FROM SOIL TO CLOTH
The Textile industry is the second largest polluter, and yet natural fibres can be grown and are biodegradable. For my project From Soil to Cloth I have been developing urban textile gardens in the city of Portsmouth since 2023, with a new collection of work and environmental research.
To get involved please sign up as a garden volunteer:
To volunteer at Landport Community Garden pop in and chat with Matt and the team on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: 9am-11am Tuesdays and Thursdays: 1pm-3pm. Fyning St, Portsmouth PO1 1JS
The Exhibition was in September 2023 in the Historic Round Tower in Old Portsmouth, curated by Lauren Nicoll. Find the full project below, with photographs of the exhibition, textile gardens and paper cordage workshops.
Sharing flax seeds, Southsea Green. Photograph by Karl Bailey
Be part of a new slow textiles movement
First paper cordage workshop, held in the Round Tower. Photographs by Eddie Stenstrom
“The paper cordage workshop in particular was lovely, as much of the time was spent getting to know the other participants while we were quietly creating. The sense of connection that creating something together can allow is so important, and is something that has been largely lost from how we currently live our lives”
“I think workshops of this kind are so important as a way of bringing people together to create and learn. There aren’t many opportunities for this as an adult, unless you have a lot of disposable income.”
URBAN TEXTILE GARDEN
The seeds will be planted for the Urban Textile Garden April 2023 in Portsmouth, space to be announced soon. To be involved and follow the journey sign up to my mailing list and follow the @fromsoiltocloth instagram
Volunteers can help with different stages of the textile gardens including sowing, growing, de-weeding, harvesting, and processing. Flax can be processed into linen, a natural fibre and fabric, which can be spun, knitted, stitched, woven, made into string/rope, felted and embroidered. Madder, Woad and Weld can be used to create beautiful colours of natural dyes for fabrics and can also be made into paint and inks.
