You might think such extensive mash-ups could lead to art that overwhelms, but that’s hardly the case. April expertly balances colour and composition to create cohesive works that are surprisingly neat at first glance. Even upon close inspection, April’s layers of texture and pattern seamlessly merge and often surprise the eye.

In addition to offering us a look into her process and favourite things, April also shares how renowned UK textile artists helped her discover the power of simple stitches and inspired her to let go of her need for control. She explains how Constance Howard and others have taught her that self-expression doesn’t have to be complicated when it comes to stitchwork. And we think you’ll agree.

Apron strings

April Sproule: My earliest memory of making something with textiles is making an apron with my maternal grandmother, Grandma Ollie, when I was seven years old. She was a tiny woman who lived in a small house filled with things she had made. She loved to sew, knit and paint.

I remember carefully cutting out the apron on her kitchen table and sewing it on her portable Singer sewing machine. Her patience was infinite as she taught me those brand-new skills. I was amazed we had made something useful out of seemingly nothing with a scrap of fabric and some thread.

Around the same time my paternal grandmother, Grandma Petersen, began teaching me to do hand sewing and stitching. She taught me how to cut old clothing into squares using a cardboard template. Those hand-pieced squares would later become a quilt top. She also taught me hand embroidery and lace making.

I have very fond memories of being sequestered away in one of their homes on rainy winter days happily stitching away for hours. It’s no wonder sewing and stitching are now like breathing to me. They are something I have always done, and those basic skills would go through many transformations in years to follow. Back then, I had no idea how those early experiences would impact my life.

Textile artist inspiration

During high school, I participated in a work study programme that involved writing a business plan and starting my first little business. I set about making a variety of leather goods, clothing and bags to sell at local shops and galleries.

After learning the technical skills I badly needed, at the San Francisco School of Fashion Design, I worked for several different US and Canadian manufacturers. My area of expertise was new product development and production management for companies making leather goods, accessories and clothing. Since 2001, I’ve been a full-time studio artist working as both a designer and workshop facilitator.

In 2011, I developed a commercial collection of 25 stencil designs inspired by Japanese Katagami stencils for painting on fabric. I began using the stencils for all sorts of things while teaching my painting techniques to others. I started making upcycled clothing for myself and linen bags to sell with the stencils, and then I added hand stitching to them. The stencilling and hand stitching worked well together. Next came a collection of hand embroidery patterns and kits in 2015.

Shortly after that, I started seeing online images from UK textile artists who were doing amazing work using hand stitching. I was especially inspired by Mandy Pattullo, Claire Wellesley-Smith, Louise Baldwin, Cas Holmes and Aideen Canning. These incredible women not only eradicated the notion of creating perfect little stitches, but they used stitching in such an expressive and expansive manner. Theirs was a much freer and innovative style of hand stitch that appealed to me on many levels.

I admired those artists’ ability to move away from the expected and express their own unique, wild and wonderful styles.

It was as if a door had opened, and anything was possible on the other side of that threshold.

April Sproule, Textile artist

Freestyle stitching

My new norm became letting go of the need for control and embracing the idea of self-expression.

Upon further investigation, everything led back to the work and influence of Constance Howard. I pored over her books, and my entire perspective on hand stitching changed tremendously. I didn’t necessarily change the stitches I used, but I became mindful of how those stitches were used. One simple stitch could be used in 20 or more different variations.

When I developed my collection of hand embroidery patterns, I thought using lots of different complex or unusual stitches added more interest.

Constance Howard took a different approach. It was more about starting with one simple stitch and then tweaking it, contorting it, and reimagining all its possibilities.

Now as I go back and look through Constance’s books, I especially love seeing her illustrations. These days I see hand stitching as another form of mark making. And as I switch back and forth between pen and ink illustration and my hand stitching, each medium provides inspiration for the other.

I studied Constance Howard’s approach and realised the complexity of stitches wasn’t as important as I’d first thought.

April Sproule, Textile artist

Natural inspirations

I am inspired by many things, but my greatest inspiration comes from nature. Nature provides me with a never-ending treasure trove of ideas. It could be insects, botanical specimens or even diatoms and other microscopic images that pique my interest and beg me to take a closer look.

I live in an astonishingly diverse beautiful area in northern California. In just a few minutes, I can be exploring tide pools along our rugged coastline or trek deep into a Redwood forest where rays of sunlight pierce the thick canopy of branches and illuminate the areas below in a spectacular display.

Things that are in a state of erosion or decomposition are much more interesting than a perfect specimen. And surface design with textiles, pen and ink illustration, printmaking, collage, and watercolour are all mediums that supply me with lots of ideas and inspiration.

I’m interested in capturing the essence of my subject matter, rather than in replicating it in a photorealistic way.

April Sproule, Textile artist

Creative sketches

My work is developed in different ways, but it usually begins with a feeling or mood I want to convey. Early in the morning, I often work in a little handmade book where I experiment with different ways of combining paper, fabric and stitch in new and interesting ways that can lead to larger projects. 

Often my work begins with what I call a production sketch. It’s just a vague idea and a starting point, but it’s a very important step because it takes what only exists in my mind into the physical world where it becomes tangible.

Introducing colour

Next comes colour, which is one of the most valuable design elements. Colour is what first attracts or repels viewers to our work. I usually start with white fabric or pieces on which I’ve applied some sort of surface design techniques.

