Darning Sampler 3 is a new artwork for 2026 and part of a growing body of work centred around my love for the humble darning stitch.
Darning Sampler 3
The inspiration for the work came from a vintage hand tatted linen napkin I found in my collection. The blue cloth was a prefect surface to showcase the stitches.
As a change from my usual red thread, I chose a soft cream colour to compliment the tatting and added a set of three red stitches in the corner of the work.
Darning Sampler – detail
Size 30 x 30cm. Hand stitched darning stitches with Madeira thread, into a vintage blue linen napkin with hand tatted edging.
Darning Samplers 1 & 2 have taken part in exhibitions with the Embroiderers’ Guild.
Thank you so much for your support this year and your enthusiasm shown for fellow textile artists on my YouTube channel – every like, comment and share makes such a difference.
Wishing you a peaceful festive season and a bright, creative New Year!
I’ve had quite a few enquiries about hand stitching workshops so I’m currently making plans for some in 2026.
If you’d like more information, email me at me@catherinehill.art and I’ll keep you updated when I have more to share.
Darning Sampler 2 – Cloth
‘A Way with Words’ Artist Talk
I’ve opened up my booking diary for 2027 and 2028 for talks and have a few dates available for 2026. I’m based in Crewe and have family in Hertfordshire so I’m happy to travel from either location.
The PowerPoint talk is called ‘A Way with Words’ and shares an insight into how I design and create my hand stitched text based work. I prefer to use your group’s projector if available, but I’m happy to bring my own. I also bring along some original hand stitched pieces for you to see up close, plus a selection of goodies for sale.
If you’d like more information, email me at me@catherinehill.art.
Greeting Cards and Giclée Fine Art Prints
Thank you for all your purchases this year and as an update, Giclée Fine Art Prints of Summer 2022 Part 1 & 2 are now available to order on my online shop https://www.catherinehill.art .
On-line shop
All prints are printed to order, unmounted and include a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity.
More prints are planned for the coming year.
The Yorkshire Gallery
Thank you to owner Paul and all the customers at The Yorkshire Gallery for your support in 2025.
A new Christmas delivery of greeting cards and Giclée Fine Art Prints arrived at The Yorkshire Gallery, Unit 26, The Piece Hall, Halifax HX1 1RE this December.
Each print has always come with a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity. This new batch of prints features an updated certificate that also includes a paragraph or two with a story about the print.
I feel very honoured to have been selected for a week’s residency in Fez. Time here has been a blur and flown by way too quickly and the Fez Art Residency experience has been more than I could ever have wished for.
With food, social history, language & dialect inspiring my own work I came to Fez with an open mind, not knowing where the residency would take me. Within days of arriving I felt myself slowing down and falling into the pace of life within the Medina.
Everyone and everything here works in a symbiotic rhythm starting with the beautiful voice of the Fajr (Dawn Prayer).
Best bits
The adventure of getting lost in the heart of the Medina.
A souk in the heart of the Medina
Drinking Moroccan mint tea with new friends at Dar Drouj.
The central courtyard at the L’École des Métiers d’Art Shems’y (The Shems’y School of Crafts)
Playing and experimenting with the local cactus ‘silk’ thread.
Cactus silk thread
Sharing a button shopping trip with friends – we had the poor shopkeeper up and down his ladder hunting for buttons in every shape and colour of the rainbow.
Handmade buttons
What I discovered
Working with a needle and thread is a universal skill & language. I’ve found myself chatting in broken English/French/Arabic to communicate and share my appreciation for the skills of local weavers and craftsmen – and also with two local ladies at a Fasi embroidery market stall with all three of us cooing over the thread work.
Local weavers
Inspiration is everywhere within the Medina and every craftsman uses their local culture to decorate and embellish their handwork – from textiles and mosaics, to metal and woodworking.
Woodworker’s workshop
What enriched the experience
Waking to the Fajr (Dawn Prayer) and watching the shadows and colours change with the sunrise and later the sunset over the Atlas mountains.
Sunrise
Experiencing daily life away from the busy main streets full of tourists and being completely submerged in the culture.
Within a radius of 100 meters of my front door I met several craftsmen in their workshops – hand stitching embellishments on garments, making cords and tassels with Cactus ‘silk’, and cutting and making leather purses.
Saying ‘Shukran’ as I bought my morning bread from the local baker.
Local baker.
I’ve found the whole experience incredibly enriching and it’s made me think differently about aspects of my work.
Watch this space.
Thank you to Peter at The Fez Art Residency for this opportunity and to my friend Lynne – fellow residency artist and fellow member of Prism Textiles – for making this a week I’ll never forget.
