Susan Harrison
Art & Design; Workshop Facilitation; Art Therapy Foundation; JNC Youth & Community Development; Bsc(Hons) Health & Social Care Management.
Contact
England
About
Rag Rug Making (Hook & Proddy/Proggy) and Knitting is my main Craft.
I have lived in Cornwall for the past 30 years and the scenery is my inspiration for some of my work. However, I was born in Nottingham a place renown for it's Textile Industry. My mum and other family members and friends were employed in this industry. They were 'out worker's (people working from home). In my early years, my mum was an over-locker machinist making garments. From time to time she was also employed in the lace industry. On these occasions I would help her unpick large sheets of lace rows making them into more usable bundles for edging garments etc. My mum and her friends taught me to use a sewing machine and knit from an early age.
My first recollection of a Rag Rug was the one in front of the fire at my Gran's house. I was intrigued as a child by the number of different materials I could find within it including leather. It was in my Teen's that I first embarked on Rug making with my friends. We would experiment making different types of Rugs with the materials we could find around the house or were donated by our neighbours. Often it would be crimplene and 'cotton rags'. In the 70's we enjoyed using nylon materials in fluorescent colours. Today, I recycle materials of all kinds which fit the design and colour but they are mainly cotton, fleece, blanket and woollens.
In my work as a Youth & Community Worker and in Health & Social Care, I developed and delivered Textile workshops such as Rag Rug design & make, Toy making, knitting & Cushion making.
Textile Craft is a good way of Recycling unwanted or discarded materials and can encourage intergenerational activities.
Mini craft gallery