Scale, the overall finished size of the piece, comes next. Are the details going to be lost if a person sees it from a distance? Those choices inform all my decisions on which mediums to use.

I’ve learned to worked much more intuitively. All I need is one idea to get started. It could be the colour green and then everything develops from there.

Every piece I make takes me on a journey of learning and exploration.

April Sproule, Textile artist

Figuring things out

I feel incredibly fortunate because I rarely get really stuck on a piece and give up on it. I am good at problem solving and figuring things out. It seems like a waste of time, energy and materials to give up on a piece and not finish it.

When I start a new project that is very involved, I clean up my studio and put everything in its place. Initially clutter can be a distraction, but that’s only in the beginning. Once my ideas start to flow, it is total chaos. I don’t clean up until the project is completely done.

Mixing things up

I use a wide variety of mixed media on fabric and paper. I especially enjoy working with dyes, paints, stencilling, printing, pen and ink, cyanotypes, and hand or machine stitch. Learning to do all of these things has been so much fun!

I’ve done lots of shibori dyeing with Procion dyes and indigo over the years. It’s so exciting to unwrap the cloth and see what has happened. And now I have all those fabrics to choose from and add to my textile art.

Using paints and inks on fabric and paper has been a great addition to my work. I use textile paints that don’t alter the hand of the fabric, and I’m pretty picky about that. I also love using walnut ink, sumi ink and India inks. Sometimes I just sit and draw stripes or dots with a pen or brush. Then it’s fun finding new ways to incorporate those pieces into my work.

I am also experimenting a lot with different papers. I won’t use papers that are either too delicate or too hard to stitch through. I still have a lot to learn about different types of paper, but that’s part of the research and excitement of learning something new.

Favourite fabrics

My absolute favourite fabrics to work with are linen, cotton sateen and silk. I use both vintage and new fabrics, but many of the vintage fabrics are just wonderful to work with. The linen is like butter to stitch through, and I love the texture of it. 

My next favourite fabric is cotton sateen, as the weave gives it a subtle sheen. It has a very nice hand, dyes beautifully and it is really easy to stitch through. And silk has long been a favourite of mine. I don’t ever use fusibles on it, as that would ruin the hand of the fabric. I have lots of silk left over from having a custom sewing business for 10 years. Now, I’m glad I saved all those fabrics.

Threads & stitches

For threads, I mostly use DMC cotton along with some hand-dyed threads. I‘d like to try linen thread but haven’t yet. My favourite stitches are the running stitch, stem stitch, straight stitches, rice stitch, couching, and the versatile blanket stitch. I also like the cretan stitch a lot, because it can be used in lots of different ways.

I took Sue Stone’s Exploring Texture and Pattern course in 2018. After finishing all the exercises, my style of stitching changed from using more complex decorative stitches to using very basic stitches in different forms and combinations.

My needle has become like my pen, and my hand stitching is now another form of mark making.

April Sproule, Textile artist

A few basic tools

I enjoy using good quality tools that last a long time, so I don’t have to replace them.

Really sharp scissors are very important. I have embroidery scissors, appliqué scissors, regular scissors, paper scissors and huge shears for cutting heavy fabrics. But mostly I just need a sharp little pair of embroidery scissors for cutting threads.

Fabric markers are also important. I use Frixion markers and have never had a problem with them. I like that I get nice clean lines with them. And of course, good needles make everything so much easier. I use mostly size 10 embroidery needles with a nice sharp point.

One of the greatest things about hand embroidery is you only need a few basic tools.

I do almost all of my actual stitching at night. I use a large floor model OttLite, and I could not sew without it. I usually do hand stitching for three hours or so every night. It’s become a daily practice I really enjoy.

My iPad is my favourite design tool. I use an app called Adobe Fresco for my illustrations. I start a piece, photograph it, and then draw mock up stitches on the photo to help with design options and decisions. I can add 10 layers of stitching, eliminate what I don’t like, AirDrop the image to my phone, and use it for reference as I stitch. It’s just like magic!

I think one of the best things you can do as an artist is try things outside of your comfort zone.

April Sproule, Textile artist

Silver linings

The biggest challenges I’ve faced as a professional artist were Covid related. From 2001-20, I operated a longarm quilting business, sold my wares online and as a vendor at shows, and I taught workshops on techniques I’d developed over the years. 2019 was an especially busy year for me. Then Covid reared its ugly head, and every single upcoming event I had scheduled was cancelled.

I decided to make the most of this unexpected free time by focusing on my art and volunteering for different textile art groups who support artists and textile art instructors. That gift of time gave me a chance to re-evaluate what I was doing and make some positive changes.

I closed my longarm quilting business and decided to stop vending at shows and started applying for grants. In 2019, I received a grant from a local arts foundation, and in 2020, I received a business grant from the state. Collectively, those funds made it possible for me to gain the technical training and equipment I needed to start teaching online.

I aim to spend half my time working and the other half creating art. I’m not there yet, but I will be some day. It’s also much easier to share what I do with others and help others achieve their creative goals.

I’ve found that pushing myself helps to grow my skills and proficiency.

My biggest artistic challenge was making the portraits in Sue Stone’s Stitch Your Story online course. I knew what a fabulous teacher Sue was, and it was really hard, but I learned so much along the way. I was really inspired by the work of the others in the course.

