When parcels containing 18 years of fabric samples arrived on Jayne Emerson’s doorstep she was inspired to enter a new phase of creation that has led to her first textile exhibition.

The work had been stored as an archive by her London textile agent, with many pieces already having been sold by buyers such as Chanel, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton.

Jayne sat down with a cup of tea to look through the hundreds of swatches and came up with an idea to turn them into something new.

The result is a wonderful selling exhibition at Winds of Change gallery in Winchcombe.

“What I do is the very first stage in fabric design, the buyers often just use it for inspiration.

"People say they didn’t even know my job existed and I couldn’t ever really show people what I do as the buyer owns the copyright,” said Jayne from her studio in Dumbleton.

“I start by going to shops and fairs and finding old weave and vintage fabrics, like a pink 1920s dress I found that had flaws where someone had ironed it – that is perfect for me.

"Then I dissect it and make it into something new, perhaps layering other things like a black and white geometric print on top of it. I think of them as fabric recipes.

“It was wonderful to get so much of my work back and realise I could make it into textile art.

"I made a few collages and put them round the house and it was interesting to see my work in a different light."

The exhibition and her two needle felting workshops are part of Winchcombe Festival of Music & Arts; eight days of art displays and open studios, live music from opera to folk, workshops and talks, and a sculpture exhibition at Charingworth Court.

“All the fabrics I use have a story to them, now I have used them to create a narrative.”       

  • Jayne Emerson is exhibiting at Winds of Change gallery, Winchcombe, from May 14 to June 4. Visit windsofchangegallery.co.uk/ for details. Jayne is also known for teaching Kirstie Allsopp to make a felt robin on her TV programme Kirstie’s Handmade Britain. As part of the festival she is teaching the craft at two needle felting workshops - Felted Flowers and Felted Birds. They will be held at the gallery on May 24 and May 25. Tickets for each workshop are £28 including materials and can be booked through the festival website at winchcombefestival.co.uk/  The festival runs from May 23-30.