Another dip into my non-magazine collage materials. This time the fabric of a beloved bag I used during my time at 6th form college back in the early 1990s.

Archived by my mum, the “vintage” (I am still unconvinced that items from my youth could possibly be considered vintage) Dorothy Perkins duffle bag was returned to me in the lovingly preserved state I had left it - at breaking point.

I fell in love with this bag and thought nothing of how practical it might be given it was too small to fit all my folders and books in plus it had ridiculously thin straps that used to dig into my shoulder. True to my teenaged form, I simply absorbed the pain and inconvenience in favour of how the colours and patterns of the fabric made me feel.

After it was returned to me, I didn’t want it just languishing in a drawer without purpose so I decided to make it into a literal and metaphorical material thread; running through a series of collages for my most recent collection of art cards. It currently features in seven designs and will be making future appearances in some pieces I am currently working on.