Designing my creative space

After leasing a commercial building for five years for my business and studio, I finally had a studio built behind my house in 2006. I needed room for my 14ft longarm quilting machine, space to teach my surface design workshops and a workspace for me to create my textile art.

I had lots of experience designing textile art projects, but designing a building was an entirely different experience. Luckily, I found a great designer and very good contractors to work with me.

The 24ft x 40ft (7.3m x 21.1m) two-story structure has nice high ceilings. Downstairs is my wet studio where I do my messy stuff like dyeing and fabric painting. I included a 6ft-wide stainless steel sink from a place that carried used restaurant equipment, and it has been a useful addition. There’s also lots of storage for art supplies and other stuff.

Upstairs is one large room where I sectioned off a full bathroom and walk-in closet. The kitchen area has cabinets that hold art supplies, and it was designed to accommodate appliances, but I would rather have the space.

One of my requests was to have lots of natural light. But I also needed wall space for art display and a large design wall. The designer was able to plan accordingly, so I have windows on three sides and plenty of wall space in between.

I had a 4ft x 8ft cutting table built with storage cabinets and shelving below. I knew my needs for this space would change over the years, so one of the best things I did was to outfit all my heavy equipment, like the cutting table and longarm machine, with heavy duty casters so I can easily move things around by myself. That has been a tremendous help.

The building is quite tall due to the high ceilings on each level, so I had a manual dumb waiter added to transport heavy items, like sewing machines, up to the second floor. We’ve had lots of great workshops and retreats here, and that dumb waiter has gotten a lot of use over the years.

Every morning I wake up really early, grab a strong cup of coffee, and head over to the studio. When time permits, I sit and draw for an hour in front of my big window before I start my day. I’m grateful for every moment I spend here. My family has always been very supportive of what I do, and none of this would’ve been possible without them.

Each book is authored by a well-known artist who shares step-by-step techniques for transforming simple fabrics into canvases that explode with colour and texture. The authors also provide insights into their own creative development and the lessons they learned along the way.

We promise our list will appeal to artists of all skill levels. Get set to learn innovative techniques for creating breathtaking designs. 

Luscious landscapes

Alison Holt is known for her exquisite landscape machine embroideries, as well as her workshops and books. This latest book is a must-have as it features essential information from her other three books along with brand-new material.

‘Freehand machine embroidery is painting with stitch, and I enjoy playing with the subtleties and endless possibilities,’ says Alison. ‘For example, I can adjust the bobbin tension to emulate tree bark, moss or crumbling stone. Or I can lengthen stitches to capture the movement of a breaking wave or grasses swinging in the breeze.’

Readers learn how to create gorgeous, embroidered pictures of various landscape aspects, including formal gardens and flowers, romantic seascapes, and woodlands. The book is packed with information including required materials, advice on composition, how to achieve perspective, working with light and shade, and important basic stitches.

Alison breaks down her creative process into simple steps, explaining why each stage is important. She also includes sketches and close-ups of stitch techniques, as well as many step-by-step projects that are easy to follow.

‘I try to demystify freehand machine embroidery. I want to give readers confidence as they acquire the building blocks needed to develop their own style. I enjoy showing students they can create unlimited subject matter with a few well practiced mark-making techniques.’

Machine Embroidered Art: Painting the Natural World with Needle & Thread by Alison Holt (2020)
^{ISBN 9781782217916}

Layered fabric & stitch

They say good things come to those who wait, so if you don’t already have this book on your shelf, now is the time to grab it.

Katie Essam has revised and updated her very popular book, including adding a new bonus project. Katie brings a fresh and modern approach to traditional embroidery techniques, and her emphasis on showcasing the beauty found in everyday objects is engaging. 

‘Machine embroidery allows me to collate and connect all the mixed media I like to use in my art,’ says Katie. ‘It’s a creative adventure drawing together all the fabric, painting, drawing, found items, textured fibres and anything else I find. I love its freedom and versatility.’

The book features eight projects and many finished artworks to spark creativity. Each project builds on the last through step-by-step instruction and beautiful images. 

Katie’s overarching goal is to empower readers to grasp her techniques and run with them, no matter their ability to stitch or draw. 

‘Free-motion embroidery can begin with a reader’s own designs, photos or even a sketch. Each way works beautifully, and it completely comes down to the individual’s inspiration, interpretation and style. I love the guaranteed originality that allows readers to develop their own creative expression.’

Free Motion Embroidery: Creating Textile Art with Layered Fabric & Stitch by Katie Essam (2022)
_{ISBN 9781800920484}

Organic embroidery

If you’re looking for ways to stitch nature’s most intricate forms, you need to add this gem to your bookshelf. 

Meredith Woolnough is known for the unique way in which she combines machine embroidery with water-soluble fabric to create corals, plants, microscopic organisms and more. Her delicate threaded works are amazing, and now readers can learn how she brings them to life. 

‘I wanted this book to be both instructional and inspirational,’ says Meredith. ‘It shows how my artworks are made from start to finish, exploring how I use freehand machine embroidery on water soluble fabric. Readers will discover my inspirations, technical processes and the stories behind some of my favourite pieces.’

Readers will learn how to find interesting shapes or patterns found in nature, such as leaves, shells and coral. Meredith also explains how they can use their sewing machine to turn those inspirations into elegant open-work textile art. 

