Who needs therapists when you can take to stitching instead?
That is, if you try the Lisa Mattock approach. Her explanation for
her particular style of layer-upon-layer-upon-layer of patches,
stitches and scrappy bits goes like this:
“Slow stitching, I call it. And it centres around ‘make do and
mend’ and the ‘waste not, want not’ ethos of yesteryear. It
encompasses the notion of slowing down mentally and enjoying the
process of being mindful and involved in the project you’re creating.
And using what you already have, in terms of fabric consumption.”
Yes, please, we’ll have some of that! Not only because it
de-jangles rattly nerves, saves on psychologists’ bills and prevents
waste, but because the finished pieces are absolutely exquisite.
Oh, and it gets you out of the house in search of the soft treasure
to be had at flea markets, charity stores and church fetes.
Simplicity is the key and satisfaction the reward, according
to Lisa, who says that part of her approach is to give a generous
nod to past generations who recycled out of necessity, not just
to jump on a trend bandwagon. Those who struggled to make
ends meet by using whatever they had available would have had
no concept at the time of the admiration and inspiration they
fostered with their inventiveness. They positively set a spark
to Lisa’s flaming imagination, teaching her the value and beauty
of time-worn discards and natural fibres. “It’s their patina. Their
stories. Their originality,” says Lisa. “I love the time-worn nature of
my materials – cotton, linen, hemp ...”
But flea markets and antecedents can only claim so much of the
credit. The rest must go to the girl with the pearl of creativity – Lisa
Mattock, who first saw the potential in the bygone beauties and then
had the skill and imagination to turn them into crafting treasures.
You can see what we mean in our photos here. Her work is a lesson
in how to layer scrappy fabrics and then embellish them with stitches
until you achieve wondrous tactility and wonderful aesthetics.
“I create the ‘patched’ background using simple stab stitch to
connect the pieces of upcycled cloth,” she says. “The joy is in the
slowness of the stitching process – no whizzing along with a sewing
machine. I will perhaps add areas of boro stitch or cross stitches toLISA MATTOCKSelvedge
DESIGNER EDGE