Darning Sampler 3 has begun its journey as part of the RepaiRED One Red Thread touring exhibition.
This year, the exhibition opens at Pour L’Amour du Fil in Nantes, France (15–18 April 2026), marking its first stop on what promises to be an inspiring tour. It’s a wonderful setting to showcase work that celebrates the beauty, history, and ongoing relevance of textiles.
Darning Sampler 3 – part of RepaiRED
My piece forms part of the RepairRED exhibition, curated by Textile Fest, which explores themes of repair, renewal, and the significance of mending.
Introducing – Fes i: Time to Pause. The rich culture of Fes is reflected in its architecture and woven into the rhythm of daily life. This is especially evident in the calls to prayer, which punctuate the day from before sunrise until after sunset.
Time to Pause
About: Time to Pause:
One morning, I set my alarm for 5am – about half an hour before dawn – and sat in the darkness, waiting for the first call. Shortly before daybreak, a single soft, gentle voice echoed across the medina, singing the morning prayer. Minutes later, a second and third voice joined in, gradually blending with the dawn chorus of Fes’ birds, marking the beginning of a new day.
This moment inspired a poem I wrote in English and later translated into Darija, the Moroccan Arabic dialect spoken in Fes. The English version has a rhyming rhythm, while the Arabic translation reads as a narrative.
Fes i: Time to Pause, began as a continuation of my Red Box series – square compositions of hand-embroidered text drawn from lived experience. I first wrote the narrative in English and, with the help of a friend in Fes, translated it into Darija, ensuring the phrasing felt natural, authentic, and true to the original sentiment.
The work is part of a series shaped by my residency in Fes. Words, local dialect, and hand embroidery are central to my practice. Stitched in Darija (the dialect of Moroccan Arabic) and inspired by daily life on the retreat, the piece celebrates everyday rituals and quiet moments of reflection. Hand-embroidered in vintage red Sylko thread, it also pays homage to one of Morocco’s national colours.
Size: Hand embroidered panel measures 21 x 21cm approximately.
Hand embroidered Arabic text – Time to Pause
Poem: Time to Pause
Time to Pause:
Beneath the moon and countless stars is silence, all is still….. in tranquil sleep the city rests, in peaceful calm until …
The moonlight fades across the sky, before the rising sun…. Sweet birdsong joins a single voice: a new day has begun …
And this voice joins with others throughout the waking day ….. Five times they come together: a call to worship and to pray …
From mosques arise melodic tones that swell and fill the air…. And echo from the city walls, each alleyway and square …
And asks for those both near and far, from shop or market stall…. Or craftsmen, trades of every kind to answer to the call …
To pause, down tools, assemble, join with others, kneel and stand… In spaces small and humble to majestic, tiled and grand…
Prostrate, bow, pray with neighbours, fellow worshipers; before….Returning to their daily work, their livelihood, their chore …
This guide and rhythm through the day, this pace to life is met; From before the sun has risen until after it has set …
Original words composed by Catherine Hill.
Reverse of the work – Time to Pause
Prism Textiles Exhibiiton
Three pieces from this series will be exhibited at Prism Textiles this April:
The Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, London E3 4QY 17–26 April | Open 11:00–18:00 daily | FREE ENTRY
Prism Textile exhibition poster – featuring Fes i: Time to Pause
Sara Impey specialises in textile artworks inspired by traditional quilt-making techniques, incorporating free-machine stitched lettering. A former journalist, Impey writes her own material, allowing her to play with language visually and use the quilted surface to comment on contemporary issues.
Free machine stitched text
In this video Sarah shares her ‘Context’ exhibition with us.
A recurring theme in Sara Impey’s practice is the power of words—their ability to persuade, inspire, and sometimes mislead. In an era increasingly defined by contested narratives, her work highlights the importance of language and its impact. At the same time, she celebrates the legacy of needlework, honoring the craftsmanship and creative spirit of generations of quilters and embroiderers. Her pieces often explore the process of making itself, offering a stitcher’s-eye view into the construction of textile art.
Quilt by Sara Impey
Primarily working in wall-hung quilts, Impey occasionally ventures into three-dimensional forms, embracing new creative challenges. Her work is exhibited nationally and internationally and has received numerous accolades. Impey’s quilts are held in major public collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the International Quilt Museum, and The Quilters’ Guild Collection.
Quilt by Sara Impey
She is a member of the pan-European group Quilt Art and an honorary member of The Quilters’ Guild. Her book, Text in Textile Art, was published by Batsford in 2013.
