Made by me
Gathered Scraps
A textile postcard made from offcuts, old textiles and scraps, joined with simple stitches. I loved gathering everything together and celebrating the frayed edges and uneven shapes.
Textiles, stories and making together.
The Making Table is where I share the textiles I’m making, the heritage crafts I’m discovering and the stories that inspire them. From embroidery and patchwork to workshops and travels, it’s a place to slow down, make something by hand and find inspiration.
A few things from the table.
A collection of textiles, heritage crafts and creative projects. Some pieces are carefully planned; others begin with a scrap of cloth, a colour, or something I picked up on my travels.
Heritage craft
Blaudruck linens
Traditional Blaudruck linens found at Salzburger Heimatwerk in Austria. The patterns are block-printed in resist paste before the cloth is dyed with indigo, leaving them white against the blue.
Made by me
Stitch Sampler
Exploring how simple stitches become flowers, leaves and repeating patterns. A sampler for testing colour, shape and new ideas.
Made by me
Summer wreath
Summer colour, held onto a little longer. Becky at Curated Cuttings taught me how to cut and strip willow for the base before I added dried flowers and eucalyptus from my garden. One wreath quickly became a small collection.
Heritage craft
Black Forest straw plaiting
Straw-plaiting samples seen in the Black Forest. Triberg became a centre for the craft in the late 1700s, and the intricate braids reminded me of British corn dollies.
Made by me
Patchwork star
A hand-stitched appliqué star made from favourite fabrics I’d been saving for just the right project. Liberty print, vintage French cotton, a woad-dyed sheet and a treasured block print all found their place together.
If a piece sparks an idea and you’d like to learn how to make something similar, you’re welcome to get in touch.
Things I’ve found, made and learned.
About
Hello, I’m Clare.
I started The Making Table as a place to bring together the things I make, the textile stories I’m curious about, and the kind of creative time I’d like to share with other people.
I’ve spent over 20 years working in textiles, including at Selvedge magazine and as co-founder of The Textile Retreat Company. I’m also a trustee of The Textile Society, where I co-edit its publications, TEXT and News. Along the way I’ve met many brilliant makers and seen how much care, knowledge and joy can come from making something by hand.
Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to heritage crafts and the stories behind them. Whether it’s a length of printed linen, a traditional embroidery stitch or a museum collection, I love learning how things are made, then taking little pieces of that inspiration into my own making. I’m especially interested in the way textiles can hold memories of people and places.
There’s always something on my table: cloth, thread, flowers, half-finished projects and more ideas than I can make at once. The Making Table is where I’m gathering them together.
Contact
Shall we make something together?
Get in touch about workshops, private groups, community projects, creative collaborations or a piece you’ve seen here.
Or find me on Instagram