'We Gather' a quilt for Kindred House
Kindred House, a beautiful retreat, workshops space and guest house; is nestled in Margate's characterful streets. Owned and run by the wonderful Natasha Lawless, Kindred House has become a centre for community, making, arts and making new friends (in my experience).
If you have been following me, you will know that I have been running quilting retreats in collaboration with Kindred House and in the early summer of 2022, I was also invited to showcase a piece of work in Kindred House’ first collective art exhibition and open house.
The show was titled ‘Materiality: A State of Being’ and featured a group of artists and makers working across various mediums and materials.
We Gather, 2022 - 177 x 145.5 cm
The work I created was titled ‘We Gather’ and was created using simple and fundamental processes, using soy milk to paint forms, shapes and marks on fabric, which are then treated in a tea dye bath to bring out the marks left on the cloth.
The process is a reminder of simple activities once shared with my mother when we were younger, making, creating, and cooking with ingredients to hand. Making what you can with what you have.
“The shapes portray a gathering of objects, reflecting the artist's inherent nature to collect. Placed, assembled and rearranged these abstract objects are talismans, amulets, reminders and memories”
‘We Gather’ is available from Kindred House’s online store and you can find it here, along with a selection of beautiful objects and artwork, curated by Natasha.
Founded by designer Natasha Lawless in 2020, Kindred House was created as a place to come to rest, to encourage creativity and to learn. We invite our guests to come and reclaim some time and devote it simply to what gives them joy. This could be curling up beside our woodburner with a book and glass of wine, or rising at dawn for an early morning walk and brisk sea swim.
Whilst houses can function as places of sanctuary, we also seek to connect within them. Kindred House is offered not only as a space to retreat to, but also to connect within as we invite our guests to be active participants in cultivating our community.