Meet Dr Vanessa Marr: The Domestic Dusters Project

Annual Online Retreat - 4th November 2026

>Annual Online Retreat>Meet Dr Vanessa Marr: The Domestic Dusters Project

People & Places 2027 | The Quilters' Guild Online Retreat

What can an everyday household duster tell us about women's lives, experiences and the expectations placed upon them?

Dr Vanessa Marr | The Domestic Dusters Project

At our People & Places 2027 Online Retreat, we're delighted to welcome artist, academic, and project founder Dr Vanessa Marr, who will introduce participants to Domestic Dusters, an ongoing collaborative textile project that explores women's experiences of domesticity through hand embroidery.

The Domestic Dusters Project: Giving Women's Experiences a Voice

Founded by Dr Vanessa Marr, Domestic Dusters invites women to embroider their personal experiences of domesticity onto an ordinary yellow household duster.

Through stitching, a familiar domestic object becomes a space for personal expression, reflection and storytelling.

The project has brought together contributions from women across the world, creating a growing collection of hundreds of hand-embroidered dusters.

Each contribution offers an individual perspective on domestic life, challenging the legacy of so-called 'women's work' and encouraging conversations about the experiences and expectations associated with it.

Exploring the Stories Behind the Stitches

During her session, Vanessa will share the inspiration behind Domestic Dusters and explore the stories behind a selection of the embroidered pieces contributed to the project.

The collection demonstrates how hand embroidery can communicate personal experiences, giving participants the opportunity to consider the relationship between textiles, domesticity and women's lives.

The project has also been exhibited in public spaces, including the University of Brighton and De La Warr Pavilion in East Sussex, bringing these stitched contributions to wider audiences.

Take Part: Create Your Own Domestic Duster

This session isn't just an opportunity to learn about the project. Participants will also be invited to begin creating their own embroidered duster.

Vanessa will guide attendees through a series of prompts designed to help them explore and express their own experiences of domesticity through stitch.

No previous embroidery experience is necessary. The session welcomes all levels of sewing ability and offers a supportive, women-centred environment to participate in.

Those who wish to contribute their completed work to the wider project can choose to have their duster join the touring collection.

Join Dr Vanessa Marr at People & Places 2027

Vanessa's session offers an opportunity to explore how an everyday textile can become a means of storytelling, personal expression and shared experience.

Whether you're an experienced embroiderer or picking up a needle for the first time, The Domestic Dusters Project invites you to consider the stories that can be told through stitch.