9th May 2026
We had two different parts to our day today. In the morning Amanda Cobett took us on a tour of her micro world, exploring fungi and mosses, followed by a worldwide view – a tour of textiles in the afternoon.
Amanda Cobbett produces exquisite free-motioned, machine-embroidered, 3D and very accurate interpretations of Lichen, Moss and Fungi. She took us on her journey from childhood, to graduating in textile surface design – specialising in botanical prints, to her current practice. Along the way we were introduced to gardening royalty in the shape of Alan Tichmarsh, to aristocracy with the large body of work that she produced for The Duke of Buccleuch (watch out for her book, due out later).
Amanda emphasised the importance of putting work into frames (or in her case, acrylic boxes) to emphasise that it is art not a ‘craft’ project. Other top tips were to find eco-friendly supplies (she recommended Maderia Threads and silk), and to work in layers, changing your needle eg to a leather needle as the work progresses and gets thicker. Consider using different weights and colours of thread in the bobbin and top. She also suggested getting more control when dissolving soluble fabric, by placing your work on a kitchen towel and using a damp brush, rather than just running it under the tap.
We were able to touch and explore many pieces of her work. A fascinating morning and very enjoyable.
A Tour of Textiles with Sue Norgrove-Moore
After lunch Sue provided around 50 textile treasures that she had collected during her travels around the world. Beautiful fabrics and exquisite embroideries that not only told a tale but invited us to see the world from a different perspective.
Each table was given an answer sheet to complete as the items were passed around. We were invited to guess which country it had come from, the fabric type, the item use and its age.
Much deliberation ensued with the name of the fabric just on the tip of our tongues …but sometimes out of reach! Some items were practical (prayer mats) some were decorative (batik capes) and some were whimsical! ( a tea cosy cottage complete with raffia roof )
After each table had seen each item and given a chance to complete the answer sheet Sue then gave a very detailed and informative presentation explaining the item, its fabric composition, its history and its provenance. Along the way Sue also introduced us to key historical fibres starting with Bast fibres – derived from the inner bark of plants and used across many cultures – these are among the oldest and most important textiles in human history, utilised for thousands of years before the widespread use of cotton or wool. Sue also gave a cautionary tale about the use of cotton – or rather just how much water is used in the growing and then the various manufacturing processes. What once seemed a good idea from a production perspective has highlighted the disadvantages of monoculture and environmental impact. Other historically important fibres Sue mentioned were Nettle, Hemp, Flax and Ramie. Explaining that early Japanese Kimonos were even lined with Mulberry paper!
On Sues tour of the globe she also showed examples of different types of sewing techniques. From Central America were Backstrap loom weaving, Mola ( also known as reverse applique) Ikat ( where thread is tied and dyed before weaving to create intricate often blurry patterned fabrics used for making clothes. From the Middle East we saw examples of Laidwork ( couching) as well as more functional items like prayer caps. Suzani from Central Asia dates back centuries and features intricate silk or cotton surface stitching on a cotton or silk base. Sues words to the wise also indicated how items “made for tourists” were sometimes of a much poorer quality. Fabrics from Africa showed the impact of using a resist (wax) in the dyeing process, the bright cheerful fabrics and clothes are popular in villages but are gradually being replaced by “western” styles in the towns – very sad to hear!
A dedicated collector of all things textile we look forward to seeing what Sue brings back from her next adventure – Bon Voyage Sue!
