, like me, you never throw fabric away you will have a ‘stash’ somewhere and this project is equally good for that purpose. I have dropped it in as a pdf below from my stitching world to yours. I hope you enjoy it. My late grandmother’s name was Ella and, about now, she would be smiling. xx

Slow Stitching Project

18.9MB ∙ PDF file

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