I’m pleased to announce that my hand stitched coif – created for The Unstitched Coif project – is now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum Collections. So far 78 of the coifs have been documented and images will follow later in 2025.
Catherine Hill Coif – Victoria and Albert Museum Collections
The project is a collaboration between the V&A and curator Toni Buckby a PhD student.
Unstitched Coif Project
The project is based on an original 17th century coif in the V&A archives in London. This coif was partially stitched and then unpicked, but the pattern is still clearly visible consisting of hand drawn flowers and whimsical bugs.
Around 130 needleworkers from across the world took part in the project.
To see more about the story behind this artwork, please followthis link.
A new exhibition at the House of Smalls called ‘Childhood Interrupted’ prompted me to create a new piece of work called ‘Disowned’ for the Dollhouse gallery.
The exhibition takes place at The House of Smalls, 103 Henderson Row, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH3 5BB from the 30th January – 1st March 2025.
‘Childhood (noun): The condition of being a child; the period of life before puberty. Interrupted (adjective): Broken, discontinued, or hindered‘ ~ House of Smalls.
Artists taking part in the Dollhouse – Childhood Interrupted exhibition
Disowned
Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, with each piece representing our experiences, relationships and our family – but what happens when a sibling is disowned or renounced by a parent and suddenly those we hold dear are missing from our lives.
Disowned
The child is no longer welcome in the family home, not invited to family events, and for the siblings there is a wider impact.
They have to be forever cautious in conversations, they omit names for fear of further tension or conflict, and contact with those estranged requires deception for fear of being discovered.
Disowned – detail
In my own family it’s happened over two generations leaving a legacy of family rifts that decades later, still exist.
Size 11.5 x 11.5cm. Hand and machine embroidered cotton cloth, Aurifil embroidery thread, vintage Sylko thread, tea dye.
This piece forms part of a series of small works created for the House of Smalls.
Update February 2025:
Thank you to Amy, curator of The House of Smalls for sharing these images of my work in the Dollhouse gallery.
A new exhibition at the House of Smalls called ‘Hidden’ prompted me to create a new piece of work called ‘Behind Closed Doors’ for the Dollhouse gallery.
The exhibition takes place at The House of Smalls, 103 Henderson Row, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH3 5BB from the 21st November – 22nd December 2024.
“Timed to coincide with 25 November 2024 – White Ribbon Day, The International Day for the elimination of violence against women, and the start of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence – this is an exhibition of artwork by 60 women who have been affected by domestic abuse in any of its many forms.” ~ House of Smalls
Artists taking part in the Dollhouse exhibition
Artists taking part in the Main gallery
Artists taking part in the exhibition.
Behind Closed Doors
“When I am asked why she doesn’t leave abuse I say… she stays because the Fear of leaving is greater than the Fear of staying. She will leave when the Fear of staying is greater than the Fear of leaving. I know this was very true for me.” – Rebecca J. Burns
You never know what goes on behind closed doors.
Behind Closed Doors
This piece is about a dear and close friend.
She made a plan and escaped with her children.
It took her nearly fifteen years to open up and tell me her story.
Behind Closed Doors
Size 11.5 x 11.5cm. Hand embroidered with Aurifil thread.
This piece forms part of a series of small works created for the House of Smalls.
