My first post will be about a textile artist who produces work in a style very close to my heart. Mandy Patullo is a designer from the Northeast of the UK and she repurposes old, unwanted and sourced textiles to create beautiful new/old items. I met Mandy at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show a couple of years ago and whilst we chatted, she sat undoing and old quilt she had sourced from somewhere…she said she was really thrilled to find another, even older quilt underneath! The top one had simply been added on to the existing one, something folks did back in the days when we weren’t quite so quick to chuck stuff away. Like I said, a theme very close to what I believe in! There is enough stuff in the world people, don’t make new, make use of what already exists!!

As you can see from the images below, Patullo really knows how to re-purpose  a thing! I love the tweed jacket…not sure how waterproof it would be, but it would sure look nice hanging on a wardrobe door. I like how she allows the age of the fabrics to be seen, the pieces are not too neat and tidy, but show their past lives, as well as having been turned in to something new. The delicacy and intricacy of the hand stitch shows how much work is involved – this is not a past-time for the impatient.

These are pretty, quirky pieces. The uniqueness of them lies partly in the fact that the fabrics are so unusual and partly in Patullo’s excellent eye for an original design. They tell a story in different ways – the historic elements are there – these items have been places, been used for things and have lived, as is their new purpose – as beautiful, original pieces in their own right. Our growing attraction to all things vintage and appreciation of the past will certainly ensure the long lasting popularity of the work of Mandy Patullo.

This work is something I would love to have the time to create myself…maybe when I retire!!