9 seam textile artists/designers/makers became 11.  Anna Glasbrook, Desiree Goodall, Anna Gravelle, Julie Heaton, Gill Hewitt, Joy Merron, Angie Parker, Linda Row, Tabitha Stewart, Penny Wheeler, and Samon Yechi each took 1 shift dress pattern to make a dress showcasing textile design.

10 shift dresses developed into 15. 1 Graffiti Shift Dress embellished by our audience became 4, including the ‘Patchwork of America Shift Dress’ a collaboration between 30 students at Columbia College in Chicago.

Our funding reduced from £24,000 to £21,500 but we managed to stretch it from 2 venues to 8. Originally 15 exhibition days, now 239 days, with a visiting audience of over 55,000 people (our initial estimate was a modest 4,500).

We estimate that over 500 of our audience took part by making their mark on our Graffiti Shift Dresses, and 36 people sent us their photos of their favourite shift dresses.

We have 144 written comments from our visitors, my favourite is:

I am Karen a friend of Rachel’s she has something to say … ” My name is Rachel & I am a blind person – and I enjoyed feeling the dresses and the different designs – thank you”

We also shared our love of textiles with 354 people in 14 workshops – mostly young people at education establishments in South Somerset.

Finally we have 21 thank you’s to:

• our funders the Arts Council, South Somerset District Council and Somerset Art Works.
• the galleries, venues and event organisers who showed shiftWorks: Somerset Art Works for their encouragement to apply for funding and their support; The Old Cinema Homestore, Yeovil, for stepping in last minute with a venue; Eastville Project Space, Yeovil, for hosting the shiftWorks fashion show; SIT Select for their support and showing shiftWorks at both SIT Select Showcase 2015 at Cheltenham Town Hall and in Select Festival 2016 with a Stroud town centre shop window trail, Trowbridge Arts including hosting a ‘Harvest the Shift Dress’ Tea Party; Devon Guild of Craftsmen; Bruton Museum and The National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford.
• 

  ‘Living Shift Dress’ needing to be harvested, 2016

  

  The harvested microgreens now in an egg and cress sandwich! ‘Living Shift Dress’ sown with new seeds. (Photo courtesy of Ian Wilson)

  Ian Wilson for reviewing shiftWorks for Embroidery Magazine

• all the seam artists who supported shiftWorks behind the scenes by marketing, project management, curating, sorting the finances, setting up and taking down the shows, and other administration tasks:  Anna Glasbrook, Desiree Goodall, Anna Gravelle, Julie Heaton, Gill Hewitt, Joy Merron, Angie Parker, Linda Row, and Penny Wheeler

There is one last opportunity to add to our figures! Do come and see the shiftWorks exhibition from 24 April until 5 May at Bath School of Art and Design, Bath Spa University, Sion Hill Campus, Sion Hill Place, Bath BA1 5SF.

Penny Wheeler