‘This book largely shares the overarching theory I’ve developed over many years of working with this type of embroidery. My hope is readers will use my book as a stepping stone to help build and streamline their own creative path using these wonderful, but sometimes challenging, embroidery skills.’

Organic Embroidery by Meredith Woolnough (2018)
^{ISBN 9780764356131}

Seascape stitching

Amanda Hislop lives in land-locked Oxfordshire in the UK, so she cherishes her trips to the sea. She always takes a sketchbook and fills it with inspiration. She turns those ideas into incredible textile seascapes using free-motion embroidery and mixed media.

Amanda explains: ‘I’ve developed a technique that gives me the freedom to work without an embroidery hoop. I make a foundation layered with cotton cloth, wet strength papers, threads and fibres glued with cellulose paste. Once dry, I paint the surface with acrylic paint, and then I use machine embroidery to create lines and texture.’ 

In addition to covering materials and stitch choices, the book features four step-by-step projects that help readers create a variety of seascape features. Throughout the text, Amanda shares her techniques for capturing the sea’s moods, rhythms, patterns and structures.

‘I encourage learners to enjoy the process of using a sketchbook to develop work from personal observation. I work with a less-is-more approach to drawing by considering what elements will suggest landscape, which results in an almost abstract impressionistic sense of place.’

Stitched Textiles: Seascapes by Amanda Hislop (2019)
^{ISBN 9781782215646}

Bold inspiration

While Bisa Butler’s book doesn’t include formal instruction, it’s packed with inspiration for using free motion quilting. Bisa is an American artist who captures vibrant scenes from African American life and history. Her portraits explode with coloured and patterned fabrics that she cuts, layers and stitches together.

In this book, Bisa shares her story and creative journey, situating her work within the broader history of textiles, photography and contemporary art. Other scholars chime in to illuminate Bisa’s unique approach to colour, use of African-print fabrics and wide-ranging sources of inspiration.

This is a beautifully illustrated look at the work of one of today’s most exciting textile artists.

Bisa Butler: Portraits by Bisa Butler (2020)
^{ISBN 9780300254310}

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.

Anne’s favourite themes are folk art, the natural world, memories and travel. And all of her works feature magical mash-ups of unique and colourful ephemera locked together with stitch. 

‘Inspiration boards’ play a key role in Anne’s creative process, and she’s generously sharing a look into that process. She’s also giving us a peek into her signature overstitching technique using her trusty old Bernina sewing machine.

Mixed media is very exciting in Anne Kelly’s hands. Be sure to zoom in to see all her hidden gems.

Fine art background

Anne Kelly: I’ve always been a maker, even from an early age, when I was influenced by my Canadian grandmother who was a wonderful needleworker.  

I trained as a fine artist in Canada, but it was visiting my British grandmother in London that first drew me to the UK. I moved here in the early 80s to continue my training at Goldsmiths in London and to start a career in teaching that would work around family life. 

Mixed media work was part of my training, and I became interested in finding ways to combine stitch with photographic and printmaking processes. I turned to my garden for inspiration, and this is when the symbiotic relationship between image and stitch first began. 

Everyday ephemera

I’m interested in everyday things. We all have so much fabric and paper ephemera surrounding us. I also take lots of photographs and collect things like tickets and leaflets when I travel. It can be a lot to sort through when I’m looking for items to use in my collages, and I like to choose carefully. 

Some ephemera can be quite valuable and fragile, especially old photos. So, instead of directly stitching on these cherished items, I’ll make a fabric pocket from white or cream organza. I stitch the pocket to the background layer and slip the item inside the pocket. 

Other times, I’ll transfer the images of delicate ephemera onto T-shirt transfer paper or pretreated fabric that can go through a photocopier or printer. 

I use a very wide variety of ephemera, and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to put them all together. For example, I made a series of Park Walk books for a solo exhibition at the Ruthin Crafts Centre. I used old maps, legal documents and the type of scrim used in hat making. 

“I am a great believer in using everyday materials and techniques.”

Anne Kelly, Textile artist 

Loving print

There’s always an element of printmaking in my work. I just love the way that print works on fabric. It’s very different from printing on paper, but the ink or paint takes so well on fabric. Sometimes my printing is quite subtle, but I think it really enhances my textile art. 

I use quite a few printing methods, including screen printing, block printing, transfer printing and digital printing. It just depends on what I’m doing.

The secret is to keep everything as open-ended as possible and I always work on more than one piece at a time. Using a baking analogy, if you’ve got all the ingredients out, you may as well make more than one cake. I think if you’re working on more than one creation at a time, you’re more likely to be happy and enjoy it when something comes through. 

“Working on several collages at a time frees me up, as I’m not investing everything into trying to create the one perfect piece.”

Anne Kelly, Textile artist

Inspiration boards

I’ll use sketchbooks and photography to research my themes. Drawing and keeping sketchbooks is an important part of my practice, and I refer to them frequently when working on a new project. 

I always tell my students to have a sketchbook to hand, but they shouldn’t have to feel they have to use it in any particular way. I use mine as scrapbooks and pinboards. But they should use them as they see fit.

I also use inspiration boards, similar to the mood boards used in interior design. Seemingly disparate elements are combined, going on to inspire a new series of work.

Inspiration boards are an invaluable resource. I have been using them for many years to reference themes when creating new work. Depending on the project, I’ll use pinboards, cards or sketchbook pages for my inspiration boards. The main thing is they must be accessible in my workspace. 

