Emily Campbell

We are intrigued and excited by the way that Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand.

An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education.

Exclusive works for sale

Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand.
Each one is a bespoke artwork and can be made in the colour palette of the client’s choice.

Curllusion

Fragments

Trianni

Drunkard’s Path

Shoeman’s Puzzle

Victor

Vortex

Meander

In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew.

Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance. Pemberton Qwilts were featured by PINCH in London Craft Week, 2023, and Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.