Fabric of Britain: Six months of stories stitched together

It’s been a year since our last blog post. That might suggest things have been quiet. In reality, it has been anything but. Since we last wrote, we’ve completed one project, begun another, and are preparing to launch a third. Across Southampton and beyond, communities have continued to gather around tables, share stories, and turn memories into quilts.

The Gift of Christmas at MAST Studios

At the end of 2025, we partnered with MAST Studios at Mayflower Theatre in Southampton on a project called The Gift of Christmas. Working with Caraway’s Memory Cafés at Potter’s Court and Lord’s Hill Church, we spent time with participants exploring their favourite memories of Christmas.

Some memories were joyful and bright. Others were quieter, reflective moments. All were deeply personal. Together, participants transformed these memories into quilt blocks, which we assembled into two quilts.

The project connected with MAST’s festive production of A Christmas Carol, creating a dialogue between Dickens’s story and the lived experiences of people in Southampton today. Throughout December and early January, the quilts and the stories behind them were exhibited in the MAST Studio Café, where audiences and visitors could pause, look closely, and reflect on their own memories of Christmas.

It was a privilege to spend time with Caraway’s Memory Café communities. The warmth, humour, and openness in the room made every session special.

Made in Millbrook with the University of Southampton

We are now firmly underway with our next project, working in partnership with the University of Southampton as part of their cultural engagement programme, Made in Millbrook.

Millbrook has a strong sense of identity and history, and this project is creating space for residents to explore that through making. We have been hosting our Community Sewing Days, welcoming people of all ages and experience levels to learn to sew and create their own quilt block.

Our Janome sewing machines have been busy from the moment the doors open. For some participants, it is their first time using a sewing machine. For others, it is a skill they are returning to after many years. What matters most is not technical perfection, but the stories that emerge.

Each quilt block responds to the theme Millbrook: Past, Present, Future. Participants have reflected on childhood memories, local landmarks, hopes for the future, and the everyday details that make Millbrook home. These individual pieces will come together to form a collective portrait of the community, stitched by the people who know it best.

There is something powerful about watching confidence grow over the course of a day. People arrive unsure, hesitant. They leave having made something tangible, something meaningful, and having shared part of their story.

Returning to where it all began

We are also preparing to announce a new project in Winchester, the city where Fabric of Britain first began.

Winchester holds a special place in our story. It was here that the first quilt blocks were created, and where we first saw how bringing people together to make could open up conversations, connections, and a sense of belonging.

We are excited to return and begin a new chapter there. We will be sharing more details soon.

A growing fabric of our own

Over the past six months, Fabric of Britain has continued to grow, one story at a time. Thank you to everyone who has taken part, shared their stories, and trusted us with their memories. We can’t wait to show you what comes next.