I worked through the initial idea of ‘lost property’ to explore the emotional significance of objects and the implications for textile design using innovative research techniques. Inspired by Glenn and Walker’s study of Significant Objects (2012) I delivered a collaborative workshop with a group of writers to examine how imaginative narrative can enhance the design information of an object. I curated a range of personal and collected objects to act as writing prompts. The stories generated a rich source of  information that prompted imaginative and intuative design ideas beyond the materiality of the objects. I further rationalised the group of objects and examined how these domestic expressions of self are mirrored in my external visual interests while travelling in Europe in the late 1980s. The objects, places and spaces provided a litany of ideas often seemingly unconnected and disparate. Metaphorical techniques such as collage and card sorting then allowed me to find connections and patterns across the years that consolidated the key principles of my own topography. The use of headstock, industry waste and rejected clothing and techniques to combine and manipulate fabric required an engagement with the process of making tht respected the qualities of the materials and their autonomy in the creative process.