Pearl Embroidery at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

On 23–24 July 2022, I exhibited a jacket featuring my hand-embroidered Blue Collar #3 at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft. It was presented in Truth to Materials, an exhibition of work by MA Craft and MA Textiles students from the University of Brighton.

Truth to Materials

The exhibition brought together projects exploring cultural heritage, personal stories and the relationship between materials and everyday life. Exhibits included modular furniture that reinterpreted traditional Korean motifs, ceramics exploring the significance of animals, and interactive toys made from wood and wool.

Woven textiles, experimental tartan colour combinations and ceramic vessels made from locally sourced clay also featured in the exhibition. Alongside the finished pieces, students shared the research and experimentation behind their designs, showing how their ideas developed through materials and craft processes.

A jacket featuring Blue Collar #3

My contribution was a white jacket featuring Blue Collar #3, one of three embroidery samples developed for a capsule collection of jackets as part of my final MA Textiles project.

The blue embroidery stands out against the white fabric, drawing attention to the texture and detail of the collar. Displaying the complete jacket showed how the embroidery related to the garment’s shape and design.

Traditional pearl setting in contemporary fashion

My MA research explored traditional Russian pearl embroidery, also known as pearl setting, and its possibilities in contemporary textiles and fashion. I wanted to find new ways to interpret this craft heritage while preserving the traditional embroidery process.

Through practical experiments, I explored how different beads, threads and handmade cords could change the appearance and texture of the embroidery. Keeping the process consistent while changing the materials helped me develop a range of approaches for the jacket collection.

For Blue Collar #3, I combined glass, plastic and bone beads with cotton threads and handcrafted cords made from cotton, mohair and chenille. These combinations gave the traditional technique a different visual character and opened up possibilities for its use in contemporary clothing.

Exhibiting the jacket at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft offered an opportunity to share both the finished garment and the research behind it: an exploration of how traditional embroidery can continue to develop through materials and design.

Explore the jacket collection or read more about Truth to Materials on the museum’s website.