40 Objects for 40 Years: A Craftspace Quilt Series

4 wall hangings on a white gallery wall. they show simple graphic images of objects, using a different colour on each quilt.

40 Objects for 40 Years: A Craftspace Quilt Series by Stewart Francis Easton.

We will be telling the stories of the 40 objects over our 40th year, from March 2026.

Learn more about the story behind each object here and on social media.

To celebrate Craftspace’s 40^th Anniversary, we commissioned visual story-teller Stewart Francis Easton to create a quilt series. The 40 objects depicted across the four quilts each play a vital part in telling our story of championing the power of craft to change lives and communities.

In this work, Stewart has combined traditional craft skills with digital media to highlight the forward-thinking nature of Craftspace. The quilts also celebrate our roots in traditional and historical making in the Midlands.

A simple green and white graphic image of a green toolbox.

Exhibition Toolbox

A simple green and white graphic image of of an artwork by Melanie Tomlinson of a blackbird.

Blackbird (2025) – Melanie Tomlinson

A simple blue and white graphic image of a West Midlands Adult Daysaver bus ticket.

TfWM Daysaver Bus Ticket

A simple pink and white graphic image of a porcelain artwork by Lucy Baxendale, of a creature smiling, covered in leaves.

Movement (2025) – Lucy Baxendale

Trolley

A simple green and white graphic image of three plaster artworks made by pouring plaster into the gap between two joined hands.

Clasped Hands (2016) – Shane Waltener

A simple blue and white graphic image of an old-fashioned key.

Safe Key (c. 1850) – E. Cotterill & Co.

A simple blue and white graphic image of a hand-stitched pyramid tea bag.

Tea4Change teabag (2014) – Mahnaz

A simple blue and white graphic image of a mug.

Mug (of tea) – James & Tilla Waters

A simple pink and white graphic image of a ceramic tile that reads 'We can't stop the waves But we can learn to surf!', with a drawing of a wave.

We can’t stop the waves tile (2013) – Craft in Mind participant

The Custard Factory

A simple blue and white graphic image of a dress. It has frills and patterns.

Claire’s Coming Out Dress (2000) – Grayson Perry

A simple purple and white graphic image of an early animation device called a praxinoscope. It is decorated with buildings, trees and faces.

Praxinoscope (2016) – Melanie Tomlinson and Maker-Centric participants

A simple pink and white graphic image of a slightly open door, revealing a fire inside.

Shelanu’s Kiln

A simple purple and white graphic image of a bird in flight.

Swallow Brooch from Shelanu’s Migrating Birds jewellery range

A simple blue and white graphic image of four skeins of yarn suspended from a horizontal pole. A thread from each has been unspun, spelling out '4600'.

4600 Gifts workshop set-up (2021-22)

A simple green and white graphic image of a rangoli, made of concentric circles of flowers.

Rangoli (2002-3) – Ranbir Kaur

A simple pink and white graphic image of a hand wearing a shining ring on each finger.

Silver Rings (2019) – Participants from Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid

Potters’ wheel

A simple green and white graphic image of a stained glass artwork in the shape of a head on top of a heart.

Blessed Sculpture (2017) – Xavier White

A simple green and white graphic image of an artwork by Rachel Higgins, which is a perspex box containing a metal ant connected to two cranks which make it move.

Marching Ant Automata – Rachel Higgins

A simple pink and white graphic image of a wine glass and two violin bows.

Torcher Chamber Arkestra (2016) – Carrie Fertig

A simple purple and white graphic image of a fabric medal, attached with a safety pin.

Courage Medal (2020) – Alinah Azadeh

Gazebo

A simple green and white graphic image of a bookcase, filled with books about craft.

The Craftspace Library

A simple purple and white graphic image of a badge that reads 'Somiya says SOD OFF'.

Sod Off Badge (2004) – Somiya

A simple pink and white graphic image of three ceramic, head-shaped sculptures, decorated with spots and flowers.

Head Pots (2005) – Jon Williams

A simple pink and white graphic image of a woman sitting down, looking up with her arms outstretched, dressed in Yoruba clothing.

Yoruba Textiles: West African Cloth Culture touring exhibition (1992)

A simple pink and white graphic image of an older woman wearing a large fur hat, with an owl sitting on top of the hat.

The Visitation (c.1986) – Michael Lord

A simple purple and white graphic image of a ball of yarn with eyes, nose and a mouth, wearing a pair of headphones.

Yarning podcast (2022-23) – Sara Fowles

A simple purple and white graphic image of a metal artistic plate, depicting three women standing on a cliff waving to a man being washed away in the sea.

The Flood (1988) – Ronald Pennell

A simple purple and white graphic image of a circular textile artwork, featuring a portrait of a woman in the centre.

Bella Julia (1996) – Karina Thompson

A simple pink and white graphic image of a sewing machine powered by a wheel of a bike.

Bike-powered sewing machine (2012) – Harriet Riddell

A simple pink and white graphic reading 'Radical Craft', with each letter in a different font.

Radical Craft: Alternative Ways of Making touring exhibition (2016-17), logo by Hyperkit

A simple green and white graphic image of a calculator.

The BIG Calculator

A simple blue and white graphic image of a house, a small container reading 'Comment' and a box with pencils in it.

Comments box (2016) – Juneau Projects, in response to Joanna Simpson’s Gum Nut Folk

A simple blue and white graphic image of Craftspace Director Deirdre standing on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Dr.h.c. Deirdre Figueiredo, MBE on the Fourth Plinth, London (2009)

A simple green and white graphic image of a bus with artworks hanging down from the ceiling, and a panel that reads 'Curious about craft?'

Curious About Craft Bus (2010-11)

A simple blue and white graphic image of a Roses chocolates tin.

Biscuit tin

A simple purple and white graphic image of a hand-carved wooden teaspoon.

Hand-carved spoon – A Craftspace member of staff

A middle aged man in a yellow sweatshirt and woollen hat sits on the floor hand stitching a patterned quilt.

Stewart Francis Easton making the quilts.

Find out more about Stewart Francis Easton

Stewart Francis Easton is an artist working in fibre, sculpture and paint. His work breaks the traditional boundaries of craft fusing together hand embroidery, sonic art, music and meditation. He uses bold colours, repetition and geometric abstract motifs and is inspired by folklore, folk art and counter cultures.

Stewart, who is originally from Coventry but now based in London, has worked with us a few times over the years and we were really excited to commission him to create a new artwork for our 40th anniversary.

Stewart has worked with Craftspace over many years:
“I feel that I am part of Craftspace’s story after successfully working with them on projects. The first being ‘Making Moves’ and the second ‘Gathering’. Craftspace has supported me from the beginning of my career through to the mid stage. I have garnered a wealth of experience since the early days of Making Moves and have successfully worked on projects both nationally and Internationally. Craftspace was one of the first organisations to support me and it helped propel me forward, I would like this opportunity to give something back.”

You can find out more about his work on Instagram @stewarteaston and on his website.