Russell Barratt brings a unique perspective to textile artistry, combining his background in clothes making with a passionate commitment to sustainable practices. His vibrant, expressive quilts, crafted exclusively from secondhand materials, have earned him recognition for pushing the boundaries of traditional quilting techniques while maintaining a deep connection to domestic life and personal memories. Through Russell's innovative approach to textile art, coupled with his expertise in transforming everyday materials into compelling artwork, he highlights the significance of sustainable making, joyful storytelling, and craftsmanship in our modern world.

In this workshop you will learn to use elements of the architecture of the garment in your textile pieces – pockets, sleeves, button plackets, collars can all be used as focal points, the interesting shapes can help to create a unique and expressive piece of work. We will explore both simple hand stitching and machine sewing to assemble a small quilt top with scraps and appliqué the clothing elements on top. Then discuss further ideas for embellishment and quilting. The goal is to not only highlight the sustainability of repurposing clothing, but also encourage you to think about personal stories to express within the quilt making techniques. I’ll bring along examples of my own work to help get the creativity flowing!

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