I am a pioneering British textile artist known for my socially engaged quilts, embroideries and cloths. My early work documents people and place but I became known for my hand embroidered kantha quilts in the 1990’s which draw on the folk traditions of Bengal. This led to partnerships with Asian women’s groups and I have worked on many collaborations since, devising and co-creating projects with underserved communities alongside creating my own cloths. These tactile social history documents raise awareness of societal issues and celebrate the everyday and overlooked.
My PhD from UCA, Farnham came after many years working in the field and draws on E.P. Thompson’s “history from below”. Its focus was on signature cloths, old and new and how this method could be employed in different settings. My textiles are held in museum collections including the V&A, Denver Museum and the Whitworth Gallery. After many years in academia, in 2025, I shifted emphasis and became an independent research focused on commissions, workshops and consultancy.
Exhibition. Connecting Threads 2
Gallery Oldham – 11th November ’25 – 7th March ’26
Thirty years after Out of the Ordinary, my first solo show I returned to Gallery Oldham with Connecting Threads 2. The new display took work from the Fashion Textile Museum exhibition to the north of England and includes five additional quilts. Thanks to the Harris Museum Preston, Embroiderers Guild of the UK, Shipley Gallery, Gateshead, The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester and Tameside Council for the loans.
Image by David Bennett
Connecting Threads 2
Knit & Stitch Shows – Alexandra Palace & Harrogate
I exhibited work at the Knit & Stitch shows at Alexandra Palace, London (Oct 9th-12th) and Harrogate Conference Centre (Nov 10th-23rd) 2025.
Signed copies of Connecting Threads my publication with Quickthorn Books were available at both venues.
Fashion Textiles Museum 2025
Connecting Threads, Fashion Textile Museum, London
Connecting Threads
Tactile social history
My new book describes my life in stitch and details how an artist-embroiderer works, how projects are managed and some of the hurdles encountered in socially engaged practice.
Order your copy
Take a look at my work
My textiles spans five decades of making. Societal issues, textile history and the overlooked are key themes and I have worked with individually and with groups exploring Kantha, Signature Cloths, Mental Health, Construction and Sustainability.
“Embroidery today is celebrated, practised and appreciated by people from all different backgrounds and walks of life, and its value as a connecting thread and vital accessible global communication tool is finally being recognised.”
Lynn Setterington – Textile Artist