Doux Cœur started because I was looking for something I couldn’t quite find. I wanted to make tactile pieces for adults living with dementia or memory changes that felt simple, thoughtful and adult. Something that could be held and explored with the hands, but that would also feel at home among everyday belongings rather than looking like a toy, an activity or specialist equipment.

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Before starting Doux Cœur, I spent many years working as a complementary therapist and later trained as a mindfulness teacher. Both have shaped the way I work. As a therapist, touch was a large part of what I did, and mindfulness taught me to pay attention to simple things: a sensation, a movement, a breath, what is happening in that moment.

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When I started making the textiles, those ideas naturally became part of them. A raised line gives the fingers something to follow. Seed stitch changes the feel of the linen. Light padding gives a little softness and resistance when pressed. I also leave areas of plain fabric because I don’t think every part needs to be filled. The space is important too.

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I try not to ask too much of the person using a piece. There is nothing to remember, solve or complete, and no right way to use it. It can be held, traced, pressed, explored with the fingertips or simply rested in the hands.

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It is important to me that I am making for adults. A person living with dementia or memory changes has their own history, tastes, habits and preferences. This is one of the reasons I use natural linen, quiet colours and simple forms. I wanted the pieces to feel like objects someone might simply have around them, rather than something that immediately looks as though it has been designed for dementia.

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I don’t think of the textiles as therapy, and I don’t expect them to produce a particular response. They are simply something tactile to hold and explore. Some people may enjoy following a stitched line, some may notice a texture, and others may just like the feel of the piece in their hands.

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Everything is made by hand, and I spend quite a lot of time thinking about details that may seem very small. How does a line feel under a finger? Can the stitching actually be felt? Is there enough space around it? Does the piece feel comfortable to hold? Is there something there that doesn’t need to be?

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I often start with more and gradually take things away. I think that is probably why the pieces have become as simple as they are.

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And that simplicity is very much part of Doux Cœur.