Make your own…Pattern patchwork

This activity is inspired by the research of Hannah Sabapathy, an artist and designer at the University of Leeds. She studies how patterns and fabrics travel between countries and change as they do.

In her PhD, Hannah looked at South Asian textiles and the British versions made in the 1800s. She worked with the University’s International Textile Collection, which has colourful woven and embroidered samples from Kashmir and Europe. These show how ideas were shared, borrowed, and adapted — some celebrating other cultures, some copying or changing each other’s work.

By studying these textiles, Hannah looks at how copying and cutting can be a way of understanding history and identity. She’s interested in what happens when one pattern inspires another, and how designs can hold memories of where they came from.

When you make your own pattern rubbings and mix them together, you’re exploring the same ideas. Each pattern you create has its own story to tell!