“they are containers of fluidity”

 

Deep in the details of hand crafts.

Of spinning, knitting, quilt-making, and wood-working.

 

This installation is made of many hands.

These objects are full of liveliness and animacy.

Of tales and futures. Of deep roots covered in soil. Of naming as personhood.

 

Of intimacy lying at the boundaries. As sites of radical, speculative imagination. To cross these boundaries. Back and forth.

 

 

 

 

 

Multimedia installation of hand-crafted craft tools for hand-crafts. – (Suspended hap frame, with hand-lathed pulley system [handmade with walnut, bocote, and oak]. 4 plate photolithographs. White linen quilt top with embedded hand-knitted Shetland lace samples – on hand-lathed oak. Standing quilt frame for hand-quilting [handmade with oak, iroko, and cherry]. TED quilt [in progress] made with coreopsis, buddleia, indigo, woad, dock leaves, found linen and cotton tablecloths and handkerchiefs, and a woollen blanket. Naturally dyed, in community, bird/tree of life quilt block. Scrap chair of gender-queer joy made in collaboration with Jules Dunn [oak, iroko, and pine] with scrap seat-top quilt. Hand-lathed, pine, niddy noddy wound with white, hand-spun wool. Spinning wheel from unknown maker, in traditional design of Scottish flax spinning wheels. Paper, books, zines, sewing pins, cork, wool, coreopsis. Quilt top of a lace pattern [naturally dyed].)

 

A large print installation description is available. Touch objects are also available and are intended to be handled by all visitors, especially those with different cognitive processing needs and low-vision and blind visitors. You can access an audio guide via the QR code (at https://linktr.ee/tedtinkler) that contains a visual description of all the objects in this installation – written and recorded by the artist.

"they are containers of fluidity" installation

A small lithograph print of the artist spinning white wool at the wheel. The wooden spinning wheel, found by the artist, is based upon traditional designs of Scottish flax spinning wheels.

At the Spinning Wheel

A small lithograph print of the artist spinning white wool at the wheel. The wooden spinning wheel, found by the artist, is based upon traditional designs of Scottish flax spinning wheels.
At the rear of the space a ‘niddy noddy’ and two small lithograph prints are hung. The ‘niddy noddy’ is a spinning tool for taking the wool off the wheel just after spinning. It is made of three pieces of hand-lathed pine wood, joined in two perpendicular T-joints. White hand-spun wool is looped around it in a figure-of-eight, with the remaining ball pinned to the wall beside the object itself. In front, stands the quilting frame covered in strong shadows.

Sitting amongst the strong early evening light in "they are containers of fluidity"

At the rear of the space a ‘niddy noddy’ and two small lithograph prints are hung. The ‘niddy noddy’ is a spinning tool for taking the wool off the wheel just after spinning. It is made of three pieces of hand-lathed pine wood, joined in two perpendicular T-joints. White hand-spun wool is looped around it in a figure-of-eight, with the remaining ball pinned to the wall beside the object itself. In front, stands the quilting frame covered in strong shadows.
In the right-hand corner sits a wooden chair. It is made of a variety of woods, carefully pieced together and oiled. It sits fairly low to the ground and has a wide, deep seat. The back is made in a lattice formation, and on the support beams below the seat a quilt is draped. The quilt is a scrap block that uses leftovers from all the other naturally dyed objects within the installation. The three layers have been sewn together and bound, and it now lies folded, almost touching the floor.

Hand-made Scrap Chair and Quilt

In the right-hand corner sits a wooden chair. It is made of a variety of woods, carefully pieced together and oiled. It sits fairly low to the ground and has a wide, deep seat. The back is made in a lattice formation, and on the support beams below the seat a quilt is draped. The quilt is a scrap block that uses leftovers from all the other naturally dyed objects within the installation. The three layers have been sewn together and bound, and it now lies folded, almost touching the floor.
Upon this quilt frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched. You cannot see the full quilt as the top and bottom edges are rolled up on oak and cherry beams. Colours of reds, browns, pinks, yellows, white, and hints of blues dominate. The hand-quilting is partially completed with indigo-blue and coreopsis-yellow thread. These bind the three layers together – linen and cotton, wool, and linen again. The design of the quilt top contains the ‘bear claw’ quilt block, a block spelling out ‘TED’, and larger swathes of white linen. There are patches of embroidery throughout, overdyed, cut up, and sewn into the pattern.

TED quilt (naturally dyed in community)

A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. It has been hand spun on the spinning wheel in the opposite corner. The wool comes from Shetland and is undyed and brilliant white. Full of sheepy texture, and smell. The lace is made up of a repeating ‘fir cone’ lace pattern and diamond motif. It is rectangular, with straight (as straight as knitting is) long edges, and scalloped short edges. The lace has been sewn into the frame with thin, white thread to join the knit to the holes in the wood.

Hand-spun, Hand-knitted Lace on Hap Frame

A quilt frame made of oak, cherry, and iroko wood stands in the space. The sturdy and delicate wooden structure has been sanded, oiled, and waxed so it is smooth and sumptuous to the touch. It has two legs with decoratively detailed feet. On one end it has two wooden cogs which help turn the beams and the quilt. A quilting frame is somewhat like a hollow table, with moving parts, to allow a quilt to be stretched across its limbs. Upon this frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched.

