Dutch artist Mirjam had been put off textiles at school by critical teachers who insisted on following ‘the rules’. Even her own family taught her that there was a right and a wrong way to do embroidery. Instead, she became a children’s author. But, she was still intrigued with embroidery, and so her evenings were turned to experimenting with stitch, texture and pattern. 

Today, her nature-inspired crochet, felt works and embroideries – many worked on her own eco dyed and printed cloth – have led to large followings on Instagram, Etsy and Patreon, where she shares her knowledge via e-books and tutorials. 

Mirjam told us how the seasons are her inspiration, and that seeing Sue Stone tie a knot in her thread was the epiphany that freed her from decades of embroidery restrictions.

Creating with joy

Mirjam Gielen: It hasn’t been that long since I felt confident enough to call myself a textile artist. I learned many techniques in my youth, but I don’t have any formal training in the arts.

I love to combine my embroidery with eco printing and dyeing, crochet, felting and any other technique that helps to achieve the effect that I’m looking for.

Dyeing and printing with plants provides me with a stash of fabrics and threads. This makes me feel like a child in a room full of wonderful toys with endless possibilities!

I enjoy experimentation and that often leads to new discoveries of how to use a certain material or technique.

I create my art at home: our living room doubles as my workspace while our kitchen is frequently turned into a dye studio.

I try to limit dyeing to moments when my family members are out, or I’ll dye in the garden when the weather allows – the smells from the dye pot aren’t always appreciated. Otherwise, my family is very supportive: they help me by editing my tutorials or providing inspiration with photographs and research. In that way my work is very much embedded in family life.

My main platform is social media, especially Instagram, and I like to connect and share with people around the world. I’ve participated in a few exhibitions, but felt very much on display rather than connected to the visitors.

How did you become a textile artist?

My mother, grandmother and aunts always had some textile activity on the go. It could be knitting, embroidery, crochet or sewing, but also tatting or macramé. They invariably made things that were useful, like clothing, tablecloths or lampshades. They wanted to make them as beautiful as possible and were always on the lookout for a new pattern or pretty yarn.

They showed me the joy of needlework but were also quite obedient to what they called ‘the rules’.

At school I was often criticised for not working neatly enough. That might have been to do with the fact that I am left-handed, but was forced to do all the crafts right-handed. I was constantly chided and forced to undo my work. It left me with the idea that textile work could be great, but I just wasn’t good enough.

I kept creating on a modest scale, because the fun and satisfaction of making things with my own hands kept its appeal. The birth of my children stimulated that and I loved to craft for and with them.

I was an author of children’s books when my children were young and I started the habit of doing some stitching or crochet after a day spent juggling with words. I just played with colours and stitches as a relaxing downtime, without much thought about results. That was when the joy came back and I was able to create more freely. Slowly it grew into something more.

Did you have a particular turning point that influenced your art?

I had done some botanical dyeing with my mother, but that had been forgotten over the years. When I saw eco printed fabrics online and read a book by India Flint on the subject, something clicked and I started eco dyeing and printing myself. The fabrics I produced turned out to be the ideal basis for my stitches. 

Another pivotal moment came during a TextileArtist online course by Sue Stone. It was something really simple: she tied a knot in her thread before starting. I was aghast because I’d been taught that tying knots was more or less a deadly sin! My grandmother used to say that the back of the work should be as neat as the front – knots had no place there. 

Seeing a renowned textile artist like Sue Stone actually tying a knot was very freeing. It made me realise that I still had lots of rules in my head that were hampering my artistic freedom. 

Sue’s style is very different from mine, but she still is a role model for me in her approach to textile art. It encouraged me to get rid of the last remnants of my harsh inner critic and enjoy the creative force of exploration and experimentation.

“Eco prints feel like a magical world I can explore with my needle.”

Mirjam Gielen, Textile artist

Patterns, lines & structures

What is the ethos behind your work of creating organic embroidery on eco printed fabric?

Nature is important to me and provides a constant source of inspiration. Outdoors, I feel nourished and relaxed.

I feel that textile work has a lot in common with organic processes. I can make my stitches small or big, dense or wide apart. They can be grouped together like a herd or wander around. They colonise the fabric in an organic way, growing slowly, stitch by stitch.

Stitches have their own characteristics that are a bit like the DNA that provide code for the stitch process. A french knot looks distinctive and not like a seed stitch, just like a rose looks like a rose and not like a tulip. Then there are the influences that can steer the process in a multitude of directions, similar to the influences of soil, sun or rain in nature.

“There are so many fascinating and beautiful structures and phenomena in nature that provide inspiration.”

Mirjam Gielen, Textile artist

Eco printing helps to get rid of the ‘blank page’ problem. It immediately provides an environment that can be explored with stitches. It invites intuitive stitching and a dialogue with the fabric.

Embroidery gives me direct contact with the fabric and I think that is why it is my preferred technique. But I don’t like to limit myself: crochet, for instance, can provide interesting and organic looking structures too. Felting has also found a place in my practice, not only because it is such a delight to stitch on, but also because it can be three-dimensional.

How do you develop ideas for your work?

For inspiration, I use images that I take with my camera or that I find on the internet. I collect them on boards on Pinterest. My next step is often to draw in a sketchbook, not with the aim of designing my work in detail, but to get a hands-on feel for patterns, lines and structures. I also often make stitch samples before starting on an art work. 

These stitch explorations have led to several ‘sketchcloths’, as I like to call them; eco printed fabrics that get filled over time with all sorts of experiments. The free stitch play on those fabrics is appealing enough to blur the line between ‘sample’ and ‘art’. 

My focus is increasingly on the process rather than on the result. I can start out with a mix of inspiring images as a basis, but once I get stitching, I let my intuition lead me. I might end up with something different from what I envisioned beforehand. And, when that leads to a ‘blah’ result, I don’t see that as a failure, but as a valuable lesson and a stage in my process.

Botanical dyes, reclaimed materials

What materials do you especially like to use in your work?

I want to have a practice that doesn’t contribute to the environmental issues that we face. Industrial dyeing of fabrics is one of the most polluting industries, and I don’t want to add to that if I can help it.

Botanical dyeing is one of the solutions, but I also use reclaimed materials. I do sometimes buy new materials like goldwork threads though – I’m not looking to create a new inner critic that chides me for not being strict enough regarding my efforts to be sustainable.

There’s a lot that can be found online, from shops that sell botanical dyestuffs or organic linen, to online market places where people ask a small price for their grandmother’s leftover stash.

I once bought a large box of threads from a widower who proudly showed me all of his wife’s work. He was selling her stash to raise enough money to buy a piece of ceramic art for her grave. Every time I use her threads I remember how lovingly he talked about her. That’s the kind of added bonus that you don’t get with store bought items.

What’s been your biggest challenge in creating your art, and how did you overcome that challenge?

I think the biggest challenge was to overcome self-doubt and self-critique. I was held back by old beliefs and musty rules. My harsh inner critic was frantically trying to keep me safe, safe from disappointment, ridicule or failure – be perfect, it would say, or better still, don’t even try. It’s like an overprotective friend that hates to see you get hurt but also has a totally unrealistic estimate of the dangers. 

I have found that many of the things that I feared are in fact non-existent.

If a composition doesn’t work, I can undo things, add stitches, add an appliqué or simply try again. If I run out of steam, it’s okay to rest for a bit – my mojo won’t get lost. I can’t lose what truly belongs to me and if it doesn’t truly belong to me, it’s okay to lose it. I have started to trust in that, and it’s brought me lots of joy, through the work itself and in sharing it with others.

Time & teaching

How do you organise your working week?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were more than 24 hours in a day? But then I’d probably still discover that I didn’t have a drop to drink all morning or that it’s way past lunchtime! I can get completely engrossed in my work.

On the other hand, working from home can lead to people thinking that you are always available. I’ve had to learn to let the phone ring and say no to invitations to go for a coffee when I’m working.

Creating classes and tutorials takes up a big part of my time. I love to teach, but I need to protect the amount of time spent on it.

Social media can be another distraction. I try to take regular pauses while stitching, so as not to overtax my body by sitting in one position for too long. But I tend to fill that time by scrolling on my phone and, before I know it, I’m answering a question on Instagram, clicking on interesting links and reading messages from friends.

Being self-employed means having a lot of freedom – I can take a walk whenever I feel like it – but it also requires quite a bit of self-management.

I have a lot of followers on Instagram and a growing number of patrons on Patreon – that can lead to a feeling that I have to create interesting content all the time for all those lovely people.

Textile work is often labour-intensive and progress can be slow, so I don’t always have something new to show. When I feel that pressure I take a deep breath and realise that those demands are just in my head. Nobody actually gets angry or hurt when I don’t produce constantly.

Taking time off to stare out of the window, go on a walk or do a simple chore is time well spent as it creates space for my brain to process inspiration and come up with new ideas.

This is also similar to natural processes: seeds need time to germinate and winter days are just as important as the abundance of summer.

How is your work evolving?

I find that I’m drawn more and more to working three-dimensionally. It poses challenges that I avoided for a long time. I started with stitching on felt balls, but there are so many more possibilities – I’m excited to see where it leads me.

Do you have one or two tips for makers?

My best tip would be to focus on the process. To enjoy the journey wherever it leads.

If you see all your works as steps in an ongoing process, you become less afraid of failing. Failure doesn’t even exist. If you discover, for instance, that appliqué is not your thing or that you really shouldn’t have combined those two fabrics, that’s a lesson that will fuel your creative development just as much as any ‘successes’ will.

Another tip is to feel free to learn from others. Being inspired to try something you see someone else doing is not stealing ideas but a way of finding your own voice.

In textiles, we’re interconnected by a long tradition that spans many ages and cultures, and that always was and is the property of everyone. That said, it’s only fair to honour your sources of inspiration and give credit where it’s due.

After inheriting her great grandfather’s metalwork tools and samples, Emma discovered the beauty and versatility of recycled aluminium. She found that, after cutting, rolling out, engraving and burnishing the metal cans, she could punch holes that enabled her to stitch.

Emma is inspired by plants, insects, human anatomy and even Shakespeare. Her varied subject matter also has links with battle armour and Aztec designs. It includes scarab beetles, breasts with milk ducts and a bejewelled skeletal hand.

Each shimmering work of art is enhanced by the gleam of embroidery threads. Emma loves to embellish her designs with glittering goldwork, glass, metal or ceramic beads, and the occasional Swarovski jewel.

The results are ornate and luminous artworks, deserving of a place in a pharaoh’s tomb.

If you think it would be hard to stitch into metal, you’d be surprised. Emma tells us it’s easy. It just goes to show, you don’t know until you try.

Intrigue, impact & illusion

Tell us about your work exploring intrigue, impact and illusion…

Emma Pannell: I think the intrigue comes from the time when I worked in theatre. When presenting a play or a song, it must entertain and engage an audience.

I started with insects in 2018. They are of constant fascination to me and have symbolic meaning across time and cultures.

While working in the south of France on a creative project in 2022, the opera Die Zauberflöte, an adaptation of The Magic Flute, there were lots of insects around.

I was inspired to design a new collection of insect artworks. I really like French design, and there was something about the opulence of the Renaissance era that I felt would be really interesting to combine with the insects.

“I try to make pieces that are multi-faceted, bold and colourful, and spark curiosity.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

In terms of illusion, using recycled drinks cans in the way I do disguises what they are. The speckled gold colour gives the impression of a very old material and can pass for something ancient. It’s just like how stage costumes and jewellery can look luxurious under theatre lights, when in fact a tiara could be made from painted tinfoil and bits of coloured tissue.

I’m very interested in the concept of transformation: reforging rubbish into something new. In my work, a piece of old metal or material can become something fantastical like a scarab beetle or a bejewelled body part.

Burnishing & manipulating

What made you decide to work with discarded tin cans?

Before leaving home to study an art foundation course in Lincoln, I was given a box that was my great grandfather’s. It contained tools for metal embossing as well as pieces that he’d made. I was immediately taken with the practice. He’d died before I was born and my family are all very practical people, so it was wonderful to discover I had a creative family member.

The metal material that he used was a combination metal and is no longer in production. I found drinks cans to be a good substitute, although I had to figure out a few things for myself and it wasn’t easy finding the right people to consult.

Initially, I struggled with heating the metal and how to apply the heat to achieve a consistent gold colour across the sheet. It was taking me hours to burnish just a few sheets.

It was my dad who helped me: he had a weed burner in his garage and, as the temperature is easier to control, it enabled me to burnish the cans more evenly and quickly.

Perfecting the process of burnishing and manipulating the metal took over ten years.

“I’m fascinated by just how malleable this material is – it’s surprisingly strong and is easy to sew, while being light as a feather.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

Actor, puppeteer, artist

How did you develop your artistic skills?

My great aunt taught me how to sew, and I did an arts foundation year at the University of Lincoln, but I’m mostly self taught.

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do and had always felt torn between acting and art. When I was studying at Lincoln, my application to progress to a fine art degree course got lost. By the time this was discovered, it was too late and the courses were full.

This left me at a crossroads, so I took a year out. I did some creative work but also applied for drama schools and was accepted onto a course at the University of Salford. While my degree focused on acting, I still ended up doing a lot of making.

I was a pretty hands-on student and ended up painting sets and making puppets. I also did some work in the costume department after taking sewing and garment construction lessons with a fabulous lady, Maureen, who worked there.

I worked as an actor and puppeteer for seven years, doing a lot of theatrical and site-specific work as well. Although I enjoyed the theatre work, I felt like something was missing and took some time out to go travelling. Sporadically, I made art during this time and, despite it feeling like a scary step, I decided to focus more on my art around 2018.

“All of a sudden, I had two solo exhibitions and people were calling me an artist.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

Out of the blue, I received news about an exhibition proposal I had made months earlier, confirming they would give me the space to show my work.

At the same time, I was in the south of France working as an intern at a theatre company, the Centre Artistique International Roy Hart. With encouragement from a friend there, I put together a proposal for a site-specific art exhibition Metal Shakespeare: Alive.

It was an immersive exhibition and theatrical piece based around Shakespeare’s characters, which would be displayed across the old château at the centre. My proposal was quickly accepted. After returning to the UK, I took several months off to create work for the exhibitions and then worked ad-hoc office jobs to support myself.

Much later on, I became interested in hand embroidery and goldwork. It took a while, but eventually, I developed a method to imprint designs and sew them onto the metal.

Although I took the long way round, I think the whole process informed my work for the better.

Symmetry & the golden ratio

Tell us more about your process and techniques…

I’ll start with research, gathering a mood board of ideas and what it is I’m trying to realise. Then I create the paper pattern. Sketching is the first stage of preparing work and is integral to making sure the design is right. For my larger pieces, I make a pattern and sew each part together as if it were a garment.

Each new pattern is drafted numerous times to perfect it. Sometimes I will make up to six drafts before it’s ready to be imprinted, or embossed, onto the metal.

If it’s not quite right and is embossed on the metal, there’s no amending it.

“A lot of my pieces reference symmetry and the golden ratio, which I achieve with graph and tracing paper.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

I cut the cans, roll them to flatten them and then burnish. Burnishing, or smoking the metal as I like to think of it, changes its colour. This is a tentative process. If the aluminium overheats, it turns a dark silver colour and becomes brittle and unusable.

I then re-cut the sheet, apply the design to the back, hammer and sew it. I hammer the holes using a pottery knife and hammer.

If it’s a three dimensional work, I’ll build the base with felt and outline with purl pearl goldwork wire.

If I’m making a large piece and need to join pieces of metal together, I sew them. Sometimes the sewing joins are on show like Remondé – the Red Beetle or the Ulysses Butterfly. Others have a seam allowance, and are sewn together and pressed down on the inside, like Ophelia: both headpiece and necklace are four cans joined on each side.

