One of theses delightful cities is Newcastle, located along the banks of the Tyne River. Newcastle "was a major centre for shipbulding and mining in the 18th and 19th century. Sadly this has all gone but has left its mark in terms of buildings and heritage." Now culturally exciting, Newcastle is home to Mandy Pattullo, a textile artist, print maker, quilter, and surface pattern designer. Pattullo's studio is in the Tyne Valley, 10 miles out of the city in a small village close to Hadrian's Wall." If that's not charming enough, the studio is "part of a complex of studios situated in old church buildings where dissenters from the Common Prayer Book met secretly in the past. Located in the attic of a 17th century manse", Mandy creates beauty from vintage and recycled fabrics and well-worn quilts.
Pattullo's work illustrates the beauty of women's textile art from today as well as the past. She allows the "fabric and colour to set the pace. Sometimes she overdyes other fabrics and rarely uses anything very bright apart from Turkey red." She works with "everything around her on the floor and just picks at it like a magpie until she has a gathering of pieces which seem to call to each other. Sometimes she has a central piece of printed or embroidered or small special piece that everything has to fit around. It takes alot of time to get the colours and composition just right. She works in total mess as if she can't see it she can't do it." So refreshing to hear as that is exactly the way I work!
Below are some lovely examples of Pattullo's creations. All photos via Mandy Pattullo. Photos 1 and 2 are examples of Mandy's textile collages. She hand sews appliques and employs creative stitchery onto pieced textiles.
I'm ready for a trip to untamed Northumberland and the wonderful textile art of Mandy Pattullo. Bon voyage!
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