Thread and Thrift: Dr Sue Marks admires Mandy Pattullo’s Patchwork Quilts
In a converted manse in rural Northumberland, Mandy Pattullo spends her days surrounded by faded quilts, worn garments, scraps of embroidery, and pieces of cloth gathered from charity shops and markets. These are the materials at the heart of her practice. Old patchworks are carefully unpicked, revealing hidden layers, worn stitching, and softened surfaces marked by years of use. Fragments of domestic textiles are then patched together once more, held with rows of hand stitch that preserve the history already contained within the cloth.
Originally trained as a Surface Pattern and Textile Designer, Mandy taught textiles for many years before dedicating herself fully to her own work. Over the past two decades she has developed a practice shaped by historical textiles and traditional techniques, drawing inspiration from Victorian quilts, North Country patchwork traditions, Japanese Boro cloths, and the improvisational spirit of Gee’s Bend quilts. Her collages and stitched compositions celebrate repair, reuse, and the beauty found in fabrics altered by time and wear.
We are pleased to delve into the Selvedge Archives to share this feature from Issue 56: Hollywood, exploring Mandy Pattullo’s world of patchwork, stitch, and textile history.
And if you feel inspired after this read, don’t forget to take a look at Mandy Pattullo's How to Make a Collaged Pouch Bag, available on the Selvedge Make A Project pages.
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Further Information:
This article was written by Dr Sue Marks, and wad first featured in Selvedge Issue 56: Hollywood.
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Mandy Pattullo's How to Make a Collaged Pouch Bag, available on the Selvedge Make A Project pages.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Collaged artwork by Mandy Pattullo. Courtesy of the artist.
All further images as credited within the featured archive article.