Anna Gravelle

Textile sculptor

©Jo Halladey

©Yeshen Venema

©Jo Halladey

Tufting for touch

Anna creates wall hangings and accessories with the tufting technique
She has her own tailor-made tufting machine
Her aim is to create textile creations that are irresistible to the touch

Some of Anna Gravelle’s earliest memories are related to textiles: the softness of a cotton dress, her first cotton t-shirt, a favourite pair of jeans, and many items of Welsh wool clothing that her mother taught her to sew and knit. Anna can still recall the tactility of each item and associates them with comfort and joy. She studied Film and Film Installation and worked as a television producer and director for many years, before turning to the beloved activities of her childhood. Feeling the need to create with her hands again, she enrolled in a master degree course in textile design. It was at that point that she stumbled across a tufting machine for the first time, discovering the technique that she is now best known for.

Interview

©Jo Halladey

©Jo Halladey

What impresses you most about tufting?: It is a technique similar to embroidery, used for rug-making and candlewick bedspreads made with chenille yarn on a cotton muslin base. The machine has a huge needle, big enough to accept the chunky chenille yarn. The result is a pattern that excites the eye, and definitely entices the viewer to reach out and touch.
Is your tufting technique 100% traditional?: No, I am trying to update the craft, bringing a more refined and unexpected outcome. What I want to achieve is a more delicate result with fine threads and sophisticated fabrics. That is why I asked an engineer to customise my tufting machine to suit my needs, so it is very unique.
Can you describe your creative process?: I explore textural landscapes through drawing on location, mark-making and gathering photos. I then return to the studio where I work on different ideas in my sketchbook before scaling them up on paper with drawing and collage. I sample thread and fabric combinations and produce small fabric sketches before moving on to create a final piece.
What materials do you use?: I almost always use wool fabric and fine threads. The wool fabric is sourced from a few key suppliers in the UK who produce outstanding quality melton wool fabric with a luxurious finish. As for the thread, it is refined but sturdy enough to withstand the tufting process.

Anna Gravelle is a master artisan: she began her career in 2013 and she started teaching in 2016