For my first sculpture, I made a headpiece (part of Metal Shakespeare) for Tamora, Queen of the Goths, which I superglued, which resulted in a lot of stuck-together fingers.

When I begin to sew the details, even if I’ve made a plan beforehand I’ll quite often improvise as I go. For me, it’s really important to make pieces that are visually interesting, so I include small details that become apparent when looking closer.

I like to use different textured thread, such as matte next to metallic, as they catch the light in different ways. I use varied beading to add contrast and to create intricate designs that are best seen close up.

Goldwork & beading

What are your must-have tools or supplies?

I still use my great grandfather’s tools, as well as ones I’ve picked up over the years. These range from pottery, metal embossing, sewing and embroidery tools. I also have some nail art tools which have proven useful. A lot of these I found through craft shops and specialist embroidery sellers.

Because I’m drawn to using texture, I use a lot of goldwork materials such as a finely coiled copper wire which I source from India. This has several different names and can be coiled in a variety of ways to make smooth, matte and twisted effects.

There’s one called nakshi (also called bright check purl). It’s crinkled and creates a glittering element. This one bends like crazy so it can be hard to use in longer lengths, but is really beautiful when cut into small pieces, almost like beads. I like to use a variation of goldwork wires to add depth and texture.

In the last few years, beading has become more prevalent in my work. It’s been an interesting challenge to source beads responsibly. I try to use as little plastic as possible, so the beads I use are brass, ceramic, glass and semi-precious stones, such as freshwater pearl, turquoise and coral. I get a lot from India.

“Where I can, I buy second hand and I’m always on the lookout for jewellery I can repurpose.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

These days I use a lot more glass crystals, just through preference and availability. Swarovski jewels appear in my work for special occasions. I might use them for beetles and other animals such as in my work Last Nightingale. The reflection and twinkle of the beads is perfect for creating eyes.

In terms of embroidery silks, I use DMC branded stranded embroidery cotton threads. These are a bit glossier than other brands and better to work with when using the metal.

As our fingertips have a natural oil, this can mark the metal, so when working with copper wires, I wear cotton gloves. I tried using copper sheet metal, but only for a short time, as it was quite fiddly and marked easily.

Stitch Club challenges

Tell us about the workshop you created for Stitch Club…

The artworks I made for my workshop are 2D, based on some original pieces inspired by the kingdom of living things.

In the workshop, I share my process for working with recycled aluminium drink cans. Only this type of can has the right level of thickness and flexibility. Admittedly, it’s an unusual material to sew onto, but one that I’ve built my practice around and can’t imagine working without.

“My aim is for Stitch Club members to gain a new skill in working with this alternative material.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

The Last Nightingale

Which piece of your textile art is your most favourite?

Oh, that’s a tricky one! I’ve been lucky to take some of my work overseas. My piece Remondé – Red Pod Beetle was displayed with the work of 67 international artists at the Society for Embroidered Work Surface and Depth Show at Palazzo Velli Expo, for Rome Art Week in 2021. It was part of a dedicated embroidery exhibition celebrating texture.

Although I was not able to be there in person, it was inspiring to discover textile artists who used embroidery in so many diverse ways.

But I think my most favourite artwork would have to be The Last Nightingale which I made for the open exhibition at HOME Manchester in 2022. This referenced The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen, a story about a Chinese emperor who falls in love with the nightingale’s song and is gifted a mechanical bird.

I was struck by the fact that, in real life, nightingale birds are experiencing difficulty, as their numbers are currently threatened.

“I wanted to make a piece that reflected the ornate nature of the mechanical bird in the story, but would hopefully make people think.“

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

While making the nightingale piece, I had to sew the two halves of the body separately. It was integral to the piece that these matched up when sewn together. This took careful planning in the pattern making process, as well as double and triple checks while sewing.

The embroidery on the body resembles the bird’s musical nature. I wanted to create a melodic feel to it as if its notes were travelling on the wind, and I was inspired by Art Nouveau and impressionist design for this element.

The wings are made out of metal, and embellished with glass beads and stones. Balancing the weight of these was important as they had to support themselves and not crush the main body.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that when someone walked past the vibrations would make the wings move, as if fluttering.

Although it’s a smaller piece, I’m very fond of it – just as I am of the real bird.

Puzzle pieces

How has your work developed and what direction do you think it will take in the future?

I think my work has become more playful. I learned to embroider on metal, and not fabric, so my early work focused more on shapes and bringing the subjects to life.

As I continue, designs have become more complex and tend to be multi-layered, using metal and material interchangeably to create a completely new surface. Pieces have also grown bigger.

I enjoy setting myself challenges, especially when I’m not quite sure how a piece will fit together. It’s like a puzzle that I have to find the answer to.

My project Art of Anatomy, presented as a work in progress at the Didsbury Parsonage in Manchester in 2024, is inspired by the original illustrations from Gray’s Anatomy medical text. I’m very interested in the jobs that the body does and the many layers that make us.

I’ve examined the idea of belief. Inspired by design and symbology from cultures across the globe (including Egyptian, Ottoman, Amazigh, Indian and Aztec), I purposefully juxtaposed them together. This collection of work aims to re-frame parts of the body as sacred objects.

Mistakes & experiments

What advice would you give to an aspiring textile artist?

My advice would be to enjoy playing with the materials and then relish the mistakes.

It’s all a learning curve. I would encourage them to follow their impulses and develop work that inspires them. I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials, read sewing and embroidery books, and made a point of going to specialist exhibitions and museums to see work up close.

“Experimental samples very often don’t look impressive but they are always useful learning points.”

Emma Pannell, Textile artist

Before starting a piece of work, I experiment with sewing techniques and materials.

I have yet to find anyone who works with metal and embroidery in the way I do. In the beginning, this was hard as I had to figure things out for myself, but I also think it got me to where I am today.

Stitched work is such a useful, varied and versatile skill, and can be applied to a myriad of textures and materials. It never ceases to amaze me. To me, embroidery is one of the oldest expressions of art.

As she got to grips with the laid and couched work and rich lustre of silk filament threads, Tanya discovered plenty of material in the 13th and 14th century images that appealed to her quirky sense of humour. So much so, that her third book on the subject is called Naughty Medieval Embroidery.

Tanya was first attracted to medieval embroidery in her teens, well before how-to books or YouTube tutorials were widely available. As she taught herself to replicate maidens, knights and dragons, she added extra interest with her own modern and humorous twist.

Although Tanya dyes, spins and weaves as well, her first book Opus Anglicanum features the style of medieval embroidery that is her trademark. 

Tanya’s unique variation on this era sees her adding a character with a Wallace and Gromit-style expression, stitching a rat eating McDonald’s fries, and features her own boyfriend holding a can of cat food.

Sophistication of silk

Tanya Bentham: There’s a lot of humour in medieval art and that’s largely what I’m drawn to. Subject wise, I love the silly, the rude and the downright bizarre.

Stylistically, I’m drawn to the earlier style of opus anglicanum, because it’s far more sophisticated than the simplified style that was introduced after the Black Death. Understanding the original purposes of opus pieces is important in understanding why things are done the way they are.

At its most simplistic, opus could be described as just split stitch and underside couching combined, but it’s so much more than that, and, the deeper you dive, the more you realise how flexible the rules are.

For me, opus is highly material-dependent. You can only call it opus anglicanum if you use a silk filament (also known as flat or reeled) silk. This is because, where most styles of embroidery rely on gradations of colour and shade to model a three dimensional shape, opus depends upon light reflecting off silk.

Only a filament silk plays with light with enough intensity to model a three dimensional shape.

Even a twisted silk doesn’t bring the same light to the work, and cotton brings practically none.

Tanya Bentham, Textile artist

Much is made of the gold in opus, adding richness and lustre, but I think the role of silk is largely overlooked because the originals are so degraded now.

At an exhibition at the V&A Museum some years back, I saw people pressing their noses against the glass to examine the individual stitches, but when I teach I tell people that you should never be able to pick out a single stitch. It’s about banked masses of stitch and how they manipulate the light. 

I think the only other hard and fast rules are that, although you can have silk velvet or silk showing as negative space in a composition, you should never ever see linen, and that underside couching should always be a filling stitch – it’s not meant to be used as a single row.

Stitches and colour

Most surviving opus pieces have two main stitches – split and underside couching, and laid and couched work with split or stem stitch when working with bayeux or laid and couched work. There are a few ancillary stitches like trellis couching and surface couching, and a lot of subtle refinements to basic technique. For me, that simplicity creates a visual harmony allowing the eye to focus on the image.

The same applies to the use of colour in medieval embroidery. If you look at a big piece like the Reykjahlid Antependium, which is over a metre square, it uses only about eight colours, but there’s a distinctive rhythm to the way they’re used. The Antependium was an important formative piece for me as an embroiderer, not least because it began to teach me, with its mix of opus faces and wool background, that there are no hard and fast rules to medieval embroidery. 

It was the piece where I got rid of all my commercially dyed wool threads and began to work exclusively with natural dyes. The fact that you can’t colour-match if you run out of a batch has made me much more conscious of how I use colour in composition. I will deliberately limit the number of colours I include in an opus piece (where I use commercially dyed silks) as a way of making the finished result look more medieval.

Modernising the medieval

If you’re too careful about observing the sanctity of an original image, you can take the joy right out of it. There really is no such thing as an exact replica because every artisan holds their brush or needle in their own individual way.

I understand the Middle Ages, but my mind is that of a 21st century woman. I tend to see the humour in images and I like to draw that out and play with it.

Tanya Bentham Textile artist

A good example of adding a modern twist would be The Three Living and The Three Dead. While writing my book, Opus Anglicanum, I was reminded of the medieval tale, in which three young men are not living good lives – drinking, gambling and whoring instead. They set off into the forest and meet three walking dead who tell them: ‘We were once as you are now, and in life were so wicked that death will not take us, and now we are condemned to walk the earth for eternity’. The young men at once see the error of their ways and reform their lives. 

I re-read the tale and thought your average 21st century ne’er-do-well wouldn’t learn anything from such an encounter, and the idea grew from there. Because modern young men don’t tend to venture into the countryside much, I transferred the tale to a grubby inner city railway arch, with a green man keystone as a forlorn reminder of the countryside, and some urban wildlife at their feet (the rat eating chips is my boyfriend’s favourite of all the images I’ve ever sewn). 

I used the three dead from a medieval illustration of the tale and then did a lot of research into urban streetwear for the three living. I admit I chose mainly for irony and humour – the graffiti boy has a hat that says ‘obey’, and the seated figure has a hoodie that says ‘move your body’.

The background to the piece also stretches the boundary of medieval technique. Medieval counterpoint couching uses the same stitch in two directions (horizontal and vertical) to create pattern through textural contrast. But to get the brick effect I had to introduce a second texture, also worked in horizontal and vertical, for the pattern to work. I deliberately worked in a real copper passing thread because I was intrigued to see how it might weather over time and add to the general grubbiness of the scene.

My favourite piece is usually either what I’m working on right now, or the piece I’ve just finished. At the moment it’s Cat Daddy. My partner, Gareth, and I were sitting in bed last year reading the Sunday papers, and The Times had a spread on the restoration of Lincoln Cathedral. I looked at the wonderful Romanesque frieze of Daniel in the lion’s den, nudged Gareth in the ribs and said: ‘That’s you, that is’. And so Daniel became a ginger Gareth, his hands went from signalling pax to holding a can of Whiskas cat food and a feather toy; the cats became my blue Maine coon, Branston; his Bengal, Trubble; little black and white Sam from next door; plus one random ginger lion.

The right materials

The filament silk I mainly use is from Devere Yarns for their good range of repeatable colours, but when it’s just for me, I will often use Midori Matsushimas Japanese silks, or old weaving silks from factory shops, where you can often pick up non-repeatable filaments.

I do have a few antique metal threads in my stash, which I often use when I want the gold to tarnish. I used this for the gold mortar between the bricks on the Three Living and The Three Dead, but largely I rely on threads from Benton and Johnson, and I’m sure I drive my supplier crackers with my constant demands for new colours.

As base fabric for opus I use a fine ramie, doubled. Vegetable fibres are often lumped together both in period and in later identification, but the main reason I use the ramie is that I can’t get a linen with 90 thread count, and the fine thread count allows really accurate needle placement.

When I want to use twisted or plied silks I will usually source them from weaving suppliers, which have a more limited range of colours but are fantastically cheap.

Some years ago I got rid of all my commercially dyed wool yarns and began to dye my own using natural dyes. I dye some silks as well, but about once a year I will dye about 10kg of crewel wool for both my kits, classes and personal use. I use natural dyes, but I don’t bother with rosehips or cabbages – those are really stains rather than true dyes. I use mainly woad or indigo, weld, madder, walnut and cochineal. These dyes have a historical precedence because they produce reliable colours that are reasonably light and colour fast. This allows me to get closer to what the original colours of medieval embroidery actually looked like. One of my pet hates is reproduction embroidery carefully colour matched to what the threads look like today.

Draw before stitch

My process depends upon my mood and what I’m doing. The Antependium is a pretty straightforward replica. I drew the template directly onto the fabric. I don’t actually like drawing very much, so it’s a step I’ll skip if possible.

With the big Luttrell fantasies I sit and browse my replica copy of the psalter, taking mobile phone pictures of anything that fits my theme, which I then print out. I tape the canvas, about 92cm x 183cm (3ft x 6ft), onto a big sheet of plywood in the living room and then draw the whole thing freehand, directly onto the canvas. It takes about three days.

If a design is intended for a kit I’ll draw it. If it’s something really complicated like The Three Living and The Three Dead, then I do quite detailed drawings but, even then, they often need tweaking part way through.

Teaching and writing

I’m glad I taught for a few years before writing my books – I taught for years at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, at Leeds University’s International Medieval Congress, and at various other venues, as well as running my own online classes. Teaching opened my eyes to all the different mistakes people can make, and that’s made the troubleshooting sections of my books a lot more user-friendly. 

All of my books are structured like courses. They start with a beginner’s project and each subsequent project adds another layer of knowledge and technique. I felt this was especially important with the first book Opus Anglicanum because, although there are lots of academic books on the subject and plenty of goldwork books that mention opus techniques for a page or two, this is the first proper deep dive into the technical aspects.

My Opus and Bayeux books are focused on technique, but the third includes many different medieval techniques. Naughty Medieval Embroidery is probably closer to the original concept as it includes lots of different techniques, centred around the rich seam of silliness and filth that runs through medieval art.

I think my favourites from my third book are the Bonnacon and the Danse Macabre. The Bonnacon is one of those forgotten beasts from the bestiaries, a wild bull with ingrown horns who defends himself by emitting a vast toxic fart cloud. The illustration I chose has the bull with a very cartoonish grin that’s very like the Wallace and Gromit characters. The Danse Macabre is an opus project which incorporates a complex background using a wonderful luminous sky blue, and I’m an absolute sucker for colour.

Moving on from Bayeux

I was partly raised by a grandmother who was a knitter. She hated all forms of stitching and pretty much despised art – she made no secret of hating my mother who was from a family of artists and artisans. I don’t think my upbringing was particularly arty, even when I was with my mum. I did art at school and managed an A at O-level, but I barely passed A-level art due to two warring teachers who continually contradicted each other.

Historical re-enactment is quite a creative space, but also confining in that you have to adhere to standards of authenticity. It’s a good place to learn technique and perseverance, but there isn’t much scope for creativity in design – because someone will notice if your medieval saint is carrying a mobile phone.

