Hi, I’m Kath and I am a self taught textile artist based in Wainsgate Chapel, a beautiful, deconsecrated baptist chapel, in Old Town above Hebden Bridge.

All of my designs are inspired by my love of nature, stirred with a good dollop of childlike imagination. I make a wide range of brooches, accessories, homewares and original artwork featuring our native birds and creatures. Each one is lovingly hand cut, needle felted and free motion embroidered, to have its own unique character.

The majority of my fabrics are carefully sourced Scottish and English tweeds that come with their own stories of wool, looms, and skilled hands. Tweed runs in my family’s blood. My great Grand Uncles, Vernon and Aubrey manufactured fine wool tweeds at Clover Greaves Mill in Calverley, West Yorkshire. I like to use Yorkshire tweed in my work and imagine my grandma causing mischief around the looms that made it one hundred years ago.

Sourcing fabrics that are natural, sustainable or repurposed is a core value of Katfish Designs. My shopping and messenger bags are made from recycled organic cotton and plastic bottles and my collection of keyring are all backed with repurposed leather pieces that were my Grandad’s samples from his days in Leeds tannery in the 1960’s.

I share my studio space with a wonderful community of creatives, plus there is always excellent cake here. So come and say hello and meet my menagerie of colourful, characterful birds and creatures at this year’s Open Studios. It’s well worth a trip up t’hill.

Visit Kath’s page for contact details and links.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”20″ sortorder=”116,117,118,115,119,114,120,121″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_width=”600″ thumbnail_height=”600″ thumbnail_crop=”1″]

Photos of Kath by Lucy Cartwright