Assunta Miles
The school closure during Covid-19 (lockdown one) forced me to put my PhD at the University of Huddersfield on hold, I had only just begun this exciting journey in January. My focus now turned to homeschooling my two children full time. Everyday I looked forward to my daily walk. A time to breath out and relax, no pressure to understand math formulae and Shakespeare. Covid-19 taught me to reappreciate the beauty of my local environment. Slowly walking the same paths daily opened my eyes to the intricate patterns in nature and I wanted to capture this through my textile practice.
Instagram: @assuntamiles
I used traditional manual sewing machine lace making techniques pioneered by the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Building the lace work one stitch at a time, in air, without the use of vanishing fabric. A slow, relaxing process.
It gave me a real sense of achievement and posting the pieces on Instagram enabled me to connect to other makers who were very supportive and motivating. It built my confidence and I went on to submit my lockdown one creations to a juried panel who approved two pieces for un/frammed, an international fibre art project promoting textile artworks in embroidery hoops from around the world. The un/frammed exhibition took place in Switzerland.
Assunta Miles
I began spending my evenings making, pre lockdown I would not have made the time, there was always something else that needed doing. Fresh air and stitching kept me relaxed and positive. I produced three pieces of lace inspired by the lichen, moss and weeds found on my walks around Slaithwaite. Well, not just on my walks, they could also be seen in all their glory sprouting out of the dry stone wall that borders the river Colne and the Aldi carpark where I stood for over an hour patiently waiting to do my supermarket shop. Focusing on the wall stopped me worrying about what wasn't going to be on the shelves.
I continued exploring lichen lace during lockdown two, inspired by walking the same path everyday which took me high above Slaithwaite. These walks once again gave me opportunity to relax my mind, this time not from my children's studies but my own, as I had now returned to my PhD studies.
Sustainablity is very important to me. The pieces created during lockdown one were developed from thrown out offcuts of fabric from a tailor's workshop, using threads I already owned. They were made (and are displayed) in wooden embroidery hoops. The sculptural pieces created during lockdown two are formed from recycled polyester thread and waste food paper packaging.