Like most people, I started out doing bits of replica Bayeux Tapestry. My display was pretty good, but I lost count of the number of people who saw my embroidered tent from a distance, scoffed, ‘not another Bayeux Tapestry’ and stomped off.

Tanya Bentham Textile artist

I’m grateful for that experience now because it encouraged me to explore other types of medeival embroidery, like convent stitch. I made replicas of the Malterer Embroidery, which was great because it contains that narrative element of medieval art and lent itself to storytelling while stitching – always a good way to draw a crowd.

Living style of embroidery

I’m disorganised and tend to live in the moment, but I started my blog as a promise to myself to take my work more seriously. I wrote a few magazine projects and did some teaching as a way of building up a CV with which to approach a publisher. No one makes much money from this type of book, but it serves to get your name known, and since the publication, I’ve been speaking more and teaching for embroidery groups. 

I also decided to exhibit more, because I want opus to be seen as a living style of embroidery. I’ve had a couple of solo exhibitions, as well as taking part in various group exhibitions across the country as an artist, rather than simply an embroiderer. My work was also part of the Broderer’s Exhibition in 2023 and the Fine Art Textiles Award in 2022.

Relaxed fluency

As I’ve grown in confidence I’ve become more interested in embroidery as art, rather than as something which simply replicates an historical artefact. Imagination plays more of a role in my work now, even though I’m very strict about staying within the confines of historical technique.

Technically, I think I’ve got what Grayson Perry calls ‘a relaxed fluency’ in as much as I’m very much in command of what I do.

If you have to do 10,000 hours to become an expert, then I’ve done that several times over in medieval embroidery – it allows me to make my images do what I want them to do. It makes me more playful.

Tanya Bentham Textile artist

I never know where my imagination will go next, but I’m very much in love with the technical possibilities of opus anglicanum as a living style of embroidery, and I can’t see that changing any time soon.

Explore the possibilities

I’m self taught. When I began stitching in my teens there was no one teaching or writing about medieval embroidery in any detail. Laid and couched work – I dislike the name bayeux stitch, it makes people think that stitch was only ever used for one piece – is pretty easy to learn and it’s still how I’d recommend people start before moving on to opus. I didn’t really do any opus until I was able to afford proper silks and metal threads, which were hard to find on a student budget in the 1980s.

I actually studied classics, so that didn’t help much, although I’m hoping to start an opus piece inspired by classical sculpture and Japanese kintsugi later this year.

I think there are a lot of people who dabble in a lot of styles and never really pick one, and in doing so end up with a huge work-in-progress pile (sorry if I’m calling anyone out). Even qualified tutors can be jacks of all trades and mistresses of none.

I think if you want to be good at something, you need to finish what you start. Find a style that interests you, whether it’s medieval embroidery or goldwork or beading, and explore every tiny detail of it.

Tanya Bentham Textile artist

Don’t just skim the surface and think you’ve done that now – dig deeper and explore all the possibilities. After 30 or more years of stitching, I feel like I still have things to learn and explore in my little niche.

Now she can’t imagine doing anything else and has a lifetime of ideas waiting in the wings to express through stitch. She is passionate about exploring the potential of thread – experimenting with direction to manipulate light and colour, and create texture.

Heehwa has embraced her country’s rich tradition of embroidery and made a point of studying it in detail. She shares how she has learnt to see beyond the surface and notice the design principles and invisible ‘rules’ that were followed – and sometimes broken – by ancient embroiderers, whether stitching for family or the royal court. 

Heehwa keeps these traditions alive and shares how she uses these techniques – and channels the spirit in which they were made – recreating historic artefacts that are an integral part of Korea’s cultural heritage.

Heehwa’s nickname, JOHH, which she uses on social media, is derived from the Korean format of her name, which shows the surname first and the given name last, Jo Heehwa.

Heehwa Jo: My work is based on traditional Korean stitch techniques and subjects. I’m interested in generating ideas within traditional principles and adding my own creative take on it. I’ve got two ways of working with my embroidery. One is doing embroidery based on historic pieces. I do this for my own self-development, as well as preserving the traditional skills. The other is creating embroidery with my own stamp on it in pursuit of the trinity of craft: aesthetic, utility and meaning. 

I am particularly fond of the texture made by stitches and I try to make an impact purely by using threads. Whenever I’m talking about or teaching Korean embroidery, I always emphasise that embroidery is the art of stitches and its language is threads. Traditional Korean embroidery uses mainly sheen silk twisted thread, which creates texture and reflects light and colour.

“The direction of the stitch creates very different textural effects. If you fill in an identical shape using the same stitch and thread, it will look different depending on the direction of the stitch because of the way the light reflects on it. The more lustrous the thread, the more distinctive the difference.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

Creating impact with thread

“It’s really important to know the characteristics of thread in relation to the levels of twist and stitch directions. Then you can plan a design and process according to your intention. That is what really intrigues me, regardless of the tradition.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

My goal is the ultimate expression of threads – something that I’m working towards mastering through practice and experimentation. That’s why I cherish and value thread – just as a sculptor makes the most of marble, and a cook their ingredients. Of course, I care about colours and design composition as well, but they are not unique to embroidery. 

I love using traditional Korean embroidery stitches, and I’m keen on showing their distinctive features. Although many Korean stitch techniques are the same, or similar to, stitches from other countries (albeit with different names), the act of stitching is a combination of techniques, materials, colours, usage and so on. These distinct characteristics are specific to different cultures.

In traditional Korean embroidery, certain stitch techniques are often closely associated with particular elements. For example, Jarit-su (a kind of brick stitch) is normally combined with twisted thread rather than half-twisted thread. Neukkim-su (it’s hard to find the equivalent but it’s a row of sparse stitches on top of satin stitches) was commonly used in embroidery done by ordinary people. While Jingguem-su (couching or goldwork), traditionally was mainly used by professional embroiderers working for nobles or the royal family, although individuals sometimes used it, albeit in different ways.

On the shoulders of giants

My work is a collaboration between myself and those who have come before me. It is a combination of their wisdom and my creativity. It is physically and spiritually connected to traditional Korean embroidery, particularly from Joseon dynasty (1392­-1897). Nearly all existing Korean embroidery pieces are from this period.

I often make replicas of ancient artefacts. While I’m recreating the pieces I try to empathise with the original makers. I imagine their circumstances and what they might have been thinking so that I can connect with their spirit and understand their way of approaching the work.

“For instance, when I look at a piece of historic embroidery, rather than just reproducing the colour itself, I like to study it and take away how the different colours have been combined. After studying many pieces over and over, I realised that it is the way the colours are organised that matters.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

For example, you might see a historic design with a pair of four semi-concentric water waves in different shades of one colour. At first glance they seem to be the expected colour gradations from dark to light, yet when you look more closely, they are not. One might go from dark green to light green and then to yellow, instead of the expected lighter green. Another, which is overall a blue-to-white gradation, suddenly has purple included. Or, in a red-to-white gradation, you will find a sky blue used. From my research, it seems that often the makers got bored with using the standardised colour shades and so introduced something unexpected.

Historically, embroiderers – including those for the royal court – could be creative and witty with their designs. I love discovering examples of them using freestyle stitching (sometimes a bit clumsy) or introducing a curious lavender-coloured deer, or perhaps including unexpected asymmetric figures in a symmetrical design. I like to bring a similar approach to my work.

The language of symbols

Nearly every motif in traditional Korean embroidery has a symbolic interpretation, so the way they are combined is important in terms of creating meaning. For example, a deer (symbolically the spirit of Taoism) is often shown with a mushroom (representing the elixir of life); a representation of the ‘deer’ (or Taoist spirit) achieving eternal life by eating the mushroom.

The concept of yin and yang – that opposites are needed in order for harmony to exist – meant that historically Korean embroiderers or painters preferred to put things in pairs. It might be a pair of the same animal (for example, a buck and a doe) or a pair of different things that go well together due to their symbolism, such as a pine tree and a bamboo tree, or a deer and a mushroom.

You can also make a symmetrical design out of a set of the traditional Korean longevity symbols. For example, placing a pine tree and a bamboo tree on opposite sides to each other in one panel, or a pine tree on one side of a pillow end and a bamboo tree on the other. You might use other trees if you like, and you can find a peach tree replacing bamboo in some ancient pieces, however, you’d never use something like maple trees or elderflower trees as longevity symbols. I like to notice such conceptual elements and bring them into my work.

Making up for lost time

I don’t intend to stick to the traditional way of doing things all of the time and I’m willing to be more flexible in my future work. Yet, chances are that I’ll continue working with the traditional techniques and subjects because I’d really like to see Korean embroidery given the attention it deserves.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Korean embroidery – along with every other element of the country – went through tough times due to Japanese colonialism. Traditional Korean embroidery was banned and people were forced to embroider in the Japanese style. This was at a time when there was a huge wave of Western culture and rapid industrialisation. 

It is only recently that Korean embroidery has begun to be studied properly and given its place. I can’t help wondering what it would have been like if it hadn’t been interrupted and, instead, given the chance to develop. It will be hard to make up for the lost time and bring Korean embroidery to where it would have been. Nevertheless, I want to try my best to branch out directly from the original Korean embroidery, rather than rushing to jump forward 100 years.

The creative process

I often embroider for hours on end, so it’s hard for me to set time aside just to plan and develop ideas. While I’m not good at organising things, I’m constantly gathering ideas. Often, I’ll be thinking about my next project when I’m walking down the street, having a cup of coffee, taking a shower, or working on a current piece.

“I’ll sit with an idea, and it will often go through several rounds of revisions in my head before I bring it to fruition.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

So, although I might look spaced out, my mind is busy figuring out and testing ideas, and discarding some of them along the way.

My design process is quite intuitive and instinctive. Most of it is rooted in the Korean tradition and cultural heritage, which is filled with symbolism. While there are no absolute rules, and not every piece of historic Korean embroidery follows the same structure or design, with experience and having done loads of research, you can figure out some patterns. 

When it comes to working out my design, I used to sketch with pencil and paper, which I feel most comfortable with, but I’ve gotten used to using Adobe Illustrator due to the convenient data storage.

The mother of invention

The only tools I need are a needle, embroidery threads and my hands. I like to use whatever I have around. I realised that, in the past, people didn’t have much equipment, and sometimes accidentally created something better by just managing with what they had. Therefore, I feel rather excited when I’m running out of a particular material and have to make do in order to keep going.

We often make the twisted thread ourselves; buying untwisted silk thread and twisting it by hand according to one’s preferred degree of twist. A thread can also be somewhere in between the twisted and the half-twisted. 

There are no specific brands for Korean embroidery thread. An equivalent may be something like DMC twisted silk thread, which is somewhat in between but a little bit closer to twisted rather than half-twisted thread. Outside of Korea, I usually recommend people look for 2-ply twisted silk thread or if you want a specific brand, Soie Gobelins from Au Ver a Soie would be a good example. The Silk Mill is a great visual resource.

“However, there are no strict rules to follow, so technically you can use anything.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

Is it worth making?

I can struggle with justifying what I create. I should say that I really love fine art, especially painting. But one of the reasons I value these traditional embroidered items so much is their practicality. Although technically, the embroidery has no function itself, one could say it has a spiritual one, like an amulet that prevents misfortune, strengthening positive symbolic meanings from the auspicious design. 

What’s interesting, however, is that most traditional embroidery embellished items created for specific functions or purposes. Of course, I’d love it if people today were able to use the items I make in the way our ancestors did. However, it’s a fact that these objects are not in everyday use nowadays. So, it’s a dilemma when I’m making something that is supposed to be used but is actually only ever looked at.

“Despite creating embroidered objects without a function, I’m always trying, at the very least, to instil the essence of craft in my work – aesthetic, utility and meaning. Therefore I’m always asking myself the same question: ‘Is it worth making?’.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

I hope asking this will help my work develop and mature, as well as continuing the Korean legacy of traditional embroidery, which encompasses longevity symbols, auspicious design, yin and yang, and the pure heart of the ancient embroiderers, which is found in their works.

The power of curating

In 2022 I held my first solo exhibition, which was a great impetus for me to develop my work. I also fulfilled my dream of curating and hosting an exhibition. As well as my embroidery, I prepared everything, from selecting a traditional Korean house in Seoul as the venue to designing and making posters, invitations and digital brochures (using the photos taken by my better half), plus leaflets and description labels. I even created a set of display stands by customising rods, panels and fabrics so that I could arrange my works just the way I wanted. 

Although all of this took a lot of time and effort it was worth it as, in the past, I had sometimes seen my embroidery or others’ being exhibited inappropriately or unattractively. Being my own creative director is something that I hope to continue in the future.

Seeing the light

People often comment that I have BA degrees in both Korean Language and Korean Literature, and Fashion and Textiles. That unusual combination sums up my life-long interests. Since I was a child, I’ve been captivated by anything relating to art and handicrafts, as well as Korean language and traditional culture. The national museums and galleries, or the ancient Korean palaces and temples in Seoul and other cities were our family’s regular holiday spots. I really enjoyed looking around the classical artefacts and architecture – and even souvenirs at the gift shops.

I wouldn’t describe my family as artistic but that kind of thing seems to be in my blood. My dad was a self-employed, skilful neon sign maker who wrote letters and drew his own designs. My mum was the one who, every morning I discussed what to wear and how to match things. She first taught me how to draw, sew and knit.

“This family culture encouraged me to feel comfortable with seeing colours and creating things by hand, as well as preferring to work for myself rather than be an employee. Although I never thought I’d be an embroidery artist, I knew that I would end up doing something like it.”

Heewha Jo, Textile artist

I’m directly inspired and influenced by Korean relics like paintings, costumes and pottery, along with embroidery, and indirectly by my interest in fashion and fashion design. I’ve been interested in clothing for as long as I can remember, which is why I ended up studying Fashion and Textiles and working in the clothing industry. 

It was while I was working for an international company that I first saw embroidery in a new light. I also used to design and make clothes myself. Nowadays, although fashion doesn’t directly impact my work, something like the theme of a seasonal fashion collection, a magazine fashion shoot or the colour palette of the year does make my heart beat faster and fuel my creativity.

I used to be the type of person who falls easily in and out of love with what I like. I loved painting, knitting, making clothes, writing and whatsoever, but none of them held my interest for long. This is probably why I hesitated about going straight into my own business. 

Those around me – and even me if I’m honest – probably thought my interest in embroidery would die down. However, it’s been eight years or so now since I’ve devoted myself solely to Korean embroidery and I’m still not tired of it. I have a long list of ideas to embroider so there’s no room for anything else. It will take me an enormous amount of time, maybe more than my lifetime, to complete all of what I want to create.

l would like to share what I know and love of Korean embroidery through exhibitions, lectures and talks, as well as photos and books, in both Korean and English if possible. My dream is to present a new collection of work regularly – perhaps annually or biannually as fashion designers normally do. Of course it would be a challenge, requiring a massive amount of time and effort from me, but it would be worth it as there are trends in embroidery today just as there were in the past.

Since those early days, she’s founded a career as a studio artist and has taught widely, specialising in traditional embroidery techniques such as goldwork, as well as historical embroidery forms including medieval ecclesiastical embroidery.

Katherine has a passion for mastering traditional techniques and taking them to new conclusions. And much of this is underpinned by her academic research. Her current obsession involves a deep dive into the colour theory of the Impressionists – unearthing new insights into the effect of stitch choice on colour perception.

Add to this a personal thread running through her work, which explores our human need for belonging, and it’s clear that looking beyond the surface is what intrigues her most.

Even though she’s unafraid to dream big – taking on commissions and setting herself new challenges – her practice remains grounded in simple, daily acts that we can all learn from: the quiet act of stitching as a time for reflection (as well to express ideas), and sampling, stitching or sketching everyday but, most of all, having fun with the process.

