meet the artist Archives

12th November 202512th November 2025

Sara Impey – Meet the Artist

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.

Quilt by Sara Impey — Free machine stitched text

In this video Sarah shares her ‘Context’ exhibition with us.

Sara Impey: https://www.saraimpey.com

Sara Impey

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.

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.

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.

30th October 202412th November 2024

Holly Searle – Meet the Artist

Award winning textile artist Holly Searle, also known as The Subverted Stitcher, is a textile artist who uses her needle and thread to spotlight social issues close to her heart. In 2020, she launched her Subverted Vintage Tea Towel Series to provide a platform for these important topics.

Each artwork consists of hand cut felt letters, a vintage tea towel and a curated collection of words. To date, Holly has hand stitched over 160 artworks in her subverted tea towel series.
Holly Searle: https://www.instagram.com/the_subversive_stitcher

Holly’s passion for embroidery was ignited after seeing a sampler by Mary Frances Heaton, an inmate of a Victorian asylum, at a mental health exhibition. Inspired by Mary’s use of needle and thread to petition Queen Victoria about social injustices, Holly began creating pieces that draw attention to social issues and empower women. Holly’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, resonating with echoes of Mary’s enduring voice and passion.

The Subverted Tea towel collection by Holly Searle

Creatively shut down in the Covid Pandemic of 2020, Holly found her voice again by subverting pre-loved vintage tea towels (little domestic works of art), to raise awareness of issues she felt needed soap boxing.

Prior to the Covid Pandemic of 2020, award winning Textile artist Holly, had established a healthy and progressive career in the art world. After she began her current textile practice in 2016, she went on to exhibit her work both collectively and independently in art spaces such as the Saatchi Gallery.

In 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Throughout her treatment, her work acted as both an outlet and a distraction from her illness. During this time, she won her first solo show of her early embroidered pieces.

Filmed at the Knitting and Stitching Show 2024.

Janice Gunner – Meet the Artist

Janice Gunner is a leading textile artist, quilter, author, and quilt judge. A lifelong stitcher for over 50 years, Janice presents a major retrospective of her portfolio – ‘A Lifetime in Textiles’ exhibition.

Her exhibition takes you on a journey celebrating 50 years.

Janice Gunner: https://www.janicegunner.co.uk

Janice Gunner

Always striving to produce work of a high standard, Janice prefers to experiment with a wide range of styles and techniques.

Part of the Lifetime in Textiles exhibition

If there is one technique she is most known for, it is probably Shibori, also the title of one of her books.

Shibori Book by Janice : https://amzn.to/471jMlR

Janice is an award-winning textile artist, quilter, City & Guilds accredited tutor and author. Aside from creating and teaching, she holds a MA with Merit in Textiles at the University of the Creative Arts. Her current work using natural dyes, along with screen and digital printing, focuses on memory loss and absence and how they affect personality and relationships. Janice was recently awarded the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles Education and Travel Bursary.

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