Textile Study Group

Norwich Red
60cm w x 64cm h. Digital print on canvas. Montage of 17th c drawloom, patterns of Norwich Stuffs, and Norwich Red fabric.

My work is centred on the Norwich weaving industry during the 17th and 18th centuries and the extensive trade of Norwich Stuffs to Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, India, China and the Americas, exported by sea via wherries through the Norfolk Broads to Great Yarmouth.
The importance and manufacture of cloth in Norwich ended in the late 19th century, due to the reluctance of weavers to change to industrialisation and the advent of chemical dyes and power looms. The wall hangings reflect on the production and variety of Norwich fabrics.

Work for the Bankfield Museum Halifax, has progressed into the cut and fabric of men's tailoring in the late 19th century influenced by samples of woven serge for army and railway uniforms in sample books held at the museum.

I am a practising textile artist specialising in large scale work with a wide experience of public and ecclesiastic commissions, teaching and exhibiting. I contributed the chapter on crewelwork in Embroidery Studio, and review exhibitions for Embroidery and Selvedge magazines.
I studied City & Guilds Embroidery at the London College of Fashion and hold the Diploma in Embroidery & Design from Loughborough College of Art and have recently completed an MA in Textile Culture at the Norwich School of Art & Design.

Jeanette Durrant