From passion to process

TextileArtist.org: Tell us a little about your embroidery practice, and what you’re working on currently?

Katherine Diuguid: I love to stitch. I love mastering traditional techniques, exploring them and manipulating them in interesting ways. So, my work balances both a deep respect for the ‘proper’ way of executing the techniques with a healthy dose of exploring their boundaries. In the same way, my colour explorations seek to understand why colour works the way it does in thread and then exploit those findings.  

My current work is basically split into two main areas. The first focus is formal explorations of colour interactions in embroidery. I’ve done this through a pretty extensive (and growing) series of stitched samples, and through interpreting Impressionist colour theory in embroidery.

I’ve found great joy in the desperately lofty goal of trying to study Monet’s luminous way of using colour and interpreting this with thread. I enjoy balancing the prose and poetry of colour study and using the knowledge gained to interpret what I learn artistically, both through samples and compositions. This is a continuing project I feel I will probably be working on for a very long time to come. 

The second series of work that I’ve been focusing on is my ‘Weeds: Longing to Belong’ series. I am interested in the human need for belonging and how naturally or unnaturally that comes for some people. For me, it’s not a natural phenomenon to feel as if I belong in most settings. I have been using the metaphor of roadside flora or ‘weeds’ as a catalyst and metaphor to explore the concept of human belonging.

In the series, I’ve been mixing digital printing, eco-printing, goldwork, quilting and whitework techniques in both traditional and manipulated interpretations. The slowness of stitching (which I love about this medium) has allowed me time to ponder and process my experiences and observations on belonging.

Which area or facet of embroidery are you most passionate about?

‘I have never really met a stitch that I do not enjoy, and the couple that I have found that I did not love at the beginning, I have purposely sampled them enough to learn to appreciate them.’

If I had to pick a favourite technique, though, it would be goldwork. There is something so special about the textural contrast between the metals and fibres and how sculptural the technique is. I really love sampling and trying to make a technique do something that maybe it’s not supposed to after I have proven to myself that I can master it.

And what is it about embroidery that most captures your imagination?

This should be an easy question to answer but I find it difficult to verbalise, partly because textiles have always been part of me. From my early memories, I was stitching Barbie dresses and trying to figure out garment construction on a tiny toy sewing machine, using fabric from Wal-Mart that I’d saved up my holiday and birthday money to buy. 

Fabric and thread are so malleable and versatile, and I loved how I made something special out of a flat piece of fabric or an old garment. I love the tactility of textiles, the feel of the thread and fabric, and the slow, methodical motion of it. Stitching relaxes me but I also love how both precisely and expressively embroidery can be used.

Stitching has always been my way of processing and provided a challenge for refining my craft and a place of solitude free of judgement where I could explore form, colour, and pattern. I love stitching, and I love the time for reflection that stitching provides. It is just time for my materials and I.

‘I also love the camaraderie that is built into the tradition of stitching. As much as I love the actual embroidery techniques, I am also fascinated by the stories surrounding and imbued in the embroidery.’

Curious about colour

What themes are prevalent in your work, and what are you aiming to capture or convey?

As I mentioned, my work is split into two different themes right now. There are overlaps between them in how I work and execute the work.  

With my colour explorations, colour is endlessly inspiring. I love the work of many of the Impressionists, post-Impressionists and early modern painters, but Monet holds a very special place in my heart. It’s something that I cannot fully explain except, when I am in front of his work, there is just something that connects me to it in a special, non-verbal way.

His colours just sing to me. With my colour studies and my landscapes, I want to figure out how to make my threads sing like Monet’s colours. I will readily admit that I sound exceptionally naïve, but I don’t think it’s terrible to have a lofty goal that’s going to take a lot of time, attention, practice, and devoted work to accomplish. I’m not there yet, but I’m a lot closer than I was. Colour doesn’t scare me. Colour fascinates me with his elusive magic.  

My series ‘Weeds: Longing to Belong’ started as a way of processing and coping with feelings I was struggling with that needed to be stitched out. As I’ve continued with the series over the years, it has morphed with me. Through it, I want to convey a peacefulness and thoughtful empathy, as I feel that others must struggle with not feeling that they belong too. 

I want to convey how beautiful resilience is. It might not feel beautiful. It might not seem like expected beauty, but there is beauty in our fragile strength, similar to that displayed by roadside flora.

You’re also a teacher, tell us about the techniques you specialise in?

If I had to pick a speciality, I would say goldwork embroidery and colour explorations in embroidery. However, I’ve taught a much further range of techniques at both university level and for various guilds and museums.

I started teaching formally during graduate school as a teaching assistant. Many of our students wanted to learn proper sewing construction methods and pattern making, so I began by teaching workshops to the students as I had those skills.

After graduation, I was hired to teach full university classes on sewing construction and draping and that transitioned into an assistant professor position. I continued teaching the fashion courses but was also able to introduce several embroidery courses.

Additionally, I organised a six week study-abroad programme for students from North Carolina State University to the UK. They took classes at the Royal School of Needlework two days a week. Then I coordinated 26 field trips within London and surrounding areas to museums, collections and workshops for them to see the history of stitching in the British Isles firsthand.

We visited the Clothworkers Centre, The Ashmolean Museum (to see beautiful examples of 17th century raised work), St Paul’s Cathedral, Catherine Walker, Anderson & Sheppard on Saville Row, Hand & Lock, the Constance Howard Collection at Goldsmiths, as well as many museums and exhibitions.  

Today I teach virtual workshops from my studio and travel to teach various embroidery groups and conferences in the US and Canada. I really love teaching. I love designing courses and workshops, and I especially love that moment when something clicks for a student, or the day they come in excited to share something they have discovered. It is endlessly exciting to share in their joy.

On the record

Please share a little about how you plan and create your work?

I enjoy the design process, so every project I create, whether it’s an exhibition or a teaching piece, is documented relatively extensively. I enjoy keeping the process in portfolios and doing formal inspiration boards, many iteration and refinement sketches, colour layouts (and options), material boards, and copious amounts of process photography.

‘I work in a medium that is not fast. In fact, some days it can feel infinitesimally slow. I found that by documenting each step I can see my progress more clearly, and not become bogged down by the slow nature of the process.’

I write about select projects and process in detail on my blog. In graduate school, I started keeping a process blog for my thesis project, Consuelo: the Glitter of a Dollar Duchess, which was a wedding gown richly embroidered with silver, and inspired by the first marriage of Consuelo Vanderbilt to the Duke of Marlborough.

Since graduation, I have continued this process. In the past, I wrote regularly. Now, I write about select pieces, though I wish I had time to write more. I employ a wide range of techniques and methods in the pieces that I create driven by the specific projects.

Can you share one or two of the areas relating to embroidery that you’ve been researching? And a little about what you’ve discovered?

I’ve been investigating formal colour theory and Impressionist painting, and how to apply and interpret that knowledge in embroidery. Most colour theory classes use paint or coloured paper as the medium. These are great and helpful, but colour in stitching does not exactly behave in ways that are consistent to these rules.

‘We must approach colour in embroidery as a sculptural act. We must build colour, not blend it.’

Colour perceptions created from thread are a combination of thread colour, the shadows of the texture, and the shadows created by how we’ve used the thread (which stitch types, etc). To ignore the shadows, to flatten the colour into a two-dimensional experience is to set ourselves up for failure.

I think my biggest discovery is the liberation from my colour cards. I’m no longer constrained to the colours provided to me by the thread dyers and manufacturers.

‘By understanding simultaneous contrast, optical mixing and colour relationships, along with a healthy dose of excitement about colour, I see no difference in my palette of threads from a basic pocket watercolour set. Anything is possible. It’s all in how you mix it and use it.’

I’ve been fortunate to secure time in the galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago and the North Carolina Museum of Art to stitch in their galleries and study in depth Monet’s paintings.

I have been studying Stacks of Wheat, Thaw/Sunset, 1890-1891 at the Art Institute of Chicago and The Seine at Giverny, Morning Mists at the North Carolina Museum of Art. I want to create the same perception of colour interactions with thread. It’s a lot different than colour matching like you might do digitally or with paint swatches. It is not flat colour.

I have learned so much from these gallery stitching sessions. I focus on a different area of the painting each time, and the devoted time studying the colour really allows me to see subtleties in the colour combinations that can be easily missed.

Sometimes it’s not as much about the colour that seems dominant as it is the colour that’s lifting that colour up and making it dominant. I have presented colour research-related presentations and posters for SECAC and Textile Society of America, as well as many embroidery groups and universities.  

My residencies at Penland School of Craft and Chateau Orquevaux provided time to take the colour mixing principles refined in the gallery studying Monet and to apply that knowledge to my own landscapes.

Additionally, I create colour exercises to explain through my samples why my colour is mixing in thread in the landscapes the way it does. I love the colour samplers as much as the formal compositions. It is also magical to see how even the gridded colour samplers can capture the feel of the colours of a place without any imagery of that place.

Medieval matters

I also am very drawn to Opus Anglicanum and medieval iconography. I have had the opportunity to study several pieces at museum collections up close over the years. I find Opus Anglicanum so beautiful and intriguing. I love the historic research.

A few years ago, I had the fantastic opportunity to create a sampler for the Art Institute of Chicago based on its beautiful Burgo de Osma Altarpiece, which is on display in the medieval galleries.

My study of medieval embroidery (this piece is not Opus Anglicanum: it is later medieval Spanish embroidery) provided the knowledge I needed to create that piece within the requested timeframe. I have also presented lectures on that piece to various embroidery groups and for the Medieval Dress and Textiles Society (MEDATS). I also presented a paper on my The Red Dragon Lurks in Front of the Woman Clothed with the Sun embroidery based on two Anglo-Norman Apocalypse manuscripts for MEDATS.  

I really enjoy the balance of academic investigation with artistic exploration in my practice. I have also found that the challenge of writing about and documenting my work academically forces me to consider my work and influences more deliberately. I love the formal documentation of my process and visualising the weaving together of my various influences for a project.

Following the thread

Can you describe your route to becoming a full time embroiderer?

I cannot think of a time before I had a needle or crochet hook in my hand. One of the earliest childhood Christmas presents I remember is this little red sewing machine that my parents got me which did only a straight stitch. I loved that sewing machine! I made a lot of Barbie clothes.

I also loved old Hollywood movies, and in the summer my grandmother and I would watch classic movies while she crocheted and I sketched all the dresses. These sketches then led to reading the biographies of the actresses and costume and fashion designers. On Saturday mornings, I would look forward to watching ‘Style with Elsa Klensch’ on CNN, which was not a normal thing that kids my age did growing up in the mountains of western North Carolina!

I can’t explain it, other than I just loved everything about stitching, costume, and fashion – learning the techniques and actually stitching is as enjoyable to me as exploring the stories behind it too. That curiosity continues to drive me still.

For me, it’s not enough to just learn the technique. I want to know where it came from, what influenced it, how it changed, why it changed, what it was used for, who used it, and what I can learn from all this to push the technique further or translate it with my own voice.

Embroidery became my main focus during graduate school. My mentor there was Susan Brandeis, who is also an embroidery artist. She introduced me to the work of Audrey Walker and Rozanne Hawksley, both of whom I love.

At the same time, I’d wanted to learn goldwork embroidery. I took an extended trip to the UK to do the City & Guilds Goldwork Certificate with Tracy A Franklin. The ladies who sat beside me for that week were three embroiderers who embroidered for York Minster. They introduced me to ecclesiastical embroidery, and I absolutely fell in love. 

I came home, went through wholesale quantities of metal embroidery supplies while practising, and started reading everything I could get my hands on about Opus Anglicanum and British ecclesiastical embroidery. I have since become great friends with the embroiderers from York (thank you – Denny, Uschi, and Christine!) and have continued learning from Tracy A Franklin through the Royal School of Needlework and her studio in Durham.

Susan Brandeis and I still share what we are working on regularly. Part of my love of stitching is anchored in my love for the people I have stitched with. After that trip, I came back and changed my focus to embroidery. I finally saw embroidery as an art within itself instead of an element to enhance my dressmaking.

Can you share some of the tools and materials you like to work with?

Some of my favourite items include my trolley needle. I forced myself to get used to it when I did my canvaswork piece for my RSN Certificate. It felt weird at first but now I feel slightly naked when I don’t stitch with it.  

Weeks Dye Works’ cotton embroidery floss colours are just amazing and the sheen is beautiful. Oliver Twists’ threads are harder to get for me in the US, however, I love them. The colours are just absolutely delicious.  

Jenny Adin-Christie’s silk gimp (in fine and very fine) and her wrapped plate are just so much fun to stitch with, and the gimp is so much more flexible than others I have tried.  

I love Kai Scissors’ embroidery scissors so much. They are not crazy expensive. Their blades are wonderfully thin and they accurately cut the metals on the first go.  

My favourite purchased ground fabric is raw linen. I love the neutral tone of it, and the feel of the fabric with the stitching. I also love eco-printing with silks. I find the entire eco-printing process fascinating and love the collaboration between the plants and myself.

The way forward

Would you share one or two tips for embroiderers?

Sample. Sample. Sample. Sample. Sample. Sample for fun. Sample to find answers. Sample to try variations. Sample to play with new threads. When in doubt or indecision, sampling is always the answer.

‘Sampling is the unsung hero and the step that many people skip or dislike, as it can feel like a waste of time and materials. However, sampling allows time to work out both design and technique issues without the pressure of it being on a finished piece.’

It provides practice to refine techniques. It provides confidence that the technique, scale and materials are correct for the project.

Does it take time and materials? Absolutely. Is that cheaper than ripping out entire sections because the colour, thread or technique just isn’t ‘right’? Yes. 

Have I ever finished a project and thought I wished I had not wasted time on the sampling? No, never.

Do I now have a huge library of ideas that are stitched? Yes, I do, Tupperware bins full of them. I reference them consistently, either for personal projects or for teaching.

And what advice would you give to an aspiring textile artist?

Ask questions. Give yourself room to play. My favourite pieces I’ve made have been those I did not know all the answers to at the beginning and did not need to make for any reason other than I wanted to. 

And, if you can, make the opportunity to study pieces in person. The internet and books are wonderful but, no matter how good a reprint of a photograph is, it will never teach you as much as studying the piece in person. I’ve been very fortunate to study many firsthand and I’ve learned so much by that focused investigation.

I also work my artistic practice into my life. I very regularly have something in my purse to stitch or sketch. My children visit exhibitions with me and are normal inhabitants of my studio (as well as many times their friends too). Their observations are so exciting, and their freedom to experiment is inspiring.

What direction might your work take in the future?

I have several ideas of where I’d like to go in the future, but the most pressing at this moment is a desire to attempt larger scale embroidered landscapes. It all comes down to time, as I know what I want to do requires a chunk of devoted time. They will happen, soon I hope! 

I am currently finishing an embroidered box that I know will probably be the first of a series as I’ve loved the process. I created the ground fabric by stitching together a patchwork of eco-printed silk remnants, then stitched it with metallic running stitch and manipulated goldwork Queen Anne’s Lace motifs. I wanted to play with making three-dimensional Queen Anne’s Laces sprouting out of the top, and I did. The challenge of creating three-dimensional flowers that matched the feel of the other flat embroidered flowers was intoxicating. 

This piece was also a departure for me as I worked the entire piece intuitively with very minimal sketching and planning. I just wanted to play with it. I was inspired by the beauty of the Queen Anne’s Lace that grows along the roadside so wild, free, and resilient. To capture that spontaneity, it needed to be worked spontaneously too.

‘However, I will be exploring colour interactions in embroidery most likely for the rest of my life. I love it. Colour always presents something magical, and it just brings me great joy.’

