A CPD Workshop with Dr. Claire Wellesley-Smith

In March, members of the Textile Study Group gathered for a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) weekend workshop with the wonderful guest tutor, Claire Wellesley-Smith.

Claire is an artist, researcher, and writer based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, whose work is deeply rooted in the heritage and geography of industrial textile production across the North of England. It was fascinating to look at examples of her projects and hear about her inspirations and motivations. For Claire, everything comes back to the unique ability of textiles to transform and connect people over time.

Thinking-Through-Making

The hand-stitch-focused workshop was an absolute delight for all of us. Ahead of the weekend, we were asked to find small scraps of fabric that held personal meaning, alongside a connecting textile—a portable piece that has a history and therefore a story. These ranged from vintage family heirlooms to pieces members had created themselves.

With an emphasis on – thinking-through-making, we spent the weekend exploring a range of hand stitches. While some techniques were familiar, others were new to us; I think we were all particularly impressed by how a touch of beeswax could be used to improve the flow of our stitching!

The deliberate, mindful pace of the workshop allowed plenty of room for conversations and happy connections to form through the act of making.

“The small stories that emerge from this work offer traces: the lines taken for a walk, the length of a piece of thread measured from tip of forefinger to elbow.”

Time, Place, and Daily Practice

We were incredibly inspired by Claire’s daily reflective stitching practice, where “time” is physically recorded in the form of lengths of stitched linen, gloriously embellished with personal symbols.

The workshop gave me a wonderful opportunity to reflect on my own practice and how textiles transform and connect over time. I left feeling so excited to start my own daily stitched practice… though I have to admit, it soon died a death! It gives me even more appreciation and credit for Claire, who beautifully maintains her daily practice despite an incredibly busy life.

About Claire Wellesley-Smith

Claire’s work has a strong sense of place, drawing inspiration from local environments, urban green spaces, cultural heritage, and collections. She takes a longitudinal approach to processes and materials, viewing growing, making, unmaking, and remaking as intrinsic to her creative journey.

She is the author of several acclaimed books published by Batsford, including Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art (2015) and Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art (2021).

Her profound connection to the craft is beautifully summed up by curator June Hill:

“In work after work, stitch after stitch, Claire has made her practice – and textiles – accountable. ‘Fieldwork’ is the term used. Whatever is written in her book, whether it is stitched or dyed, has been lived out: carried around in her community scrap bag; left in the backyard to be weathered by the elements before being invested with the care of repair; grown on her allotment, found on an urban walk or experienced in the daily act of spending time with needle, thread and cloth.” — June Hill (Embroidery Magazine, April/May 2021)