I often start with my photograph collection, adding motifs, found paper materials and drawings inspired by vintage natural history books. I bring them together using stitch and embellishment. 

“My inspiration boards influence the direction of my work – but I’m not wedded to them, as the work may change as it evolves and progresses.”

Anne Kelly, Textile artist

Isle of Skye reflections 

I remember creating an inspiration board after a teaching and travelling visit to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It allowed me to spend time reflecting on my travels, and I was able to combine collected papers and ephemera together in one place. 

I had everything from maps to Tunnock’s chocolate bar wrappers. I also looked through my collections of paper and textile scraps for colours and fragments that would work well with the project. 

“Starting with the idea of landscape, I used the board to connect disparate elements and combine them, in order to make new work.”

Anne Kelly, Textile artist 

I selected a variety of weights, textures and thicknesses of paper and textiles, from tissue paper and organza, to handmade paper and wool. 

That inspiration board led to a wide range of works, and it will continue to inspire further explorations referencing this theme. 

Layers of detail

When creating my textile collages, I like to start with a strong background fabric such as calico or canvas. I layer this panel with fabrics that match the subject matter. The panels vary according to the size and shape of the artwork I’m creating. 

I consider the elements that will make up the surface, using sketchbooks, drawings, templates and photographs to determine the final look of the artwork. 

I join everything together using a variety of stitches and appliquéd fabric. Generally, I finish with free motion embroidery and some hand stitching. I back my work using vintage fabric if it’s being hung without a frame. 

I have an outdoor garden shed that I renovated for my studio. It’s not very big, so I always say to people it’s not the size of your space that counts, it’s what you do. I love being able to go there to work and then just shut the door and leave my mess until next time.

Drawing with stitch

For me, stitching is a form of drawing. I use hand and machine stitching, collage and simple printmaking techniques to merge my selected materials. The stitching acts as a web to bind the components together.

I use a variety of stitch techniques, both hand and machine. I’m known for using a repetitive edging stitch on an old Bernina to join layers of fabric together and create a netting effect over the surface.

“I entrap elements of the world in my textiles, then draw over them, making a new piece of tapestry-like fabric.”

Anne Kelly, Textile artist

I also use free-motion embroidery, particularly in my recent portrait series. For the hand embroidery, I favour simple stitches like running stitch, back stitch, blanket stitch and french knots.

The work I make fits into both the traditional and contemporary genres. While appearing traditional, I use a variety of techniques in a contemporary way. The naïve references and influence of the natural world make it relevant and topical.

Telling stories 

There’s always a story to be found in my work. For example, my series Friends and Family series looks at family and friends’ environments and passions.

Paul in the Garden showcases how my husband likes to read in the garden. It was inspired by a photo of him surrounded by plants. I used vintage materials, machine embroidery and hand stitch. The work is backed with a piece of linen and mounted on canvas for display.

I’ll also stitch stories from my own life. Resting and Jenny’s Owl came to life after I had a bout of flu. I wanted to recreate the view from my bed. My friend, Jenny, made the owl as a present and it is displayed as a focal point on my shelves. The artwork also features vintage materials, machine embroidery and hand stitch.

A seaside Stitch Club workshop

The artwork Small World was inspired by my larger work called Undersea. I wanted to take a closer look at the details of the sea, creating a jewel-like focus. 

I used machine embroidery, hand stitch, and textile collage including buttons and metal charms. I then mounted the work onto a hoop and sewed it into the frame.

I pursue a similar creative project in my Stitch Club workshop where members create sea-inspired textile collages using existing materials found in their stash. I think it’s an enduring and accessible theme for many, and I’m excited to show members new ways to combine materials.  

During that time, the definition of ‘fine art’ was being critically examined: what made something ‘fine art’ versus ‘fine craft’? Could something functional also be considered fine art?

Textile artists weighed in with a resounding ‘yes’ by reimagining quilts in ways that emphasized design over function. They deviated from traditional, historical blocks and patterns to create abstract works, landscape designs, portraiture and more.

Then those quilters displayed their works by hanging them on walls rather than spreading them across a bed. Ultimately, fine art galleries started paying attention, and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

The possibilities for designing and creating art quilts have exploded since then, and we’ve compiled a list of books that can help you tap into the excitement. Each book features clear instruction complemented by gorgeous illustrations and photos.

Most importantly, all of the books are authored by a well-known art quilter. Each of them approaches art quilting differently, but they all celebrate the possibilities.

It’s time to start adding some quilt art books to your bookshelf.

Art quilt collage

Looking to dip your toes into the art quilting world? Here’s a great book to start your journey.

You’re first introduced to eight design guides presented in simple diagrams. These basic layouts can then be applied to the book’s engaging work-along projects.

Design checklists help readers analyse their artistic choices and change layouts accordingly. And See what happens next exercises offer a more prescribed method for trying new approaches.

Deborah Boschert also gives you a look into her signature technique of incorporating meaningful symbols into her art quilts. You’ll learn how to create shapes and symbols that are special to you, as well as how to work in a series and finish small art pieces.

Deborah’s step-by-step imagery and clear instruction will help you unlock your own artistic vision.

Art quilt collage: A creative journey in fabric, paint & stitch by Deborah Boschert (2016)
^{ISBN  9781617452840}

Quilt out loud

Have something to say? Tap into the power of embedding stitched letters, numbers, words and sentences into your art quilts.