So how do you choose?

Here’s what you need to do. First, figure out what you need the scissors for – this will help you to decide which types of scissors meet your needs. Then you can narrow down your options. To assist you, we’ve compiled this useful guide. 

We’ve also asked top textile artists Yvette Phillips, Aran Illingworth, Jessica Grady, Hannah Mansfield and Katherine Diuguid for their personal recommendations of the best scissors for textile art. 

So if you’ve always wondered why some scissors feature a stork design, and others have duckbill shaped blades or a curved design, then this article is for you. 

Read on to discover more about the world of embroidery scissors.

Please note: We’ve written this article to help you select the right scissors for the right task, and learn more about the different designs and some of the brands available. We’ve provided links to manufacturers and suppliers so that you can find out more before you head to your favourite local or online stockist. The scissors featured in this article have not been individually reviewed or tested.

Cutting threads with precision

Embroidery scissors are small and sharp, designed specifically for cutting threads or tiny snippets of fabric. There are lots of options to choose from: vintage decorative designs, traditional stork scissors, rose gold scissors, matte black scissors, colourful designs, foldable travel scissors and ergonomic scissors aimed for comfort.

Small straight embroidery scissors

Often the unfussy, straightforward option is the best. Classic embroidery scissors are small, pointed and sharp – perfect for cutting embroidery threads cleanly. They are widely available in haberdashery stores and online, and are made by many manufacturers.

• Fiskars Classic Precision straight scissors

• Prym Professional fine embroidery scissors, featuring quality Kai blades.

• Hemline embroidery scissors

Stork embroidery scissors

This distinctive and popular design evolved from the umbilical clamps in the toolkits of 19th century midwives. It was common for midwives to embroider in their quieter times and so their medical and stitch kits often became mixed up, as seen in the toolkit of midwife Rosa Bonfante held by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

• Klasse’ stork embroidery scissors 

• Hemline stork embroidery scissors

• Prym stork embroidery scissors

Decorative small embroidery scissors

If you are looking for something a little more fancy, try the Dinky Dyes colourful range of patterned embroidery scissors.

• Dinky Dyes scissors

Wide bow embroidery scissors

If you are looking for comfort, try a pair of wide bow (or big bow) embroidery scissors, which feature larger spaces for your fingers. These come in a standard size of around 10cm (4″) size, or as smaller baby bows, around 7cm (2¾”).

• Merchant and Mills wide bow scissors

Embroidery snips

Some stitchers like to use thread snips for cutting loose threads. They are spring-loaded, making them easy to use. Snips are also useful for anyone who does a lot of beadwork – they are great for cutting nylon or monofilament beading threads.

• Madeira thread snips

• Hemline thread snips

Goldwork scissors

Goldwork is an embroidery technique which uses a range of metal threads giving luxurious results. To cut goldwork purl and check wires cleanly, a good sharp pair of scissors is recommended. You can also buy specialist goldwork scissors, which have a finely serrated blade and should only be used for cutting metal threads.

Hannah Mansfield recommends… goldwork scissors

Hannah Mansfield: ‘My favourite scissors to use for goldwork embroidery are a small gold pair from Golden Hinde. They are made specifically for cutting goldwork wires. They have a serrated blade which means they can cleanly cut the wires instead of squashing the ends. 

‘I particularly like the fine point of these scissors, which allows you to cut the wires delicately and precisely. Having a dedicated pair of scissors for goldwork is essential to avoid blunting your best embroidery scissors with the wires.’

• Golden Hinde goldwork scissors

Hannah Mansfield is an embroidery designer based near Bristol, UK. In 2019, she was awarded First Prize in the Textile Art Open category of the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery (UK). Hannah became a Trade Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers in 2020. She is a tutor for the Prince’s Foundation Metiers d’Arts embroidery course.

Artist website: theperpetualmaker.com
Instagram: @theperpetualmaker

Bent scissors

These small scissors have an ultra-fine point and an angled, bent blade. They are designed to make it easy to cut away warp and weft threads of the ground fabric when creating the beautiful lace effects of Hardanger work, a traditional whitework technique.

Katherine Diuguid recommends… KAI embroidery scissors

Katherine Diuguid: ‘I absolutely love KAI scissors – the sharp tips are nice and small and I can get into really tight spaces with no trouble at all. 

‘I use my angled [bent] embroidery scissors for cutting goldwork metals on a velvet board, for cutwork and chipping techniques.  

‘I prefer using my appliqué curved tip scissors for cutting the metal while I’m stitching it, or for any cutting close to or around the surface I’m embroidering – they are good for snipping threads without feeling like I might accidentally cut the ground fabric. 

‘The thing that I love most about the KAI scissors is that their blades are nice and thin and will chop my metals precisely with no bite marks or burrs. 

‘The only thing I don’t use my KAI scissors for is silk threads: I have a beautiful pair of Ernest Wright scissors that I use only for cutting silks. I do so much metal embroidery that it’s easier for me to have scissors that do everything including metal, and one special pair that only cut silk. As you can tell I am somewhat passionate about my scissors! They make a massive difference in the quality of your stitching, maintaining the rhythm when you’re stitching, and reducing waste.’

• KAI curved tip scissors US

• KAI bent scissors US

• KAI curved tip scissors UK

• Prym KAI bent scissors UK

• Ernest Wright embroidery scissors UK

Katherine Diuguid, based in Mooresville, North Carolina, US, is known for her technical studies of colour theory in embroidery. She has presented her research at academic conferences for SECAC and the Textile Society of America. Her work has been featured in Inspirations (published by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America) and NeedleArts magazines.

Artist website: katherinediuguid.squarespace.com
Facebook: KatherineDiuguidArtist
Instagram: @katdiuguid

Curved scissors

If you are a fan of appliqué, you might want to invest in some curved scissors for cutting out small fabric shapes.

Yvette Phillips recommends… Westcott curved scissors

Textile artist Yvette Phillips has a box of scissors she’s collected over the years. Her favourites are a pair of Westcott 10cm (4″) curved titanium super soft grip scissors. 

Yvette Phillips: ‘They’re small and have a slight curve to them, which are great for snipping threads or trimming the edge of something that’s been appliquéd on. They allow you to get closer to the fabric without accidentally sticking the points into the fabric. I also use them for cutting shapes – the curved blades are really useful for cutting curved leaves or flower petals.’

Yvette also uses a variety of small sharp scissors, including a pair of Westcott small pointed scissors. These are good for cutting out small, detailed fabric shapes. To keep your embroidery and fabric scissors sharp, she advises using separate pairs for cutting fabric and paper. 

‘I put a blob of coloured nail polish on the blade of the scissors I use for cutting fabric, to differentiate them from the ones that I use to cut paper.’

• Westcott curved titanium embroidery scissors

• Westcott small pointed embroidery scissors

Yvette Phillips is a British textile artist living and working in Blewbury,Oxfordshire. She is a member of the Oxford Art Society, the Society for Embroidered Work, The Embroiderers’ Guild, and Modern Makers Collective.

Artist website: yvettephillipsart.com
Instagram: @yvettephillips_art

Appliqué scissors

Duckbill scissors are great for appliqué and quilt making. The duckbill shape gives great control and protects the base fabric when you are trimming close to the edges of a stitched fabric shape.

• Prym appliqué scissors

Scissors for cutting fabric

A larger pair of scissors is useful for cutting larger pieces of fabric, thick materials, or several layers of fabric. Fabric shears, dressmaker’s shears and tailor’s sidebent shears all have long, sharp blades. To increase their lifespan and keep them sharp, only use them for cutting fabric, and not paper.

Aran Illingworth recommends… Fiskars scissors

Fiskars make stainless steel scissors with classic orange handles which are recognisable worldwide. The company was founded as an ironworks in Finland in 1649 and their first cutlery and scissor mill was established in 1832. 

The iconic handle in Fiskars Orange™ is designed for comfort, and the precision ground stainless steel blades are known for their cutting performance and longevity.

Aran Illingworth: ‘My go-to fabric scissors are Fiskars’ fabric shears. I have been using Fiskars scissors for over a decade as they produce scissors which are durable, ergonomic and reliable. They allow me to cut fabrics with a range of densities and textures, both cleanly and precisely.’

• Fiskars Classic tailor’s shears, 27cm

Aran Illingworth is a textile artist based in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, UK. Originally a psychiatric nurse working with the homeless and those suffering from addictions, she completed a degree in Applied Arts in 2010. She held a solo exhibition at the Knitting and Stitching Show in 2022 and exhibits at The Old Chapel Textile Centre, Newbury and The Willow Gallery in Oswestry in 2023.

Artist website: aran-i.com
Facebook: aranillingworth
Instagram: @aranillingworth

Left-handed scissors

If you are left-handed and want to avoid getting those painful blisters on your hands, the good news is that some manufacturers make left-handed embroidery scissors and fabric shears. 

Other brands have super soft ergonomic handles that can be used by both left and right-handers. With a bit of trial and error, you’ll be able to find the perfect pair of scissors to cut accurately and painlessly.

• Premax left-handed embroidery scissors

• Famoré left-handed embroidery scissors, US

• Mundial ergonomic embroidery scissors, US

• Mundial ergonomic embroidery scissors, UK 

• Taylor’s Eye Witness left-handed dressmaking shears 

• Fiskars left-handed fabric shears

• Milward left-handed fabric shears

• Prym soft handle ergonomic tailor’s shears

Jessica Grady recommends… scissors for left-handers

Jessica Grady: ‘Being a left-handed stitcher, finding the perfect scissors always seems to be a little tricky. My favourite pair are actually not left-handed scissors at all, but are a pair of traditional Japanese bonsai pruning scissors – they are the perfect size and shape for cutting threads. I find these can be worked with your left or right hand and don’t give me painful scissor blisters. 

‘As I work with mixed media I go through lots and lots of pairs of scissors. I’m constantly cutting through tough materials like rubber, plastic and metal. I like to stock up with several pairs of low cost kitchen scissors from homewares stores like IKEA, as I don’t have to worry about blunting the blades – they are more budget friendly than specialist textile brands, and I can have a pair for all the different materials I work with.’

Jessica Grady is an artist based in West Yorkshire, UK. In 2018 she was awarded an Embroiderers’ Guild Scholarship (under 30). She is also an exhibiting member of Art Textiles Made in Britain (ATMB) and The Society for Embroidered Work. She is the author of Stitched Mixed Media (2023), and exhibited her work at the 2023 Knitting and Stitching Shows in Harrogate and London, with Art Textiles: Made in Britain, and The Embroiderers’ Guild.

Artist website: jessicagrady.co.uk
Instagram: @jessica_rosestitch

Looking for a bit of luxury?

Whiteley’s is a family run firm based in Sheffield, UK. The owners describe the company as ‘the last industrial scissor maker in the UK, and the oldest scissor smiths in the Western world’. William Whiteley & Sons were founded in 1760 and continue to produce handmade scissors for sewing and tailoring, including the Wilkinson patented ‘sidebent’ scissors which run flat along the fabric enabling a long straight cut, and a range of beautiful and high quality embroidery scissors.

Ernest Wright is another Sheffield-based company in the UK with a long history. They create sought after handmade embroidery shears and fabric shears. The company’s efforts to maintain and pass on the traditional methods for handcrafting scissors (which is on the list of critically endangered crafts in the UK) were rewarded in 2020 with the President’s Award for Endangered Crafts, given by the Heritage Crafts Association.

If you are looking to purchase scissors as a gift, the popular UK-based small business retailer Merchant & Mills stocks a good selection of attractively packaged, high quality embroidery scissors and fabric shears. The company’s ethos is to sell stylish, functional and sustainable products – and their scissors are designed for a long life.

Karen Kay Buckley, the US-based quilt artist, developed the Perfect Scissors™ range of straight and serrated blade scissors. These have stainless steel blades and soft, ergonomic handles which can be used by both left-handed and right-handed people. The serrated blade scissors are great for appliqué as they can also be used for cutting several layers of fabric at the same time. They pull the fabric into the scissors as you use them, giving a clean cut which is less likely to fray.

KAI is a premium Japanese brand with a long history, having been established in 1908. Known for their mission of combining old traditions with innovative production technologies, their scissors are made of high carbon stainless steel with vanadium, and are strong, well balanced and long lasting.

• Whiteley’s

• Ernest Wright

• Merchant and Mills

• Karen Kay Buckley

• KAI scissors US, KAI Europe, and stockists worldwide

Elnaz uses traditional goldwork techniques including zardozi, which draws on her Persian heritage. However, rather than precious metals, Elnaz creates embellishment from industrial waste, scraps, and even flowers and foliage from her allotment, thereby transforming ‘the mundane into the magnificent’.

Elnaz is passionate about sharing her textile skills and promoting the importance of embroidery as an art form for the future, as well as for community well being. She believes embroidery has the power to bring individuals together to build and strengthen resilience. At any time, she may be inspiring nine and ten-year-olds to discover ways of making sound waves visible using stitch, or leading a community collaboration project, helping individuals sew their way to better health.

Elnaz Yazdani: I am inspired by industrial upcycled materials and the different ways I can embellish, connect or transform items through stitch to develop a surface or form. My practice explores ways of transforming traditional embroidery techniques through my choice of unusual materials, such as found objects, metal, glass, plastic, rubber and, more recently, dried plant matter. My unique embroidery style has allowed me to work across fashion, jewellery and installations.

Surface alchemy

My inspiration is eclectic and depends on the project. In the past, I’ve been inspired by physics and forces such as sound and magnetism. I was obsessed with the alchemy of cloth, but instead of turning base metals into gold, turning something mundane into something magnificent. It required some searching, testing and exploring on my part to capture a visual but I love working with the unseen.  

Since the pandemic, I have explored mental health and the potential power of embroidery on an individual’s well being, resilience and growth. I am currently trying to design a way of defining embroidery that encompasses the process as a means to embellish, connect and transform us, both physically and mentally.

Embroidery has the ability to embellish our lives, connect with each other and transform our outlook of the craft.

More recently I have drawn inspiration from my allotment, working with dried flowers and dried plant matter from the garden. I first got into gardening for my well being. I needed a rest from my practice and wanted to do something different to sewing and teaching embroidery. However, I quickly saw connections between gardening and embroidery: the bed in my yard reminding me of a blank canvas, which I could embellish with plants.

I have since found ways to connect nature and embroidery by exploring how I can use found elements from the garden in my artwork. I love collecting dried plants and items which I can stitch using goldwork techniques and incorporate with embellishment variations. 

It’s really got me excited, and it’s merging my two loves of gardening and textiles. This recent use of plant life is drawn from my ongoing interest in the use of unusual objects and exploring ways I can transform them into a sculptural piece of embroidery.

The creative process

My process varies, and the project or theme determines my starting point. I usually begin by exploring or researching the topic. Then I develop an understanding of how that theme might be visually represented in or with stitch and materials.

The next step is collection or gathering. I spend a great deal of time sourcing materials and organising them before I begin any sewing. Unusual materials inspire me and I love discovering new ways of seeing them and putting them together. The preparation is part of the fun.

I collect based on theme, colour, texture, size and combination. It’s as if I’m creating a visual palette of materials.

Then, using sketches or mapping notes, I collage. I lay out my fabric and decide where clusters of certain stitches might form, how they might match or work alongside an area of rubber tubing, for example, or how my chosen purl wire will look next to an area of beads.

Once I have mapped them out, I begin stitching, usually from the centre out. This makes me utilise the whole surface area of the fabric, as well as explore the potential of the piece at a larger scale.

Messing with convention

I enjoy exploring traditional goldwork techniques using unexpected materials. I love using wool grounds such as fine or boiled wools as they provide a strong base to work on, which is necessary when stitching with unusual materials.

