Meet your maker
I’m Rachel Letitia, an illustrator and textile artist working from my home studio in North Norfolk. Since graduating with First Class Honours in Illustration from Norwich University of the Arts, I’ve developed a multidisciplinary practice bringing together drawing, painting, textiles and mixed media.
My work spans publishing, commercial illustration, heritage, licensing and commissioned artwork. I’ve created work for organisations including The Royal British Legion, the National Trust and Virgin Wines, alongside developing my own collections of original textile art.
Living in beautiful Norfolk provides me with a constant source of inspiration. I love the changing seasons and the colours that come with them; autumn is my particular favourite. Its rich, earthy colours and warm tones are something I return to again and again in my work.
Teaching has been an important part of my creative life. I spent many years working in primary education, planning and teaching art lessons. Last year, I developed my own creative workshops and classes for adults from my home studio. I enjoy working with people, whether through teaching, personal commissions or creative projects with businesses and organisations.
VINTAGE & REPURPOSED
Creative Philosophy
I care about material waste and make thoughtful choices about the materials I use. I love finding new possibilities in things that might otherwise be overlooked or discarded — giving them purpose and a new life
Sculping the fabric
My mum and me in matching handmade dresses — both sewn by her, along with her matching hat!
The Fabric of my Story
My mother had learned to sew from her mother, and throughout my childhood she made clothes for all the family. Her sewing room was at the end of the upstairs corridor, and in the evenings I would fall asleep to the gentle rumble of the sewing machine working away. I didn't realise it then, but that familiar sound became almost like white noise to me — something I now associate with comfort, safety and love.
I love to sew too. I learnt the basic skills from my mother, but I always found following a sewing pattern difficult. Instead, I saw fabric much more organically — something to play with, layer, manipulate and sculpt.
I'm not a hoarder, but I do struggle to part with an interesting or beautiful fabric. I don't really see the item anymore — I see its colour, texture and weight. Sometimes I immediately know how I might use it; more often, it joins my colour-coded collection until the right piece calls for it.
Over the years I've worked with summer dresses, linen trousers, old shirts, tablecloths and countless remnants discovered at fabric markets, church sales and charity shops. Giving these fabrics a new purpose is one of the things I love most. They stop being an old shirt or the forgotten lining of a waistcoat; instead, I begin to see them simply for their colour, texture, weight and possibility.
My fabric collection is extensive, and almost every piece has a story. Together they have become my palette. Fine, translucent fabrics can be layered to create shadow and delicacy in the wings of a bee or dragonfly; heavier cloth can be cut, stitched and sculpted to create depth, texture and form.
It's a way of working I've spent much of my life developing, and yet there is still so much to discover. Every new piece becomes an exploration into the fabric unknown. I don't always know exactly what will happen when I begin — and that's part of the joy. Something once ordinary and overlooked can emerge transformed, unexpected, and ready to be treasured all over again.
My vintage finds safely stored and arranged in colour order .
My vintage finds safely stored and arranged in colour order .
Sculping the fabric
My mum and me in matching handmade dresses — both sewn by her, along with her matching hat!
My fabric collection is extensive, and almost every piece has a story. Together they have become my palette. Fine, translucent fabrics can be layered to create shadow and delicacy in the wings of a bee or dragonfly; heavier cloth can be cut, stitched and sculpted to create depth, texture and form.
It's a way of working I've spent much of my life developing, and yet there is still so much to discover. Every new piece becomes an exploration into the fabric unknown. I don't always know exactly what will happen when I begin — and that's part of the joy. Something once ordinary and overlooked can emerge transformed, unexpected, and ready to be treasured all over again.