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Reviews for Rags

Rag Manifesto offers an introduction and a call to arms for rethinking the way we view and use textiles, particularly textile waste. ​It encourages us to see rag as a precious material with meaning and potential, rather than as waste. The manifesto promotes the idea of transforming and repurposing textiles, and highlights the importance of creativity, community, and sustainability in this process. Now we’ve had some early reviews for Rags.

Thanks to Crafts Magazine, Alice Ellerby at Juno Magazine and Sarah French from Cumbria Life. Rachael grew up in Cumbria and the landscape shaped her early years until she left to go to art college in London. Much Ado about Books in Afriston put it in their newsletter. ‘Earnest? Maybe, but also fun, funny and charming’.   Read more

 “I want to instigate a change in the way we see our wasted textile landscape.”

Rachael Matthews
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We’ve been shortlisted

Intelligent Hands: Why making is a skill for life has been shortlisted for an award for indie publishers by Book Brunch. The announcement will be at the London Book Fair on 12 March and I’ve already booked my train ticket. It’s a long shot or course, but it’s great to be recognised 😊

Meanwhile, Intelligent Hands will be available in the USA from IPG books from 27 February, that’s tomorrow!

We’ve had some great endorsement’s for Rag Manifesto already, this from Kate Fletcher, author of the Craft of Use.
‘This special book deals with the urgent need to find ways of relating with textiles that, instead of contributing to social injustice and environmental degradation, actively contribute to the world. Stories change the future. The stories in this book are already changing things. They are about caring and repairing our places and communities with imagination, action and each other.’ Professor Kate Fletcher, Royal Danish Academy.

The artwork on the front cover is Shoulder Boulder, by Rachael Matthews, woven almost entirely from waste created in the making of socks at a friendly sock factory, Socko.

Rag Manifesto is Published on 1 March, preorder yours now.


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Happy 2024

Here at Quickthorn we have some great stuff planned for you for 2024.
Our next new book will be Rag Manifesto by artist, rag collector, brother of @artworkersguild and rag-rugger extraordinaire, Rachael Matthews. Rag Manifesto: Making, folklore and community looks at the how, why and wherefore of rag rugs and the people who have made them in the past and those making a stir by recycling fabrics create things now.
👉 We used to think of rags as a rare and valuable asset, handmade clothes and treasured fabrics. Now they are spilling out of our wardrobes and discarded with abandon. You can take a stand against waste and save your rags.

We also have a lovely feature in Resurgence Magazine about Intelligent Hands: Why making is a skill for life. There are more exciting things to come this year, so stay tuned.