A purl thread or bullion wire is used in goldwork. I love the structure of these metal threads and they are great at holding unusual materials and embellishments in place. The structure gives a sturdiness to the work as well as a three-dimensional sculptural quality to the overall piece. I also enjoy using the check metal wires used in goldwork to explore line, mark making and embellishments.

When using any metal wires or unusual materials, I recommend that you always wax your thread and use a fine needle, so the materials don’t snag on your thread or fabric.

I source my unusual materials from all over, however, I have one local recycling store in Leeds called Scrap which I love. I can spend hours there collecting materials and coming up with ideas for new pieces and projects.

The making of an artist

My art is ever evolving and I have encountered many influential turning points along the way.

I knew I wanted to specialise in embroidery as a craft practice and discipline. My degree at the Manchester School of Art helped shape who I am as an artist today – the inspirational lecturers and students on my course were fantastic. 

I was taught by some well known and experienced embroiderers such as Alice Kettle, Kate Egan, Jane McKeating and Nigel Hurlstone. They helped each one of us tune in to our practice, and our likes and dislikes so that everyone’s work was unique. All these individuals helped to shape my understanding and definition of what embroidery is or has the potential to be.

The Covid pandemic and its lockdowns were a difficult time. However, it was also a key moment for my art as I was awarded the Beryl Dean Award for Teaching Excellence in Embroidery and I became an Embroiderers’ Guild Scholar (under 30), after the successful launch of my virtual embroidery school Embroider Your Future. 

It was a fantastic achievement during such a turbulent and uneasy time. Although I struggled with my well being, I sought comfort through my art and made some of the work I am now most proud of including Magnetic World.

Teach and learn

I taught embroidery to costume, textile and fashion students at the University of Huddersfield for seven years. During this time I developed a huge body of techniques, which I continue to explore in my own practice.

In my role as embroidery technician, I explored and taught all sorts of applications and techniques, including digital embroidery and machine embellishment techniques mixed with my usual hand sewing and embellishment processes.

Working as an embroidery technician for so long helped me understand and respect the importance of traditional technique and mastering your craft.

I loved teaching fabric manipulation techniques such as smocking. My favourite type of smocking is Canadian smocking or direct smocking. I enjoy working a smocked ground into the fabric and then working my embellishments or purl bullion wires over the top to provide depth and interest.  

My work developed massively during this time as I had the chance to explore techniques and deepen my understanding through teaching and delivering them on a regular basis.

When I was a technician, I used to see how everyone (including myself) wanted to learn everything! However, we encouraged students to specialise or focus their skills to develop a key aspect of their practice, rather than flit from one technique to the next – although it is a tricky thing to do when you are learning because everything is so inspiring.

I do use a lot of different techniques because of my technical background. However, I find the materials help limit me as I tend to explore materials and combinations rather than constantly introducing new techniques.

If you like the look of a technique, I recommend you explore it thoroughly and get to know it well.

I did this with bullion wire that’s used in goldwork. Exploring various applications and ideas using just one technique was really helpful.

One generation to the next

Sewing and embroidery have always come naturally to me. They have always just been there: simple stitches woven into everyday life. As a young girl, I learned embroidery from my mother, who had learned it from her mother. My grandmother was a dressmaker, so she had a wealth of sewing knowledge to share and pass down through generations.

My Persian heritage is from my father, who moved to the UK from Iran in 1978. My grandfather owned a fabric shop in Iran so my dad grew up surrounded by fabric. He remembers being a small boy and learning how to sew a buttonhole stitch. When I was a teenager and raiding my grandmother’s old sewing things, I found a small stitch booklet, 29 Embroidery Stitches and I taught myself most of these.

I learned the power of knowing ten to 15 basic embroidery stitches. Then, the needle becomes like a wand, and you are free to express yourself with stitch and thread in any way you like.

Community connections

I have always taught embroidery workshops in the community alongside my practice, however after two years of lockdowns, business closures, illness, and isolation, I felt communities must creatively rehabilitate culturally and socially. Therefore, I wanted to explore working more with embroidery in the community. 

I began working with women and non-binary groups across Leeds and have continued to work at Stitch-Up CIC running weekly sessions for well-being and embroidery, as well as for WOVEN in Kirklees, where I provide a number of community workshops and courses on embroidery.

My creative practice has shown me how embroidery and its education can improve community well being and connect people.

My work with groups is often through social prescribing means – individuals are prescribed by their doctor or via a mental health organisation such as Mind and directed to my weekly sessions. I run the sessions differently based on the project or theme for that term. For example, we are currently making a quilt top with patchwork and using embellishment and embroidery techniques over the top.

It’s lovely to work on something collectively and it will remain at the community centre when we finish. All the artwork I create with the community stays within the community so they can enjoy it. I am currently undergoing qualitative community engagement research on an MA by research at the University of Huddersfield.

Working with the community is healing for the individuals involved in the sessions and also for the artist leading the session. Sharing skills with others is huge for me. I love teaching embroidery, and I enjoy inspiring others and encouraging others to get involved with the craft. I have made wonderful connections through these groups and formed lasting friendships and networks in my immediate community. The community gives me a genuine love for my craft.

We learn from each other and inspire each other with ideas and support through stitching together. Stitch is very powerful at bringing people together after times of hardship.

Embroider your future

I carried on teaching throughout the pandemic and developed my own online summer school Embroider Your Future. In 2020 I was commended with the teaching excellence award in embroidery via the Embroiderers’ Guild (Beryl Dean Award).

My intention behind applying was to showcase my sample work and contribution to embroidery as an artist but also as an educator. At the time, I was working as an embroidery artist as well as an embroidery technician. I had been working in education for five years and I could see a declining number of students taking subjects such as textiles. I wanted to try and combat this with my scholarship submission.  

I submitted a range of sample work exploring my hand embroidery style and I developed a week-long educational summer school called Embroider Your Future designed to inspire and support GCSE and A Level students (16-18 year olds) with their understanding of embroidery and its potential in the creative industry.

Since my scholarship year, I have also developed Embroider Your Future into an ongoing online course via the Embroiderers’ Guild for those interested in embroidery and design. I would like to continue with this course for as long as I can, developing it along the way to suit the needs of the audience. I aim to bring the course to students at school wanting to explore hand stitch in their work and inspire the next generation of embroidery artists and designers. 

I am dedicated to sharing my textile skills and promoting the importance of embroidery as an art form for the future and for community well being. I am currently involved in a number of educational projects across Yorkshire which embed textiles and art into the early years’ curriculum including Weaving Together a Story of Place funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Change Project 2023 funded through the Mosaic Group.

Today, traditional techniques, such as goldwork or crewel work are the embodiment of history and tradition. But they are far from being relics of the past. Stitching – the simple act of needlework whether for practical or creative outcomes – well, this still belongs to everyone.

Step forward Tracy A Franklin, who has managed to create a multifaceted career in hand stitch, and whose name in the UK is synonymous with the art of traditional embroidery.

Tracy grew up with a passion for embroidery and dressmaking, gleaned from both her mum and her grandmother. She established an embroidery studio in Durham in northeast England in the early 2000s, since when she’s taught thousands of embroidery enthusiasts the joys and rewards of creating with needle and thread.

Tracy’s expertise is grounded in traditional techniques such as crewel work, silk shading, goldwork and whitework amongst others, and she’s taught embroidery both online and in person for institutions including the Royal School of Needlework and City and Guilds, as well as offering her own courses.

While her passion for tradition remains at the heart of her practice (she is also a conservator and restorer of embroidery) Tracy’s creative curiosity remains unfettered. Over the years, her interest in the textile arts has grown: she even explores how traditional and contemporary approaches to embroidery intersect in three books she’s written (see Tracy’s bio, below).

Increasingly, what Tracy finds most fascinating is exploring one small aspect of embroidery – whether it’s one stitch or one technique – fully and without limits. It’s a rewarding combination of playful experimentation and learning from tradition – one we’re sure you’ll be fascinated to read more about.

Life stitch by stitch

TextileArtist.org: Can you describe your studio for us, and share a little of what goes on there?

Tracy A Franklin: I became freelance in October 2001 and initially worked from my parent’s house, but it became apparent I needed some dedicated space to work professionally.

I was pointed in the direction of Durham City Arts in 2003, who at the time managed Fowlers Yard in Durham City. I viewed some of the empty studios that were available and applied for No.3. The buildings themselves have been various things – garages, a youth hall – but had been renovated as a millennium project destined to be creative workspaces.

It is one of the best things in my life to have a studio in the city centre. There’s a core of art professionals that have been here for more than 10 years.

My studio has a large downstairs floor space where I teach, and an open mezzanine upstairs, where I have my desk, stock and paperwork. When I got my studio space, I also received an arts grant to furnish it and added extra lighting and heating too.

There’s quite a lot of light from the front glass double doorway and the two back windows, which overlook the River Wear. Fowlers Yard is a very quirky street built on a slight incline, and on a curved road, with all the studios being different sizes.

Inside the studio, I have shelving space for books, threads, fabrics, pigeonholes of wool, and ring frames hanging from hooks from underneath the mezzanine floor.

How would you describe your embroidery practice?

I still love traditional techniques, whether it is crewel work, silk shading, goldwork, or whitework. What I have increasingly found more fascinating is exploring one small aspect, whether it is one stitch, or one technique, fully and without limits. This could be about scale, colour, materials used, or experimenting with the technique itself.

I find the process more interesting than a finished piece, and I would rather create many explorative samples than work a finished design. My book, Crewel Work (2010) was based on that idea.

Tell us about teaching, and what you find rewarding about being a tutor?

I teach mainly the Certificate and Diploma courses for the Royal School of Needlework (RSN). I have taught on these courses for over 20 years, starting at Hampton Court, where the RSN is based, progressing to teaching in my studio, and now online to an international audience since 2020. I’ve also taught this course overseas in the USA.

I find that I learn so much when teaching, as I spend a lot of time working with students and their ideas. My knowledge increases, and I feel confident in solving issues and problems.

Likewise, I taught City & Guilds for 10 years, which contrasted with the Royal School of Needlework teaching. I found it to be so much more contemporary, explorative, and open to interpretation. Whereas the RSN course is much more about perfection, and perhaps working one technique one way to fit a design, which is mounted and finished. 

I enjoy teaching both ways but would love to teach a longer course in learning technique in various ways and building an archive of sampled ideas.

I have been head Broderer at Durham Cathedral for over 10 years now. The Broderer group existed before I came along, but I was naturally interested in it as an embroiderer coming from Durham. I eventually took over managing the group, where we work on big commissions, mostly designed by me, and on repairs, and some conservation of some of the vestments and altar cloths that are still in use. We are a small team of volunteers and meet about once a fortnight in the Broderers’ room in the Chapter office.

Self starter

Can you tell us about the different types of clients you’ve worked for?

I do very little commission work, mainly because I work at the Cathedral and have my fill of it there, but I do have a commission in the pipeline in the initial stages to design and work an altar cloth for a church.

I’m also technical adviser for a tapestry collection for a Methodist chapel in Weardale in County Durham, which is being converted into a museum and exhibition space. The panels for the tapestry are mainly about the history of Methodism, with some panels including local history. They are being worked by volunteers interested in stitching a panel, which includes some of my students.

Can you tell us more about the realities of working for yourself, and what a typical week might look like?

As an embroiderer, I mainly teach, which I love to do. Before Covid, I was teaching day to day in my studio but since Covid, I now teach online using a camera share to with a bigger international audience. 

I think had Covid not happened, I would still be teaching in my studio but we were almost forced to adapt to a new way of working. Online teaching is very different, and I have learnt more about technique because of it, so my diary is now part online teaching, part onsite teaching. 

I plan my diary so that I don’t clash with myself. A typical week is Monday teaching or Durham Cathedral; Tuesday studio teaching; Wednesday Zoom teaching; Thursday studio teaching or admin; Friday Zoom teaching or admin; Saturday morning studio teaching, and sometimes Saturday afternoons I am on Zoom too. Sunday off!

It is a kind of structure I keep to, but it is not the same pattern every week. Sometimes I plan ‘blank’ days too.

Taking on tradition

What would you say to a complete beginner who wants to try some of the more traditional techniques, such as whitework, goldwork, crewelwork or silk shading?

I think it’s possible for any beginner to explore any technique. The way the Royal School of Needlework approaches them is only one way. There are many skilled embroiderers, who have never trained but have natural flare, or textile artists who perfect their own version of techniques.

I think all techniques have many approaches, and anyone who wants to learn or begin should take inspiration from those who they are inspired by. Everyone has their own rules on perfectionism but what is more important is to enjoy and learn, and feel satisfied by your own creativity, and build on that.

What do you think about ‘the rules’ when it comes to embroidery? What’s your approach?

I think there are some rules to traditional techniques in embroidery, such as the design, the materials and the techniques employed, otherwise, those traditional techniques, along with their history, would not have their unique qualities.

However, I have increasingly become interested in testing some of the techniques with a more contemporary outcome, such as using different materials, or a different scale, or colour, or manipulating the technique itself.

For example, French knots are normally one wrap around the needle and are normally in one colour in a cluster. However, French knots can be wrapped more than once, with different threads and fibres mixed in the needle. They can be clustered, spread, scattered, or patterned. They can be worked tight or loose, big to small, shaded in colour or size or both, and this is only one stitch! The same thoughts can be applied to all embroidery techniques.

What are some of the misconceptions that people have about embroidery?

From a non-embroiderer or a non-creative, I probably (wrongly) assume that they think I am a kit-based embroiderer, and I always feel I need to justify embroidery as an art form, which is much more than a kit-based hobby.

Not that there’s anything wrong with embroidery kits, or having it as a hobby pastime, as I have done both. But for myself as a professional, I am an embroiderer, designer, artist and teacher and I strive to be the best I can be in all areas.

I admire many textile artists and embroiderers who have a creative platform and exhibit their work. I admire and follow those who use stitch as a medium for their art as much as I do for artists who paint, print, or sculpt.

Inspiration to hand

As well as your professional interest in embroidery, tell us about your own creative practice?

There are, perhaps, two sides when it comes to myself as an embroiderer. The first is my teaching, which is usually traditional techniques, worked to a brief with traditional standards but, as time goes on, I’ve become more creative with the knowledge I have gained.

The other side is my own interests and study, which includes exploring techniques to the max alongside my love of mixed media, freestyle machine embroidery, dyeing, printing, and creating a lot of samples.

I have been on quite a few textile artist workshops including Gwen Hedley, Alice Fox, James Hunting, Francis Pickering, Alison King, Amanda Clayton, Gillian Cooper, to name a few, and have loved learning from them all. I enjoy combining my own ideas with theirs.

How do you stay motivated and inspired in your practice?

I am never not inspired or motivated. I just lack time! I collect, in various ways, creating folders on my computer, downloading and saving ideas using Pinterest, so I have a store of inspiration I can go to.

I equally collect things, which can be anything, such as postcards, papers, fabric samples, scraps, random things off the street, charity shop hoards, etc. For example, I collect and save the plastic straws out of soap dispensers, and cleaning products. I have a drawer full now and have used them for teaching. 

My advice is to collect and store information, whether it’s a folder on your computer, objects in a jar or box, so that when there is time, all inspiration is there to be tapped into – and be inspired!

Do you work with what’s to hand, or have specific tools or materials you like to use?

I work both in a frame and in hand. For certain techniques such as silk shading and goldwork, a frame is required for tension and to keep the fabric flat. I prefer a square frame, and there are many on the market, especially from Etsy. Sometimes I work in hand: much of the whitework was worked in hand, but I needed a frame for tension for some of the techniques.

