Isabel Fletcher

Archive Iterations Series: August 31/1899
Warp ends, mohair yarn, thread, organza.

Archive Iterations is a practice based research project exploring my family history in the Yorkshire textile industry (1837–2005). Reinterpreting archive fabric swatches from the Mill’s cost books, I transform historic fabrics into sculptural forms using production offcuts from existing British manufacturers, linking heritage and contemporary textile industries.

For my latest work in the Archive Iterations series, ‘August 31/1899,’ I used warp ends collected from the textile mill, during my residency at Sunny Bank Mills in July 2025. I used these chunky stranded lengths to act as the strong vertical structure of the archival weave, which under magnification, appears to protrude from the surface of the textile. I intersected this with horizontal stitches in red, blue and black on organza which encase the chunky stranded lengths of warp, mimicking the undulating weft yarns which dart through the weave structure.

As well as observing the intricate fibres, weave structures and colour combinations which make up this textile fragment, the making process becomes a method of questioning the historical, heritage and contemporary view of the UK textile industry, further supported by my visits to existing mills and manufacturers of textiles.

This new work is on show as part of the latest exhibition titled ‘Touchlines’.

1st - 31st May 2026. Thursday-Sunday, 10:00-16:00.

I am excited to share a new limited run of one-of-a-kind monoprints, each created by hand in my studio using fabric offcuts printed onto calico and finished with hand-worked chain stitch.

Mounted on archival board, these prints continue my exploration of offcuts as traces of industry which become physical silhouettes that hold the gestures, processes, and remnants of making.

Every print is completely unique and individually signed.

Sold unframed with free UK postage.
Large (A4, 21 × 29.7 cm): £55
Small (18 × 24 cm): £48

To purchase, please DM or email [email protected], stating which print you would like to order from the list below.

Image 1: (clockwise from top left) numbers 1, 2, 3
Large, 21x29.7cm, £55

Image 3: (clockwise from top left) numbers 4, 5, 6
Small, 18x24cm, £48