Alison Hunter is a recent graduate of the Diploma in Creative Textiles at St. Angela’s College, Sligo, a college of the  National University Ireland, Galway. Her design work produced on this programme will feature in the upcoming Craft Council of Ireland exhibition of textiles at the Knitting and Stitching Show. This show will be at the RDS Dublin from the 31st October to the 3rd November. Alison’s interest in derelict vernacular buildings and their contents which are left behind and forgotten was the source of inspiration for her collection. During her visits to old houses, she observed broken pieces of tableware and this inspired her to re-imagine the humble plate. The collection ‘Soft re-imaginings’ which will be shown at the RDS, comprises of three hand-made felted pieces. Alison uses broken pieces of plates, which are forgotten or damaged and she re-creates them into contemporary textile art works. Using traditional techniques including hand wet felting skills, she hand felts soft merino wool tops together to re-create the part of the plate that is damaged, broken or lost. The pattern is applied to the felt using hand needle felting techniques so in a sense it is like drawing with wool. In this way, Alison transforms them into conceptual art pieces that echo their past and she reclaims their existence.