Stitching a Future Together

Pentreath & Hall and Fine Cell Work have joined forces to create a striking collection of needlework cushions to be launched at the London Design Festival.

Pentreath & Hall’s two graphic designs ‘Falling Cubes’ and ‘Tetrahedron’, based on stone floor and marble patterns by the great 18th century designer Batty Langley, are stitched in six bold, bright colour combinations including mixtures of pink, blue, chartreuse and red, alongside softer grey tones.

Ben Pentreath says that; 

“Working with Fine Cell Work has been one of the most exciting collaborations of the year, for Bridie and me. We love their brilliant work and it was an absolute pleasure to be asked to design a range of cushions with them. The bold, vibrantly coloured Geometric patterns of our wrapping paper and books worked beautifully, rescaled in needlepoint; and seeing the skill with which our initial ideas have been translated into reality is a joy”. 

Fine Cell work is a registered charity and social enterprise that trains prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework – undertaken in the long hours spent in their cells – to foster hope, discipline and self esteem. This helps them to connect to society and to leave prison with the confidence and financial means to stop offending.

Currently some 250 prisoners in 24 UK prisons are participating in Fine Cell Work workshops or projects and there are numerous prisoners on its waiting lists. Prisoners are paid approximately a third of the selling price of their completed projects.

On undertaking the new designs, one prisoner commented

“I enjoyed the challenge of stitching this design and also seeing the pattern stand out as the tapestry increased. This was when the 3D image became apparent and also grew in perspective.”

www.finecellwork.co.uk


www.pentreath-hall.com

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