Connecting Threads showcases twelve textile projects created between 1981 and 2024, each serving as a tactile record of social history. Through stitch, these works reveal untold stories of marginalized communities, overlooked places, and unexamined histories.
Both personal and political, the collection spans from delicate, hand-embroidered fragments capturing everyday life in South London and Yorkshire to monumental, site-specific banners crafted with construction workers in northern England.
Together, these pieces illustrate the artist’s life in stitch, offering insight into the creative process of an artist-embroiderer—how ideas take shape, projects are managed, and the challenges of socially engaged practice. The themes explored—identity and belonging, health and wellbeing, sustainability, community cohesion, and social inequality—offer a sensory testament to contemporary life.
Despite international recognition, Setterington remains deeply committed to collaboration, the shared language of textiles, and the rituals of daily life. Hand stitching remains central to her work. As she reflects: "Embroidery today is celebrated, practiced, and appreciated by people from all backgrounds. Its value as a connecting thread and a powerful, accessible global communication tool is finally being recognized."