The Crafts Study Centre has long been indebted to the flax and linen specialist and award winning author, Patricia Baines. She was commissioned to research and write the monograph and catalogue of the collection of Rita Beales, one of Britain’s best linen hand weavers and her book, A Linen Legacy: Rita Beales 1889-1997 is still available from the Centre’s shop.

The Crafts Study Centre has been very privileged to have been able to add to its textile collections through funding generously provided by the Patricia Baines Trust. Working with the expert advisors on the Centre’s Acquisition Committee (currently Tim Parry-Williams and Sharon Ting) works by emerging and established living makers in both printed and woven textiles have been added. These include a hand woven rug by Peter Collingwood, scarves by Makeba Lewis, two screen-printed panels by Sally Greaves-Lord, experimental and 3D work by Ann Richards and, most recently, a collection of work by Kate Blee. The exhibition will also present a small number of pieces in the collection by Rita Beales. The title of the exhibition is taken from Patricia Baines’s monograph on Rita Beales.

The exhibition is presented in association with the Patricia Baines Trust