Needle-wise, I tend to use Crewel embroidery needles most of the time, also Tapestry and Chenille needles. I love working on linen the most – the older the better! I buy linen from vintage sales and various other places.

I quite often sample on double medium weight calico. It’s not so expensive, it’s a natural colour, versatile, and it works well for crewel work, silk shading, and goldwork techniques alike.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your practice?

Most of my challenges are about lack of time and for that, I try to plan my diary a year ahead, so I make sure I have some time for creativity such as ‘blank’ days.

On the creative front, I now always plan out any design I’m working on, or planning for my students. I include threads and materials to be used, colour plans, and order of work. I try to teach my students this too.

I think it’s important to sample and get an understanding of how something may work. It only needs to be enough to know the outcome. Not everyone wants to sample, and some make a whole study of it, which I have respect for!

My advice is to plan your design well and sample your ideas, as it may save a lot of time with a better outcome.

Taking stitch further

Can you tell us about a favourite piece of work or project?

It would be both work I have managed at Durham Cathedral with the Broderers as my team, and my own work. At Durham Cathedral, I’ve designed and managed quite a few projects, and I’m proud of them all, not least the dividing of projects, so that all the Broderers have a part in their development. I am keen we work as a team and together using the strengths of each Broderer. Nothing works without issues but, again, it’s all in the planning.

For myself, as I’ve mentioned, I love to experiment with technique and work on one small aspect fully. There are two pieces that come to mind. One is my Linear Goldwork Sampler, and the other is the Green Herringbone Stitch Sampler.

The Linear Goldwork Sampler was worked pretty much throughout with the same threads, and technique of couching. However, I explored line, curved lines, straight lines, diagonal lines, stepped lines, zig-zag lines, spirals and vermicelli, the continuous line. Not only that, it was about the spaces created between the lines, and the visual that gives.

For the Green Herringbone Stitch Sampler, my aim here was to create a sampler for all embroidery stitches inspired by teaching Level 3 City & Guilds. I chose to work with green only so that the sampler had a theme and no other reason. 

I worked with different thread types such as stranded cotton, Coton á Broder and crewel wool to name a few, and much of it was in my personal stash using different textures of thread and fibre. 

The aim for City & Guilds students was to explore the possibilities of each stitch in terms of threads and materials used, scale, and manipulating the stitch, rather than working it one standard way. Students did just that, but occasionally a student would really express that stitch and that is what I am drawn to the most.

So, my Green Herringbone Stitch Sampler worked on linen is an expression of that stitch, working it repetitively to give an intense overview rather than a lot of scattered unconnected samples. With my sampler, I wanted to provide movement and, much like the couched Linear Goldwork Sampler, it was about the areas in between the stitches – the voids as much as the stitch itself – that makes the sampler work for me.  The sample is still on a frame unfinished, with its threads intact, but I kind of like that.

Taking stock

What aspects of your career do you appreciate most?

I love talking with others and sharing my knowledge. I love having intense conversations with other textile artists and embroiderers about their work, or mine, or what we appreciate about others’ work, or the bazaar things we do or collect for future works, and what inspires us.

I also relish when a student takes an idea or technique to a level that is beyond me, and when students in my studio spend time looking at each other’s work in appreciation, as a source of inspiration.

I like the fact that embroidery and textile arts, provide a social, artistic, friendly creative environment.

You’ve established your name over years of hard work. What changes have you noticed in the worlds of embroidery and art textiles during that time, if any?

I have probably grown with those changes and developed myself. I am always learning, and not exempt from being a student myself. I still have loads to learn about traditional technique, and when I teach, I am often teaching myself. Teaching technique is a learning process for me as I learn how better to explain it to others in the future.

I think the world of embroidery and textile art has developed with the help of social media. It is more accessible, easier to tap into and learn from. I feel I am a very small part of it as there are some incredible embroidery artists and textile artists alike.

There is so much to connect with, be inspired by, and learn from. I draw such a lot of inspiration from many textile artists.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Learn from everybody, and everything.

As for the future, what are your goals and hopes?

I’m lucky to have a lot of work, and many students who want to continually learn from me. However, I have learnt to create time and space for myself to practise and progress my own skills – sometimes through stitching and sometimes through planning.

I would love to develop an archive of samples and ideas, as well as a teaching programme to go along with it, which I have already planned out. I love the ethos of the Needlework Development Scheme and what it offered. I would hope my own samples will be part of an archive for future study as well as those who study and learn alongside me.

Hannah, better known as The Perpetual Maker, set up on her own as a full-time designer and maker, after falling in love with embroidery at university. Her specialism? Exquisite creative stitch that’s breaking the mould as much as creating perfection. 

Since launching her career, Hannah has been on a journey of discovery, taking traditional techniques such as goldwork to new dimensions – and gaining recognition along the way.

She loves her life as a maker so much she decided to share her passion, and now teaches in person and online, as well as stocking her designs and kits on her website.

Hannah tells us why one of her most striking works is also her most personal, and how she aims to be a thoroughly modern maker, one that’s unafraid to take creative risks; all the while honing her craft.

What’s in a name?

TextileArtist.org: The Perpetual Maker is an intriguing name, how did it come about?

I always had a creative project on the go when I was growing up, and would work on them whenever I got the chance, even on holiday or while visiting relatives. I became known in my family for always making something.

When it came to my business, I wanted a name that conveyed that I’ve always made things, and always will and that creativity is integral to my life. I felt that the word ‘perpetual’ was a more interesting way to say forever – and followed by ‘maker’ it made the perfect description of me.

How did you discover embroidery?

Textiles and embroidery constantly featured in my list of projects. I started out by making kits and following other embroiderers’ designs. I decided to specialise in embroidery during university when I became more aware of organisations and companies such as Hand & Lock, The Royal School of Needlework and Lesage. I found their creations inspirational.

I was also intrigued by some of the more specialist embroidery techniques used by these ateliers, such as goldwork, tambour beading and monogramming, and I wanted to be able to use these techniques myself.

I love embroidery because it’s such a calming pursuit. Each stitch has to be considered. I like the control you have with it. It’s entirely up to you how you make each stitch, which means nothing is left to chance.

It’s also very hard to ruin an embroidery because you can always unpick your stitches which, when most embroideries take many hours of work, is very forgiving.

Tell us about the techniques you love?

The traditional embroidery techniques I use most are goldwork and tambour beading. I was inspired to learn goldwork after a studio tour of Hand & Lock. The visit included a talk on goldwork, and the technique really appealed to me because it felt so different to any other form of embroidery. I found the specialist threads and wires fascinating and loved the use of padding to create raised embroidery.

I learned tambour beading as a way to speed up applying beads and sequins, as I wanted to work more with these materials. It also interested me because it’s a technique frequently used in haute couture embroidery, and I wanted to be able to achieve this high standard of embroidery.

How did you set about learning them?

I took day classes in goldwork and tambour beading at Hand & Lock, The Royal School of Needlework, and with Lesley Coidan (a tambour embroiderer).

I also think I learned a lot from my creative exploits while growing up. Even though I was just embroidering fun projects, I got a lot of practice. This gave me a basis I could build on when it came to more advanced embroidery techniques.

Both tambour beading and goldwork really suit my style of embroidery. I’ve always been a very neat embroiderer, and both techniques require precision.

I enjoy using these techniques to create interesting textures and details within my embroidery. There’s a great variety of different goldwork wires, beads and sequins, and I love having this range of materials to make beautiful embroideries with.

Back to nature

Are there any recurring themes in your work?

I often work to a theme, one of my favourites being the seasons of the year. For me, flowers and plants are so characteristic of each season, and I enjoy creating series of work based on flowers that feature in each. 

I’ve also themed embroidery around flowers from a particular country, such as native British wildflowers or flora that’s characteristic of a country I love, such as Italy.

Embroidery takes much effort and many hours to create so I feel like it’s a fitting tribute to something as precious as nature.

I’m trying to highlight and celebrate the beauty of nature through my embroidery. For instance, when I feature wildflowers in my designs, I aim to draw attention to the value and beauty of these special plants, especially in the context of climate change.

What preparation and research do you do?

I always start with lots of drawing. If it’s a large or very detailed design, I’ll make a few small rough sketches to establish the layout. Then I’ll make some detailed studies of my subject matter. I scan and trace these drawings using Illustrator so that I have a digital copy. Finally, I combine these with other drawings to create the design.

I usually draw from my own photos of flowers and insects taken in my garden. I’m always on the lookout for interesting plants to feature in my work.

I find organic shapes in nature much more interesting to embroider, and I love the intricate details and subtle textures of petals, which are so exciting to interpret with embroidery. And there are also so many fascinating insects that are such brilliant shapes and colours.

Can you tell us about some of your commissions?

At the moment I’m doing a lot of tambour beading but before this I worked on two commissions. The first was a cushion embroidered with the leaves of native British trees in pearl cotton thread. This is one of my favourite threads, due to the way it reflects the light beautifully when laid in different directions.

I used canvas work stitches to create interesting textures and patterns within each leaf. Canvas work is normally embroidered onto open weave fabric but for this project, I used an upholstery fabric, which meant I had to draw grids on the fabric to use as a guide.

The other commission was a hand embroidered bouquet for my sister’s wedding. It took me months to create and was made up of 3D flowers in goldwork embroidery, including anemones, cosmos and poppy flowers.

The process of making 3D flowers from goldwork involves many different stages, from making a flat embroidery of all the individual petals, to constructing them into flowers. It was embroidered with silver plated goldwork wires, and to match the wedding’s colour theme, I included details in shades of soft sage green. On the wedding day I added real eucalyptus foliage and tied it up with a hand embroidered ribbon.

Inspired thinking

Where did the idea come from to work with goldwork in a more sculptural form?

Initially, it was an experiment. When I was newly self-employed I didn’t have a full work schedule so I had time to try out ideas. I wanted to create something striking and extravagant and to use goldwork in a really different way.

The idea was inspired by the Dutch Masters’ still life paintings and the work of the photographer Jamie Beck, who arranges and photographs beautiful floral arrangements. I wanted to create my own everlasting floral still life with embroidery. 

In my work, I used goldwork wires to try to mimic the delicacy of flowers and portray the textures and patterns within their petals. Something quite important to making the flowers look organic is that I design the flowers so that each petal is a slightly different shape.

The idea of how to display the flowers was inspired by Victorian floral still life arrangements, which were placed under glass domes. The domes are also an attractive way to solve the problem of keeping the work dust-free and airtight to slow the process of the precious metals tarnishing. I use a brilliant company called Suffolk Glass, who will make bespoke glass domes to your specified dimensions, which means I have the freedom to make a floral sculpture to any size I like.

Since making my first experimental goldwork flower sculpture a few years ago, I’ve gradually been refining and improving the way I create the flowers with each piece I make.

Do you regard your work as traditional or modern?

I would say that my 3D goldwork flowers are more unconventional. Although goldwork is often raised from the fabric, it is usually applied to a flat piece of cloth. By cutting out pieces of goldwork embroidery from the surface material and manipulating them to create sculptural forms, I’m using goldwork in an unusual way.

Working in this way requires different considerations to working a flat embroidery too, such as adapting the way the goldwork wires are applied to the fabric so they don’t become damaged when the petals are bent into their 3D shapes.

Other aspects of my work are more traditional, such as my use of traditional embroidery stitches with pearl cotton thread. But I always aim to give the embroidery a contemporary feel through the style of my designs. Colour selection also plays a part in this – my designs are often quite colourful, which I think helps to keep them contemporary.

Rather than always using a single technique to embroider a whole design, I often combine embroidery techniques within the same design.

For example, I will use a tambour beaded background to offset the goldwork on top. Or I will use beads as well as goldwork wires to fill shapes, which I think creates a texturally interesting embroidery. Whether or not I’m using embroidery techniques in an unconventional or more traditional way, I’m always trying to achieve a high level of technical skill in everything I create.

Where do you turn for inspiration?

Most of my inspiration is gathered from my own garden, and gardens I visit. Every year I grow a selection of mostly annual flowers for cutting so that I can have bunches of fresh flowers all summer. It’s another design source for my work.

I spend a few minutes in the garden each day observing the flowers, and I photograph them from different angles as references to draw from. I often spot interesting insects such as beetles, bees and butterflies on the flowers, which also make their way into my designs.

The practicalities

What’s the biggest challenge you face creatively?

Sourcing the perfect materials is quite often challenging, I usually have a specific idea of what I want and sometimes this is hard to match. This is especially difficult when ordering online, as it’s hard to tell the true colour of materials on a screen. I usually have to wait until they arrive and hope I am lucky and have picked the right shade!

Sometimes I’m not able to find the right colour or size of materials anywhere. When designing my sister’s wedding bouquet I wanted to feature metallic sage green details in the flower centres and the petals. This soft green colour was impossible to find in either goldwork wires or round beads in the right size.

To solve this, I decided to buy plain white round beads and sequins and dip these in green metallic paint to give the colour and finish I desired. To mimic goldwork wires I applied clear tube-shaped beads over pieces of soft green fabric – the colour of the fabric showed through the beads to give the impression of them having a green tinge.

What do you love about hand embroidery?

Hand embroidery is really special because it cannot be truly imitated by machine. You can create intricately detailed and texturally interesting embroidery, which has a unique quality due to it being worked by hand.

I think hand embroidery is such a unique skill. There are so many different techniques you can employ, and the individual techniques can be used in varying ways, which means there really are endless possibilities.

Creating a beautiful embroidery from fabric and thread is so satisfying and I find the physical process of embroidery so meditative and relaxing. It takes time and cannot be rushed; the careful consideration needed to make each stitch means that I can fully immerse myself in the embroidery process.

I also absolutely love teaching hand embroidery. It’s such a pleasure to share my embroidery skills with others and amazing to see the sense of achievement that a student gets when they have a finished creation that they have made completely with their own hands.

What led you to work for yourself?

I really wanted to have a job focused on creating hand embroidery and I wanted to develop my own range of work rather than always working on other people’s designs. Most of the hand embroidery jobs in the UK are located in London and, not wanting to relocate, it also suited me well to work for myself because I could work from home.

Of the many creative skills you can work in, embroidery is quite an easy one to set up on your own: it isn’t essential for you to have a separate studio space because you don’t need lots of machinery or specialist equipment.

Working for myself has meant that I am able to have control of a project from start to finish. I love the variety of work I get to do, and I never know what exciting projects are going to pop into my inbox.

Tell us more about a typical week?

I live and work from my home near Bristol in the UK. I work in my bedroom, which also doubles as my studio. It’s a cosy, colourful space with soft pink walls, floral curtains, filled with bunches of cut and dried flowers throughout the year, as well as books, and my treasured collection of handmade ceramics. I love working in this space, with everything to hand and neatly organised – at least most of the time!

I mostly work from home, and usually arrange each day in a similar way. The natural light in my workspace is normally best in the morning so I always spend this time working on embroidery.

I split the afternoon into two parts: after lunch I’ll reply to emails and then work on any writing, such as information for teaching or instructions if I am making embroidery kits. I might also spend some of this time drawing. Later in the afternoon, I’ll work on the computer creating designs, editing images or updating my website.

Any advice for those who might feel nervous about tackling traditional techniques?

Goldwork embroidery encompasses many different techniques that can seem overwhelming at first. I’d recommend getting some help from an expert. You can do this by getting yourself a good book: Glorious Goldwork by Sarah Rakestraw and Susan Hinde, or Goldwork Embroidery by Lizzy Pye are both great comprehensive guides to goldwork.

Or take an online or in-person class, which can be a great introduction to goldwork. This will help you to master essential techniques and understand how they can be used in designs. You can then experiment with the techniques and use them to create your own designs.

