Wendy Hale

I have been stitching most of my life. My creative journey and love of textiles and needlework began at a young age when my grandmother taught me to embroider tray cloths and chair backs. I soon progressed to making my own clothes. These interests from childhood followed a natural progression to a lifelong love of all things handmade. I grew up surrounded by nature in the beautiful, Herefordshire countryside near Goodrich Castle which provided a perfect starting point for my sketching and artwork. Nowadays I take inspiration from everyday surroundings ranging from nature, changing seasons and local landmarks, such as Hampton Court Palace, all the way to the colourful, vibrant markets of India. Out on daily walks with my dog I always have my camera ready to capture any small details of architecture or nature that could inspire a future piece of art. I love experimenting with many different techniques to create interesting textural surfaces. I especially like dyeing and printing fabrics, manipulating fabrics, Kantha hand stitch and freehand machine embroidery. I am particularly passionate about sustainability and being eco-friendly so try to use an eclectic mix of new and reclaimed fabrics. I integrate bits and pieces from my travels or something that has been loved and cherished to transform and give a new lease of life to cloth with a previous history. I continually collect textiles, buttons, threads & trimmings, reluctant to throw anything away as it may come in useful!