Quilt Frame

A quilt frame made of oak, cherry, and iroko wood stands in the space. The sturdy and delicate wooden structure has been sanded, oiled, and waxed so it is smooth and sumptuous to the touch. It has two legs with decoratively detailed feet. On one end it has two wooden cogs which help turn the beams and the quilt. A quilting frame is somewhat like a hollow table, with moving parts, to allow a quilt to be stretched across its limbs. Upon this frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched.
A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. It has been hand spun on the spinning wheel in the opposite corner. The wool comes from Shetland and is undyed and brilliant white. Full of sheepy texture, and smell. The lace is made up of a repeating ‘fir cone’ lace pattern and diamond motif. It is rectangular, with straight (as straight as knitting is) long edges, and scalloped short edges. The lace is being sewn into the frame with thin, white thread to join the knit to the holes in the wood.

Knitted Lace in Suspended Hap Frame

A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. It has been hand spun on the spinning wheel in the opposite corner. The wool comes from Shetland and is undyed and brilliant white. Full of sheepy texture, and smell. The lace is made up of a repeating ‘fir cone’ lace pattern and diamond motif. It is rectangular, with straight (as straight as knitting is) long edges, and scalloped short edges. The lace is being sewn into the frame with thin, white thread to join the knit to the holes in the wood.
This hap frame hangs on thin, orange rope from a hand-made, hand-lathed, oak pulley system. It is like a pulley you might find on boat rigging, or a Glaswegian, tenemental washing airer. A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. Behind the frame is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.

"pegging down their lace"

This hap frame hangs on thin, orange rope from a hand-made, hand-lathed, oak pulley system. It is like a pulley you might find on boat rigging, or a Glaswegian, tenemental washing airer. A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. Behind the frame is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.
Behind the quilt frame, another quilt is hung on the wall. This one is finished. It manipulates a traditional ‘pine tree’ or ‘tree of life’ quilt block into a ‘bird/tree of life’ quilt. Again, the fabric is naturally dyed in community – with yellows, purples, pinks, and white predominantly making up the palette. This quilt is made of lots of carefully sewn triangles and bound at the edges with yellow-buddleia linen.

bird/tree of life quilt

Behind the quilt frame, another quilt is hung on the wall. This one is finished. It manipulates a traditional ‘pine tree’ or ‘tree of life’ quilt block into a ‘bird/tree of life’ quilt. Again, the fabric is naturally dyed in community – with yellows, purples, pinks, and white predominantly making up the palette. This quilt is made of lots of carefully sewn triangles and bound at the edges with yellow-buddleia linen.
From right to left there is: A long and thin patchwork fabric piece in naturally dyed hues of purples and yellows; A wooden spinning wheel on the ground, found by the artist, and based upon traditional designs of Scottish flax spinning wheels; A small print of the artist spinning white wool at the wheel; Above this hangs a knitted lace handkerchief that almost blends ethereally into the wall; Five shelves scattered with books, flowers, small folded naturally dyed quilts, lace knitting, hand-spun wool skeins, scraps of fabric in jars, and hand-made zines; On the floor below stands a small stool with two zines and a book lying upon it, alongside a slightly ragged sewing box.

wall of tools

Bursting at the seams.
A hand-lathed circular oak pole, with a few delicate details, is hung in front of the window. It is attached with two wooden pegs, like found on the spinning wheel on the opposite side of the space. From this wooden pole hangs a white quilt top. It is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them. The top is folded over the wood and pinned with simple white sewing pins to keep the fabric in place. When the late afternoon and early evening sun shines, a strong light comes through the window. The window frames cast shadows across the two larger walls, the floor, and the lace inserts cast more delicate shadows too.

Hanging Lace and Linen Quilt Top

A hand-lathed circular oak pole, with a few delicate details, is hung in front of the window. It is attached with two wooden pegs, like found on the spinning wheel on the opposite side of the space. From this wooden pole hangs a white quilt top. It is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them. The top is folded over the wood and pinned with simple white sewing pins to keep the fabric in place. When the late afternoon and early evening sun shines, a strong light comes through the window. The window frames cast shadows across the two larger walls, the floor, and the lace inserts cast more delicate shadows too.
A hand-lathed circular oak pole, with a few delicate details, is hung in front of the window. It is attached with two wooden pegs, like found on the spinning wheel on the opposite side of the space. From this wooden pole hangs a white quilt top. It is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them. The top is folded over the wood and pinned with simple white sewing pins to keep the fabric in place. When the late afternoon and early evening sun shines, a strong light comes through the window. The window frames cast shadows across the two larger walls, the floor, and the lace inserts cast more delicate shadows too. If a hand is held up to the piece, a delicate pattern of holes will be shadowed upon the flesh.
If a hand is held up to the piece, a delicate pattern of holes will be shadowed upon the flesh. The quilt top is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them - a Vandyke border here.