Don’t be disheartened if your first attempt is not perfect, the likelihood is it won’t be! Every embroidery technique requires plenty of practice so keep persevering until you have mastered the technique. And most importantly, enjoy yourself!

Hannah Mansfield is an embroidery designer based near Bristol, UK. She graduated with a degree in Textile Design in 2016, and founded The Perpetual Maker soon after, and now works to commission, as well as creating her own embroidery designs and kits. She also teaches classes around the UK and online. In 2019, she was awarded First Prize in the Textile Art Open category of the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery (UK). Hannah became a Trade Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers since 2020.  

Website: theperpetualmaker.com

Instagram: @theperpetualmaker

Discover the work of Sue Rangely and Corrinne Young – two artists seduced by nature, who’ve not only made a successful career in textiles, but relish the challenge of taking embroidery into three dimensions!

Traditional or modern? Do you like to stick to the rules, or bend them? Do you like to perfect a technique, or prefer to experiment? Tell us more in the comments below.

Caren Garfen’s embroidered texts demonstrate back stitch as a strong and powerful stitch. But it’s also a supremely effective drawing and mark marking tool, as seen in Sue Stone’s expressive and textural figurative work.

Straight stitches are incredibly versatile. In the work of Archana Pathak and Claire Wellesley-Smith, they prove to be elegant, uncomplicated and calm. For these artists, the power of straight stitch is in its meditative nature. Seed stitch, another repetitive stitch, is the preference of artists Claire Mort and Richard McVetis, who both like to revel in the slow process of making. 

In Melissa Zexter’s stitched photographs, straight stitches are grouped to form energetic, swirling layers. And in Yuka Hoshino’s embroidery, long stitches are interwoven to highlight connections and relationships. 

Cross stitch is a technique many stitchers might start off with, but Sharon Peoples takes it to another level. She builds layer upon layer of random cross stitches, adding great depth and a painterly feel to her pocket-sized portraits.

Couching is known for its ability to add texture and dimension. Hanny Newton uses it to explore line quality in her glittering contemporary goldwork compositions. Diane Butcher uses couching in a completely different way, to create delicate drawn lines of floral imagery.

Read on to discover the power of simple hand stitches, and be inspired.

Caren Garfen

The Weight of the World was created by Caren Garfen when she became aware of an upsurge in antisemitism globally. It’s a powerful work, created using back stitch. 

‘The size of the stitch really appeals to me. I like the control required when sewing tiny stitches despite the unbelievable amount of time it takes, but it can be challenging when a deadline comes into play!’

Hand stitched text, of antisemitic incidents recorded in 2020 and 2021, creates lines on the fabric. These represent the traditional Jewish prayer shawl, a tallis. At a distance, the pattern appears as bands of black. It is only when the viewer draws in closer that they can see that stripes transform into text. 

But this tallis loses its ritual function and is not to be worn, symbolising that Jewish people should not have to carry the burden of antisemitism on their shoulders.

Caren Garfen is an artist specialising in textiles, meticulous hand stitching, and intensive research, creating artworks relating to societal issues. She is based in London, UK. The Weight of the World was shortlisted for the Fine Art Textile Award in 2022. Her work has also been selected for 7th International Riga Triennial of Textiles in Latvia, 2023, and for awards at Art Textiles Biennale, Australia, 2021 and Internationale d’Art Miniature, Canada, 2021.

Artist website: carengarfen.com
Facebook: carengarfenartist
Instagram: @carengarfen

Sue Stone

Sue Stone very rarely uses back stitch in its traditional form, where it is used to make a straightforward, solid line. Although her stitches might be created in the same way, the results are more akin to a drawn line.

In Self Portrait, Number 67, part of an ongoing project, Sue Stone used back stitches to create the hair, face, arrow outlines and dress.

‘What I enjoy about back stitch is the versatility of being able to use it as a mark making tool.’

Back stitches using a very fine sewing thread (such as her favourite Superior Masterpiece thread) can make a delicately nuanced line on a face. Or a single strand of DMC stranded cotton can be used to create an outline drawing or a sketchy, broken line.

Sue also makes the most of six stranded embroidery threads, using anything up to six strands of DMC embroidery thread to create patterns. With back stitch the thread wraps around both the back and front of the fabric. This makes it become slightly raised up on the front of the cloth, giving some amazing surface texture when using the full six strands. Sue tells us that no other stitch is more useful for her work than back stitch.

Sue Stone is based in the UK, and is a member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists, and a Fellow of the Society of Designer Craftsmen. Her work has been exhibited worldwide, including at her solo show Shifts and Allusions, at The Hub, Sleaford in 2023, at the 12th From Lausanne to Beijing International Fibre Art Biennial Exhibition (2022), and as part of the 62 Group’s exhibition at the Knitting & Stitching Show (2022).

Artist website: womanwithafish.com/
Facebook: suestone.womanwithafish
Instagram: @womanwithafish

Archana Pathak

In her series Reimagined Landscapes, Archana Pathak creates orderly rows of straight stitches, arranged into landscapes using subtle blocks of colour. 

Archana often works with found memory artefacts. In this series, by using old maps, she is able to consider the evolving nature of boundaries, both physical and psychological, and the identities being reshaped. And when she transforms the maps into landscapes, her artworks become harmonious representations of co-existence and connectedness. 

First, a collection of old maps are printed onto fabric – recording lost, found or longed-for places. From these, she cuts very fine laces, using them to slowly render the landscape’s contours. 

She began making Reimagined Landscapes in mid-2021, at a time near to the end of the lockdowns in the UK.

‘I was experiencing a sense of calm in using just straight stitches in my work. The nature of simple repetition was a gift and natural progression, for me to heal, to make sense and to start again.’

Drawn to simplicity and essentialism, Archana’s work carries questions, insights and hope – her art explores her identity and is influenced by the many things she’s trying to make sense of.

Archana Pathak is a fine art textile artist based in London, who draws inspiration from her British and Indian heritage. Archana exhibited in a solo show at The Textile Galleries, The Knitting & Stitching Show, 2022. She was The Needlemakers Company Award winner at Cockpit Arts, 2022, and was shortlisted for the Brookfield Properties Crafts Council Collection Award, 2021.  

Artist website: archanapathak.com
Instagram: @archanapathakartist

Claire Wellesley-Smith

Claire Wellesley-Smith’s meditative running stitch work Shift uses a colour palette determined by the plants on her urban allotment plot – she dyes the silk thread in small batches using plants she’s grown herself. The dye colours shift through the year as different plants come into season, which include indigo, madder, dyer’s chamomile, cosmos and onion skins. 

Using stitch to explore the connections between green spaces and wellbeing on her own health and that of others, her work is an exercise in rhythm and observation.

‘Over the years I have come to understand the rhythm of my running stitches, the stitch length and patterns that I fall into when I spend time with this repetitive action.’

Stitching offers Claire a space for reflection on her working life, the dye processes she uses and her affinity with the allotment. The creation of Shift marks the 10th anniversary of her growing food and textile dyes at her allotment, while also celebrating her daily Stitch Journal, which she has worked on since 2013.

Claire Wellesley-Smith is an artist, writer and researcher based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Her work is informed by the ability of textiles to transform and connect over time, and her projects embrace the arts, heritage and community wellbeing sectors. Claire is the author of Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art (2015), and Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art (2021), both published by Batsford.

Website: clairewellesleysmith.co.uk/
Instagram: @cwellesleysmith

Yuka Hoshino

Long straight stitches create a strong graphical element in Space as Time, by Yuka Hoshino.

This work contemplates the role of the stars and planets as intergenerational links, important navigational tools and markers of time. The positions of constellations and heavenly bodies were of central importance to ancient societies. And with advancements in space exploration and the resurgence of astrology in pop culture, the human relationship with the night sky persists. 

After seeing the work of Nicolas Moufarrege, Yuka began to experiment with long straight stitches.

‘A bit of play quickly led me to change the direction of the stitches so that they might be interwoven. I love the often unpredictable subtleties of colour and texture that result from this slow manual weaving.’

Yuka represents the invisible bonds between women of successive generations by interweaving the stitches where the silhouettes overlap. She also notes that the woven stitches can signify those times where two people might seem to be at crossed purposes, or be ‘perpendicular’ to one another, but when this incongruity often results in a stronger, dynamic relationship.

In contrast with the long, colourful stitches, the central section of the work will be completed with a moon motif, stitched separately. This is rendered in a single running stitch forming a continuous loop, representing the infinite interconnectedness of all things.

Yuka Hoshino is a paper embroidery artist based in Sonoma County, California, with a background in environmental archaeology. Her work often explores the themes of place, identity and botany, which were also central to her previous work as an archaeobotanist on excavations throughout Central Asia and the Middle East. 

Artist website: mayukafiberart.com
Instagram: @mayuka.fiberart

Melissa Zexter

Melissa Zexter chooses a strong photographic image, often of a woman or a girl, and stitches it, while working from the reverse and from the front simultaneously. 

In Girl and Tree, straight stitches create a dynamic swirling pattern on the back, and small areas of running stitches have been added to the front. This process results in a loose, textured and multi-layered effect that’s full of energy

‘Sewing from the reverse creates a more three-dimensional look. The thread has a life of its own. When I am sewing without seeing the front of the image and then I turn it over, the results are often a surprise.’

This abstract process of stitching encourages further reflection upon the combination of the two mediums. Melissa can explore the material status of the photograph as a three-dimensional, hand-crafted object, while also examining issues of identity, memory, and technology.

Melissa Zexter is a photographer and textile artist based in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She has been combining these two very different art forms for over 20 years. She exhibits her work regularly throughout the USA and in Europe. 

Artist website: melissazexter.com/
Facebook: MelissaZexterPhotography
Instagram: @melissazexter

Claire Mort

In Claire Mort’s bold-coloured seed stitch portrait, Tracey Emin – Olympia, the subject sports a strong and defiant glare. Tracey Emin’s work featured in the The Sensation Exhibition in 1997 and changed Claire’s life forever – for this was the moment Claire knew she was meant to be an artist. And so, as a huge fan, Claire was keen to stitch Tracey’s portrait. 

Claire’s favourite technique is seed stitch and she reminds us that, as Constance Howard once said, you don’t have to know lots of stitches, you just have to use the ones you do know, well. She enjoys the labour-intensive side of seed stitch, feeling a real affinity with this detailed way of working. 

‘There are lots of stitches I could have used to make my work quicker, but I love the time it takes to create a piece of work using tiny stitches. Most of my pieces take over 200 hours. For me it’s all about the slow process.’

The portrait explores multi-layered meanings for women everywhere, from judgement, to shaming, and everything in-between. Pictured with a confrontational stare, similar to Manet’s Olympia, Tracey is depicted staring down the art world, and being true to herself.

Claire Mort is a British textile artist, based in Dorset, UK. She was featured on BBC Two’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Show in 2022. She is a member of Prism Textiles and the Society for Embroidered Work.

Artist website: clairemortartist.com/
Instagram: @clairemortartist

Richard McVetis

Meditation on Process by is work driven by stitch and time. Tiny seed stitches nestle into the soft wool flannel ground fabric that Richard McVetis loves to stitch. 

Richard’s ideas are often developed in response to a moment. Stitch is used to transform time or a place into a tactile and tangible object. Through his process he can visualise, consider and occupy a space, measuring and marking time.

His embroidery work is a truly meditative process. It deeply embodies his presence. He becomes immersed in the experience of making, firmly rooted in the physical act of repetitive stitching. 

For Richard, the appeal of seed stitch has always been about drawing – the similarities between pen on paper, and thread on fabric – and the immediacy and directness of mark-making.

‘The richness of seed stitch is in its simplicity, versatility and potential to come together in infinitely different configurations to express and describe the world around me.’

Using the density of the stitches to understand a space or subject matter, Richard has gained a deep connection with this simple stitch, that he has come to know so intimately. It offers him more than just a mark on fabric, but an insight into how to be.

Richard McVetis is an artist based in London, UK. He is a member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists and a visiting lecturer in Textiles at the Royal College of Art, London. He exhibited at The British Textile Biennial (2021), RENEW at Kettle’s Yard (2019) and his solo show Shaped by Time, opened at the Craft Study Centre in Farnham (2022). 

Artist website: richardmcvetis.co.uk
Facebook: richardmcvetisart
Instagram: @richardmcvetis

Sharon Peoples

Random cross stitch is a technique Sharon Peoples often uses in her hand embroidered storytelling work, as seen in Portrait of Oscar. Although she had very little information on her ‘secret sitter’, she wanted to add depth to the story she was creating, so she decided that layered stitching was the perfect approach to take.

‘I chose random cross stitch as it allows me to work in a painterly way, even on a very small scale. Placing the work in a jewellery box signifies the preciousness of people and their lives.’

The work was created for the Secret Sitter exhibition in 2022, where artists were invited to make portraits of other artists. Sharon portrayed Oscar, his treasured copper light fitting and the place he loved to hang out most – a light-filled loft. It was a challenging prospect, but when Sharon found a light blue jewellery case at a thrift shop, things began to fall into place.

Sharon Peoples is a textile artist based in Canberra, Australia. She explores plants and gardens, as well as people and their inner ‘secret gardens’. Sharon was a finalist in the Seed Stitch Contemporary Art Award 2022 at the Australian Design Centre, Sydney, NSW.

Artist website: sharon-peoples.com/
Facebook: sharon.peoples.12
Instagram: @sharonpeoplesstudio

Diane Butcher

Couching becomes the focus and not just the outline stitch in Diane Butcher’s elegant work, Dahlias. She created this work as a ‘thank you’, giving a nod to the importance of nature and our suburban back gardens.

Dahlias have a special significance to Diane. After she moved back home from Devon, to help her mum look after her dad, when his dementia moved on suddenly, she sowed far too many Dahlia seeds. But this became a positive when things were difficult – something to care for, bring joy, and a reason to have a ten minute break. 

Diane has always enjoyed using couching to create sinuous lines, and decided to create this work mainly with couching. Her work usually includes lots of detail and intricate layers of thread, which she describes as absorbing, but sometimes restricting.

‘I went back to my first love, line, for this piece. Couching feels like drawing with thread and it was the perfect way to describe the sculptural forms of the Dahlias and convey a simple message.’

The outcome is an exquisite, delicate work that focuses on the details, the beauty of the Dahlias themselves, and their visiting insects.

Diane Butcher is an artist based in south-east London. Her hand embroidery works are based on details and observations of the natural world.

Artist website: dianebutcherhandembroidery.com
Instagram: @dianebutcher.embroidery

Hanny Newton

Couching is also a favourite technique of Hanny Newton. She loves its beautiful simplicity. One thread is laid on the fabric, then it’s secured by stitching another thread over it. For Hanny, this simple technique opens up a world of potential. Small changes, in colour, material, or scale, can provide many possibilities for experimentation.

‘I am interested in the way couching can become a drawing tool, to explore line quality. For me, it’s all about having a few techniques that I know really well – that way I can go deep.’

Hanny chooses to explore couching in great depth, rather than jumping from stitch to stitch, which wouldn’t allow her to question, delve and push boundaries in the same way.

In her series exploring complexity, Hanny uses couching to ‘grow’ designs that are more than the sum of their individual parts. The key ingredient is the imperfection of the moment. When the work evolves in its own way, she finds that the outcomes are more interesting. The threads layer up, creating flow, depth and movement that she could never plan.

Hanny Newton is an embroiderer specialising in contemporary metal thread embroidery. She is based on the Shropshire/Powys border, UK and works with interior designers and art consultants on projects worldwide. Hanny also teaches in the UK and internationally, including at the British Museum, and West Dean College. 

Artist website: hannynewton.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/hannyembroidery
Instagram: @hannynewton