#textiles Archives - Arnolds Attic

21st August 202521st August 2025

Ilkley Arts Open Exhibition 2025

I’m pleased to share that Lancashire Rich Jam Cake has been jury selected for the Ilkley Arts Open Exhibition 2025. The exhibition is part of the 2025 programme to support Bradford’s 2025 UK City of Culture event.

The exhibition on the theme of ‘Connections’, takes place at Ilkley Manor House, Castle Yard, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 9DT, 6th September – 12th October 2025, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

“From human connectedness, kinship and alliances, to physical bonds …. ‘connection’ as a concept is worthy of our consideration. In this spirit, The Manor House Ilkley and Ilkley Arts are working together to produce an Open Exhibition in2025 exploring this very theme and building on the success of the Ilkley Arts Open Exhibition 2023.” ~ Ilkley Arts Open.

Please follow this link to view the complete list of exhibiting artists.

Lancashire Rich Jam Cake - part of the Ilkley Arts Open Exhibition 2025 — Lancashire Rich Jam Cake – part of the Ilkley Arts Open Exhibition 2025

“Food and memories are closely interwoven connecting the present with the past. This cake recipe evokes warm memories from my early childhood. Lancashire Rich Jam Cake were a firm favourite at every school or church event I went to as a kid. Folk would make it to sell or cut it up and share it with a hot brew. This crowd pleaser were perfect to cut into little squares; or as my aunt used to do – cut it into pie slice wedges and arrange it on a big flowery China plate for an afternoon treat.” ~ Catherine Hill.

The hand embroidered panel measures 23.5 x 11.5cm.

Thank you to the selection panel – made up of a number of experienced exhibiting artists, gallery owners, curators, art critics and collectors – for selecting my work for exhibition.

19th January 20257th March 2025

Disowned

A new exhibition at the House of Smalls called ‘Childhood Interrupted’ prompted me to create a new piece of work called ‘Disowned’ for the Dollhouse gallery.

The exhibition takes place at The House of Smalls, 103 Henderson Row, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH3 5BB from the 30th January – 1st March 2025.

‘Childhood (noun): The condition of being a child; the period of life before puberty. Interrupted (adjective): Broken, discontinued, or hindered‘ ~ House of Smalls.

Artists taking part in the Dollhouse - Childhood Interrupted - exhibition — Artists taking part in the Dollhouse – Childhood Interrupted exhibition

Disowned

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, with each piece representing our experiences, relationships and our family – but what happens when a sibling is disowned or renounced by a parent and suddenly those we hold dear are missing from our lives.

The child is no longer welcome in the family home, not invited to family events, and for the siblings there is a wider impact.

They have to be forever cautious in conversations, they omit names for fear of further tension or conflict, and contact with those estranged requires deception for fear of being discovered.

In my own family it’s happened over two generations leaving a legacy of family rifts that decades later, still exist.

Size 11.5 x 11.5cm. Hand and machine embroidered cotton cloth, Aurifil embroidery thread, vintage Sylko thread, tea dye.

This piece forms part of a series of small works created for the House of Smalls.

Update February 2025:

Thank you to Amy, curator of The House of Smalls for sharing these images of my work in the Dollhouse gallery.

24th April 202421st May 2024

Comme Ca Art x AWOL Studios 2024 Open

I’m pleased to announce that the Giant Cauliflower Harvest has been jury selected for the Comme Ca Art x AWOL Studios 2024 Open exhibition. I’ll be one of 22 artists showing work in the exhibition.

The exhibition takes place Friday 17^th May – Saturday 22nd June 2024 at AWOL Studios, 5th Floor, Hope Mill, Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA. During the exhibition people can view by appointment, Wednesday & Thursday 11am – 4pm and on Saturdays from 11am – 2pm.

Giant Cauliflower Harvest part of Comme Ca Art x AWOL Studios 2024 Open

Giant Cauliflower Harvest - detail — Giant Cauliflower Harvest – detail

The judging panel included:

Short Supply: Acclaimed artist-led organisation based in the North West of England that creates opportunities for emerging artists

Sean Williams: Sheffield based Artist, Curator & member of the Contemporary British Painting group.

Ceri Morgan: Award winning interior & exterior designer based in the North West.

Comme Ca Art x AWOL Studios

Hope Mill , Manchester - home to AWOL Studios — Hope Mill , Manchester – home to AWOL Studios

“Our home is Hope Mill, a beautiful grade II listed building built in 1824 as a cotton spinning and fustian weaving mill for Joseph Clarke & Sons. Over the next 177 years it has had many other guises, from engineering works to dog bed factory, gradually and gracefully falling into decline and disrepair until it was rescued by Hope Mill Partnership in 2001. With AWOL being the first business to lay down its artistic roots in Hope Mill in 2007 it has become one of the most important centres for the arts in Manchester, allowing for a natural regeneration of this important historic building and attracting a myriad of other creative businesses.” AWOL Studios, located in the heart of Ancoats, Manchester.

I’m delighted to be showing work again in a Manchester Open Exhibition.

Update – Exhibition Preview Evening

The preview evening event took place on one of the most beautiful evenings we’ve had recently. I was thrilled to discover that over 200 artists applied and I was one 22 artists selected.