Quilt artist Thomas Knauer’s quilts follow the craftivism movement, and his art quilts emphasise social justice issues. Thomas knows the power of stitched text, and in his book, he gives you a look into his creative process. You’ll not only learn unique quilting techniques, but you’ll also discover how to choose and embed text in ways that have impact.

Each chapter focuses on a particular approach, including raw-edge appliqué, quilted text, binary numbers and Morse Code. Whether your theme is serious or whimsical, this book shows you how to combine aesthetics with powerful messaging using fabric and thread.

Quilt out loud: Activism, language & the art of quilting by Thomas Knauer (2023)
^{ISBN 9781644033227}

Stitching stolen lives

The Social Justice Sewing Academy (US) works with students to amplify voices, empower youth and build empathy through quilting.

Students learn to create quilt blocks that help them examine and express the systemic problems that plague their everyday lives. Stitching Stolen Lives offers an in-depth look into a special remembrance project. Youth designed quilt blocks that memorialise family and friends they lost due to social injustices.

You’ll learn about the remarkable journey each student took to find their voice through the art of quilting. You’ll be amazed and moved by the students’ extraordinary quilt portraits and reading about the personal stories that inspired them.

This book also includes a resource section on how to talk about racial equity and how to use art as a tool to aid self-expression.

Stitching stolen lives: Amplifying voices, empowering youth & building empathy through quilts by Sara Trail and Teresa Duryea Wong (2021)
^{ISBN 9781644031384}

Create landscape quilts

It’s time to pull out those travel pictures and start quilting!

Learn how to create unique art quilts featuring your favourite places. Meri Henriques Vahl shares a simple method for designing realistic quilted nature scenes and villages. Using photographs from her travels, Meri explains how she achieves stunning scenery with lifelike details in her art quilts.

Various techniques, including fabric collage and tulle overlay, help quilters of all levels learn to quilt majestic mountainscapes, charming buildings and realistic people. Easy-to-follow instructions complemented by a stunning gallery of quilts will inspire you to turn your travel photos into lovely art quilts.

Create landscape quilts by Meri Henriques Vahl (2021)
^{ISBN 9781644030127}

Creating art quilts with panels

Discover how to transform fabric panels and thread into one-of-a-kind art quilts.

Award-winning quilter Joyce Hughes demonstrates dimensional thread painting, raw edge applique, and a variety of embellishments to make seasonal panels, beautiful florals, and panel replicas like Van Gogh’s Starry Nights.

From simple beading to more advanced three-dimensional pieces, Joyce presents her techniques across six projects that feature detailed photographs and a step-by-step format.

Discover how to make your quilt pop and explore endless options for creativity with free-motion quilting, thread painting, trapunto, overlay, three-dimensional effects, machine techniques, raw edge applique, and a variety of embellishments.

Creating art quilts with panels by Joyce Hughes (2019)
^{ISBN 9781947163164}

Capture your own life with collage quilting

It’s time to get personal.

Whether you’re celebrating your pet’s personality, preserving a memory from a family holiday or recreating your favourite flower, this book teaches you a simple technique to create a stunning and personal art quilt.

Jane Haworth shares her fun, easy, and addictive quilting method that doesn’t require hundreds of pattern pieces. That’s why it’s perfect for quilters of all skill levels.

Twelve different project ideas feature a variety of styles and themes, including animals, flowers, houses, musical instruments and landscapes. You’ll start by learning how to choose a photograph or image and make enlargements to create a pattern.

Then Jane explains how to choose the right background fabrics, master some free-motion quilting techniques, and finish and display your quilt.

Capture your own life with collage quilting by Jane Haworth (2023)
^{ISBN 9781639810222}

At play in the garden of stitch

This book is all about free-motion fun in art quilting.

Paula Kovarik shares approaches to free-motion stitching that are approachable, engaging and multi-layered. You’ll be encouraged to explore how stitching can bring depth to composition, texture to emotions and line to ideas.

In addition to simple stitching and drawing exercises, Paula shares examples and inspirations for how to approach this art form. Pictures of her award-winning art quilts illustrate her techniques and clarify her process.

Close-up photos of stitching also inspire readers to try their hand at Paula’s techniques. And her technical tips and stories of her successes and failures make this a wonderful read.

At play in the garden of stitch by Paula Kovarik (2021)
^{ISBN 9780578920047}

And finally…

Here’s a list of additional older books that may just become your new firm favourites (although could be a little more difficult to find). Check thrift shops, libraries, second-hand bookstores, and other online book sites to source these titles.

• Inspired by design: Seven steps to successful art quilting by Elizabeth Barton (2013) ISBN 9781607056348
• Visual guide to working in a series: Next steps in inspired design by Elizabeth Barton (2014) ISBN 9781607056614
• Point, click, quilt! by Susan Knapp (2011) ISBN 9781607052265
• Journey to inspired art quilting: More intuitive color and design by Jean Wells (2012) ISBN 9781607055808

Featured picks

• Art quilt collage by Deborah Boschert (2016)
• Quilt out loud: activism, language & the art of quilting by Thomas Knauer (2023)
• Stitching stolen lives by Sara Trail and Teresa Duryea Wong (2021)
• Create landscape quilts by Meri Henriques Vahl (2021)
• Creating art quilts with panels by Joyce Hughes (2019)
• Capture your own life with collage quilting by Jane Haworth (2023)
• At play in the garden of stitch by Paula Kovarik (2021)

If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Interested in more great books for learning textile techniques? Check out our list of books in which expert textile artists share their processes.

