All Threaded Together Exhibition - by Jackie S

The group, All Threaded Together, is made up of nine members who work in several textile-related mediums, this exhibition was in the Contemporary style of patchwork and quilting. The members meet on a regular basis to discuss and plan their future projects. See their website for more information on each member and their work.

The exhibition was held at 78 Derngate, Northampton, which is a house whose interior was re-designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh in 1916/17 and is Grade ll* listed. It is the only house in England that Macintosh designed. There are several in Scotland which are equally famous, including the Glasgow School of Art, which was sadly largely destroyed, twice, by fire but apparently is going to be re-built.

The quilt group members were set a challenge, all using the same fabric, to make a small piece depicting the items and designs in the house. These were displayed in small box frames and sited in a 3 x 3 formation on a wall. This showed off the designs of the nine quilters very well, all of them very different.

There were other medium-sized quilts made by the quilters that also took inspiration from the items in the house, of which there are many, and they easily lend themselves to quilt designs. It was a very colourful and interesting exhibition and you can see some of the pieces on the 78 Derngate website under the Exhibitions heading. 

Another body of work shown was entitled “Changes”, which was held back from 2020. This consisted of contemporary style quilts which were not based on the house items and were a selection of the members’ work comprising different techniques, such as dyeing, embroidery, raw edge, etc. Again, varied in colour, technique and design. All the work was very well sewn and presented and made for an enjoyable afternoon’s viewing.



I did purchase a piece of work by Diana Sharvill, one of the group members, which is an interpretation of an iconic Charles Rennie Macintosh design and my favourite of all his designs. Photo below. I will certainly be re-visiting the house to hopefully be inspired to make my own quilt based on the designs in the house.