Bridget Harris

I was trying to imagine the turmoil and thought of separation the women who left their children at The Foundling hospital felt.  The stain of leaving a child would be bad enough , however it was to enable the Mother to try and restart her life , often I believe with the intention of re claiming her child, though this rarely happened , often death came first. The process of print on paper using vintage sleeves as a means of communication between mother and child , as you can see stains are beginning to appear on two of the sleeves, the response to the stigma of having to leave your child, tiny little threads at the top of the sleeve are the threads of connection.

After spending many hours wondering how to take my pieces of drawn thread work that I had done for my BA and incorporate them into larger pieces of stitched detail. I contemplated the thought of the women of the eighteenth century whose lives were filled with continuous drudgery and fear. Slow Stitch with hand dyed thread to represent the stain some of these women carried with them was worked over poor and rich fabric, the result is quite beautiful and calming .

Fragments. After far too long away from my textile work, I return, life has been a battle and I have gone through many changes. Thoughts and my thought process during this time has been frightening and challenging. I was glad during my recovery to have forced myself to enrol at  The Ropewalk  in Barton Upon Humber. It was here I started the slow process of introducing myself back into the creative world. With the help of Tim Needham and a wonderful group of ladies and a few men who encouraged me so much I feel ready to start my new project.. Fragments.

Within my degree a module called "Making Techniques for Products" proved to be a challenge in having to make me decide what to make, as my work is textile art based I wanted something to sit along side this. After much thought  the decision to make Artists Handmade Books was made. I felt this would link in with the many days I spent at the London Metropolitan Archives searching through the Admission books, Billet Books and various other old ledgers not only for my studio practice but also my dissertation. I wanted my books to capture the same elements of my studio practice,by using cyanotype, embossing lace , wax and stitch.

Tokens made from mixed media . The process of "getting" everything in the right place took three days. The shadows produced depth and movement to my art pieces. The linen thread holding my drawn thread work acts as a tactile piece of art, the viewer can touch and observe . It was hard to get the right flow as I wanted to create a story, by putting the strong elements on the left , then moving into the linked elements would evoke feelings of loss.

With only a few days left to go before I submit my final degree work, I am still thinking about the concept of the tokens, loss and separation. I have spent most of the day wondering if I have got it right and could I have done more.  Historical reference in dress has never been about evolution,continuity...in dress, surfaces float free of their histories. Clark 2004. I wonder if this "token" floats free of its history, I would like to think history is inscribed in it's surface.

For my photo shoot I wanted to create the feeling of separation and the fate of most the the little foundlings.My parish church Haxey which originates from the 12th Century was an ideal choice. In the graveyard it has an old part called "God's Garden", it is overgrown,peaceful and very beautiful. God's Garden The carving and wording on the stone portrays perfectly the concept of my Studio Practice. Laid to rest.

Faggot stitching. Starting to link some of my work together creating the fragile link between life, death and fate.