Do you have a favourite book about art quilting you can add to our list? Please share by leaving a comment below.

Here’s another fact: we can overwhelm our spaces and ourselves with all that we collect. Piles of fabric, boxes of beads, overflowing bobbins, and pins and needles everywhere can make for a chaotic maker space. 

Fear not! We’ve asked some well-known textile artists and some of our Stitch Club members to share their best tips for organising their creative spaces. Some of these makers have separate studios while others create art in their homes, but all of their strategies could work well in almost any space.

We feature tips from Elisabeth Rutt, Jennifer Collier, Jeannie Holler, Lauren Austin, Jess Richardson, Isobel Currie, Rosalind Byass and Deborah Boschert.

Their overarching goals are to know what they have to hand and how to easily find what they need. What more could you ask for?

It’s time to get organised!

Elisabeth Rutt

Elisabeth Rutt, Textile artist: Keeping my materials organised first by type and then by colour makes it so much easier to find something when needed. It’s a filing system of sorts that helps prevent wasted time. 

I use clear plastic sweetie jars to house cotton perlé threads which I then sort and group together by colour in each jar. I keep machine threads, sorted by colour, in clear plastic shoe boxes.

My fabrics are grouped by type, such as cottons, sheers, silks, velvets, weaves, textured and ‘specials’. I use wire baskets on a frame that works as drawers, and if I have enough, I’ll group them by colour as well.

Colour coded threads

Space is limited in my studio, so for my threads, I use a set of coloured plastic drawers on castors for any extra threads of whatever type. The red drawer has a glorious mixture of red threads of all weights, as does the green, blue and other colours. 

I also use microwave food containers to hold buttons sorted by colour and then nestle them in with the threads. And I have a smaller set of very similar drawers for seed beads organised by colour.

Organise tools by technique

I have years and years worth of collected fabrics, threads, art and design materials, books and tools, so I’ve had to learn what to keep near me and what to archive elsewhere when not in use. 

I have clear plastic crates on warehousing shelves in our garage and shed. They’re organised by technique. For example, mono-printing tools and equipment are in one, while transfer printing equipment with suitable fabrics and papers are in another.

“My biggest challenge is deciding what to archive out of my room to make space for making new work!”

Elisabeth Rutt, Textile artist

Elisabeth Rutt works from her home studio in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She tutors and mentors design and textile students in schools and adult education. In 2022, she was accepted as a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen.

Artist website: elisabethrutt.co.uk
Instagram: @elisabethrutt
Facebook: elisabethruttstitchedtextiles

Lauren Austin

Lauren Austen, Quilt artist: I don’t have a system for storage, more a system for easy making. My creative space is a work in progress. It isn’t and shouldn’t be perfect. I work on many pieces at once, switching back and forth when I want something different. 

I used to put unfinished works in a closet or drawer, and they’d often be forgotten. So, I now pin unfinished work on big design walls in my living space. 

This allows me to study them when doing other things and think about what to do next. And because I create images of people, they’re always watching me. It’s like they’re saying ‘Lauren, stop playing that video game. The vacuuming can wait. Get busy and finish me!’ 

I also stopped hiding my fabric stash. I now use clear plastic bins, but I don’t spend a lot of time organising by colour or type. I like to open the bins and discover useful colours and textures. The search is part of the process.

Wall storage

My tools are also stored on the wall. I used to put them in toolboxes, and of course, they became ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Now I use magnetic strips for my scissors and metal tools, along with a wooden holder for my linoleum and wood block pieces. Keeping my tools in sight gives me the nudge to use them more frequently.

Workspaces everywhere

My workspace is my apartment, and every room except the kitchen, one bedroom and one bathroom is considered a workspace. But it’s not chaotic, because I try to put things back in their place when done. 

I like working on art as much as possible, so it’s pleasing to see my tools and unfinished pieces on display. 

Lauren Austin is based in Florida, USA. Formerly a human rights lawyer and lecturer, she became a full-time artist, storyteller and instructor in 2004. Her work is held in collections at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art (Washington, DC, US) and the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, US.

Artist website: thatblackgirlart.com
Instagram: @blackgirlart1959

Rosalind Byass

Rosalind Byass, Stitch Club member: From the outset of participating in Stitch Club, I didn’t want my sample pieces stored in boxes. I wanted them to be easily accessible, arranged in a practical manner and visually appealing. So, I decided to design and construct a decorative textile journal.

It’s a working journal in which I can display completed workshop pieces as well as add and subtract samples. I made it large enough to hold the ever-growing number of pieces I’ve created and will continue to create.  

“Every bit of my journal is made from recycled materials.”

Rosalind Byass, Stitch Club member

I’m passionate about recycling, reusing and reinventing, and it’s reflected within my textile art.

The journal’s cover is a visually striking original design hand stitched in wool on hessian with some hand appliqué. The durable cover is reinforced and lined with a large felt insert.

The smaller decorative ‘tiles’ on the cover began life as lockdown stitch meditations. Each day, I stitched for a half hour without any pre-planned intent. I just mindfully focused on the task at hand.

