I've collaborated with multidisciplinary illustrator Scotty Gillespie to explore how we might understand our relationship with textiles as we re-emerge and reconnect after the isolation and introversion of lockdown. At Cloth Club we invited people to get collectively creative in the co-production of a Recovery Blanket.
Cloth Club is a new addition to the Social [practice] programme organised by Kathy Norris at Exeter Phoenix; an ongoing series of hosted workshops and events that explore collaboration, collective making and skill sharing.
Over two evenings stitchers of all abilities gathered to piece together fabric into sewn emblems evoking images of recovery. Stories were shared of how scrap fabric and sewing has kept us busy with significant projects, especially over lockdown.
Scotty and I will be working together to stitch the fabric emblems to the blanket which will be displayed at Exeter Phoenix with an accompanying zine produced by artist Olivia King who is currently studying on the MA International Contemporary Art: Curation and Business at Exeter University.
Image credit: Scotty Gillespie