Threadmill will celebrate Farfield Mill's industrial heritage an unique identity, whilst showcasing the versatility of wool fibre, yarn and cloth by exploring different ways in which these can be manipulated and re-presented in new forms.

REMEMBERING and respecting the history and heritage of the local wool trade and acknowledging its close links with the culture, industry and agriculture of the region.

The focus and central theme of our proposed exhibition is a celebration of the rich heritage of the wool industry of Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales. Wool in its many forms has been and to some extent remains an important part of the economy for these areas.

REACTING to and rekindling the use of wool as a base material in our textile work.
Exploring of the potential of wool fibres, threads and fabrics, both new and re-purposed.

Reacting and responding to the rich and varied products of the wool industry, past and present provides the valuable opportunity to address contemporary concerns regarding the re-use, recycling and renewal of textiles. Repair and utilization of new and old materials and techniques allows for practical as well as experimental approaches to materials and techniques with opportunities to create new and exciting textile forms.

RETELLING and re-imagining the story through offering a number of different contemporary approaches to textile art.

As individuals, we offer different interpretations through our textile art. Our work is diverse in style and scale. The skills, techniques and processes we use are varied and innovative. For this exhibition, we will develop a body of work which tells new stories. By working together, we will create a cohesive exhibition which celebrates the present through the re-imagining of the past.

All the works in this exhibition have been inspired by Nantwich which together with the surrounding area has acted as a valuable catalyst for the development and realisation of individual ideas.

In direct response,Threadmill have created a feast of intricately stitched textile pieces which reflect the town's rich social and industrial history. Alongside reference to a range of iconic buildings, impressions of local flora and fauna are represented along with the rich colours and textures derived from the use of nature’s raw materials. Personal inspiration has taken the group along traditional approaches to textile art intertwined with the innovative and experimental, encompassing and depicting the local area in all its many facets.

The techniques used are innovative and varied, including hand and machine stitching, painting, printing, dyeing, felting, collage and mixed media.

The work for this exhibition has been developed from the study and influence of the Arts and Craft Movement who, together with the Leek Embroidery Society, reacted against the mechanisation and mass production brought about by the industrial revolution, but instead chose to celebrate the attention of design in decorative arts and embroidery.