Join us for an evening with Mary Ann Williams, editor of the new book Textiles of Ireland. Mary Ann will be talking us through her research and her journey to editing Textiles of Ireland followed by a Q&A session where you can ask questions and chat to Mary Ann.
Unravelling the semantics of the ugly jumper, the ratty cardigan and the squishy mittens.
Softness is a poetic reflection on hand-knitting and the neglected objects that give us nourishment. A straggly jumper, shrunken in a hot wash. A frayed sleeve, mended with different wool. A garish sweater, coffee-stained but decidedly unwashed, sent by a loved one to withstand the cold winters.
Punctuated by short key texts from textile studies and feminist theory, Softness tugs at the loose threads of this corner of craft history. This is an ode to the disrepaired, a plea to stem the tide of unloved, mass-produced clothing by rethinking the power of soft things.
Join us for a panel discussion on craft as a source of hope and survival. This panel will approach craft from the perspective of three of our authors who work with a diverse range of craft histories, chaired by Laura Moseley, Common Threads Press founder and Assistant Curator of the Women’s Art Collection.
Each new book from Common Threads Press is cause for celebration.
We are talking about something more than simply informational books, we are talking about a mission-based publisher establishing space for people to make and create, and essentially a furtherance of culture, collaboration and creative work. It is thrilling to see this all emerging from the UK and long may it continue.
Simon Armstrong, Head of Book Sales & Buying at Tate Shops
Common Threads Press craft sharply focused, deeply researched and intimately felt publications that offer rich insights into the often overlooked yet urgent narratives that textiles can reveal. Their beautiful books speak to the histories of power, poetic possibilities and political potential held in fibre and thread; they have offered me inspiration and joy in equal measure.
Lotte Johnson, curator of 'Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art'
Common Threads Press publications are brilliant: accessible, informative, powerful.
They bring to the fore the universal human stories told by textiles and their making, underscoring the intimate and political power of fabric.
Rachel Dedman, Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the V&A, curator of 'Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery'.
I am such a huge fan of Common Threads Press, who offer a vibrant and vital platform to craft stories that have often been neglected from wider histories. Beautifully produced and exacting in research, these publications show that as with everything, the history of craft is deeply political.
Amber Butchart, curator, writer and history consultant for BBC One's Great British Sewing Bee.
Diasporic Threads platforms a stunning selection of works by contemporary Black women textile artists and is rich in critical insight and historical context.
Ferren Gipson, author of Women's Work: From Feminine Arts to Feminist Arts and The Ultimate Art Museum.
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