Earth Sails
Earth Sails
Sometimes I take the Field patterns out to sea, with the intention of turning them into a sail for the boat. I love the quiet performance of hoisting the sail – the moment it catches the wind and the journey begins.
While sailing, I look for new sea patterns, combining them with those of the land. These encounters shape the stitching I make on each sail.
Filming the sail as it moves, and the shifting patterns of Land & Water, has become an important part of my process.
Floating Land Sail, (2022)
Floating Land Sail was created during a sailing trip from Dorset to Cornwall in 2022.
In the studio, I began by making a paper sail pattern based on a tri–radial design, measuring 3.5m by 1.4m. While on the water, I stitched together fabrics printed with my Land patterns, using waxed whipping twine to bring the design to life.
The finished sail was hoisted while moored on the River Dart at Dittisham, Devon.
Chalk Waves (2023)
Chalk Waves followed the next year, during a voyage from Dorset across the English Channel to St Malo, France, in May 2023.
I printed the Sail Stitch pattern discovered on my 2022 journey onto organic hemp, scaling the design up to 5m by 4m. The palette drew from the landscape – the walnut and chalk tones of the land and the deep navy of the sea. As we sailed, I over – stitched the fabric, letting the patterns I observed on the water influence the marks of my hand. The sail was hoisted in both Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, and St Malo, France.