Textile Study Group

artists and tutors sharing ideas imagination and skills

Mary Sleigh

Beach dunes – sketch book study by Mary Sleigh Acrylic, pen and ink. 
Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh
Cloth Stories by Mary Sleigh 
Four concertina books which record my memories of exploring places I have loved
. Hand stitch, dyed fabrics, bonded with Japanese paper. Each approx. 11 x 115 cm. Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

Narrative in the land – sketch book study by Mary Sleigh 

Mono printing experiments 
36 x 9cm. 
Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

Cloth Story 1 by Mary Sleigh Detail
. Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

Peat Lands revisited by Mary Sleigh 
Echoes the repetitive industrial process and rhythm of mechanical peat cutting. 
Digital print on silk crepe de Chine. 
DIS/rupt exhibition
. 138 x 185 cm. 
Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh
Sound of the sea – sketch book study by Mary Sleigh 
Acrylic and gouache. 
20 x 11 cm

. 
Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh


Peat Lands by Mary Sleigh 
Tells the story of scars in the earth caused by peat cutting in Ireland. 
Made for DIS/rupt exhibition. 
Leather bound concertina book, dyed fabrics, hand stitch
. 115 x 11 cm Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

Flight 316 by Mary Sleigh One of a series celebrating personal journeys. 
Mixed media, feathers, hand stitch. 
24 x 15 cm. Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

Cloth Story 4 by Mary Sleigh Detail
. Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

It Starts with a Step by Mary Sleigh Concertina book; eco and rust dyed fabrics, hand stitch, old map, leather bound cover. 
Made for Page17 Embroiderers’ Guild exhibition in response to Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit
. 10 x 42 cm. Photo Credit: Roger Sleigh

Artist statement

I enjoy the actual making process; sampling, being innovative and resourceful in my use of materials, adapting newly-learnt skills, allowing for change in construction, referring to photographs, drawings and scribbled notes. A love of fabrics and fibres, experimenting to find the right materials and working by hand are all important to my practice. I aim to transform the mundane to the special and increasingly incorporates words and poems into my work.

Responding to materials or found objects may trigger a way of working or reveal something unexpected and is important to my way of working. I continue to explore the narratives in the landscape adding to my current work; Cloth Stories. In this series of stitched books, I explore the idea that there's a story in everything and every location has its history. Few places accessible to us are truly wild and untouched and experimenting with ways of defining a place often reveal unexpected personal connections.

My love of fabric and thread started as a child and developed during my career in primary education and then for many years as a Tutor and External Verifier for City & Guilds textile courses. I am passionate that our textile heritage should be celebrated and welcomes opportunities to tutor, mentor and share experiences with those wishing to extend their practice.


I now enjoy the freedom, time and challenge of pursuing my own creative work; I continue to be an active member of the Textile Study Group, writing, teaching and exhibiting throughout the UK and abroad, in Sweden, Canada and most recently Australia and New Zealand. I have also completed several commissions for parish churches.


I continue to enjoy the role of Textile Advisor at Lincoln Cathedral and FAC member, previously at Guildford Cathedral, and now Coventry Cathedral.

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