The journal’s pages are made from offcuts of heavy upholstery fabric bound with hand stitching. The hand stitching adds weight to the edges as well as gives a more finished look. 

Pinned samples

I pin my sample pieces on the pages with ordinary dressmaking pins, making it easy to remove or rearrange them. Some pages also have large deep pockets to accommodate bulkier items such as fabric books.

I don’t include any written information, drawings or works in progress. It’s designed purely as a repository for completed samples. 

My greatest challenge was how to turn the heavy and bulky pages. I needed something that allowed for stretching, so I used threaded elastic and added knots between the pages. It works perfectly. 

Rosalind Byass lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is a textile artist creating original work often centred around memory, indulging her passions for pattern, colour and using recycled materials. Rosalind joined Stitch Club in 2020.

Deborah Boschert

Deborah Boschert, Textile artist: A few years ago, I decided to work with just one notebook at a time. I had been writing ideas on random sheets of paper or whatever was handy and, no surprise, they’d get mixed up or lost. I now keep everything in a single notebook: to-do lists, sketches, podcast recommendations, project ideas, workshop notes and other items as they come up.

I settled on a size and style I like, and I only use that same type of notebook. It’s a Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad, measuring 14cm x 21.6cm (5½” x 8½”).  

When I finish a notebook, I go back through it and make tabs on the pages I might want to refer to in the future. Honestly, I could do a better job with this part of the process. And I mark the start and end dates on the cover of each notebook. The dates can help me refer back to a special project or event if I know the timeframe to consider.

Project boxes

I also use a ‘project box’ when creating a new art quilt collage. After selecting fabrics reflecting my chosen colour palette, I keep the scraps and small pieces of fabric I don’t use in a plastic bin. I love how it keeps all those fabrics in one place, and if I need to add or patch something along the way, it’s all right there.

I often grow attached to the colours or ideas I’ve used, and I use the project box leftovers to make something similar or smaller. 

Selecting a cohesive, inspiring colour palette is one of the most important and challenging parts of the creative process for me. Using project box fabrics allows me to skip that part of the process since they’ve already been selected and finessed during the last project. 

Deborah Boschert is based in Texas, USA. She creates art quilts, teaches and is the author of Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric Paint and Stitch. Deborah’s work is installed as a mural in the Dallas Arts District.

Artist website: deborahsstudio.com
Instagram: @deborahboschert
Facebook: DeborahBoschertArtist

Isobel Currie

Isobel Currie, Textile artist: My studio is a small room in my home, so it needs to be versatile because I use it for all stages of my creative practice. I have an electric desk with an adjustable height. And my storage cupboards and drawers are behind me as I sit at my desk by the window. I use a swivel chair to easily gain access to all areas of my workspace.

I have always been someone who prefers order, so my main organising strategy is to keep my creative space clear by storing tools and materials. They’re still accessible when needed but storing them prevents distraction when working. I also prefer having my materials displayed by colour and type, making it easier to see what I have available. 

Planning your storage

I spent a considerable amount of time planning how to organise everything in an efficient way and then invested in appropriate furniture. I have a large purpose-built cupboard fitted with drawers, shelves and containers to house my threads, beads and tools. Fabrics are kept nearby in a group of Muji stackable drawers.  

I also have to keep my desk area clear when stitching because I use long lengths of threads. So, a flexible Prym tool holder holds my pliers and cleaning brushes neatly away. I also have an Ikea desktop container close at hand that houses my essential tools, including scissors, tweezers, pencils and rulers. 

I designed and made a pincushion that has marked areas for different types of pins and needles. A Hemline magnetic needle holder also helps keep my very tiny needles and clips safe. And I keep bobbins of thread and other materials on a DoCrafts Anita’s Clear Away Tray so that they can be easily moved around.

Isobel Currie is based in Greater Manchester, UK. She is an exhibiting member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists and is the winner of the 2023 Fine Art Textile Award for the most innovative use of textiles. 

Artist website: isobelcurrie.com
Instagram: @isobel_currie_artist
Facebook: Isobel Currie, Embroidery Artist

Jeannie Holler 

Jeannie Holler, Stitch Club member: My primary goal is to use tools that bring clarity to my work. Organising those tools also helps me focus my ideas, thoughts and creativity. 

Plastic bins and boxes allow me to categorise and sort both my tools and fabrics. These bins were my ‘first aid’ when it came to organising my studio. Another important addition is a shelf and cabinet system, which allows me to store those bins in ways that give me easy reference and access to my supplies.

Easy access sewing machine

My greatest challenge was the fact I personified my sewing machine. I didn’t want to ‘hurt its feelings’ by putting it away under a table or in a closet. I did have a sewing cabinet, but my sewing machine was too large. 

Fortunately, my husband was able to adjust the cabinet’s opening using a jigsaw and white paint. Now I can lower the machine when not in use and have an additional flat workspace. And my sewing machine hasn’t complained once!

Even better, the old dining table on which my sewing machine had sat was now free to reuse as a large work and cutting table. The studio became more open and user friendly, and I can now see out my window as I sew. 

Jeannie Holler is based in northern California, USA, and joined Stitch Club in 2020. She especially enjoys hand embroidery and crewel work. Jeannie also machine quilts and then adds hand embellishments.

Jennifer Collier

Jennifer Collier, Textile artist: After 25 years of never being able to find the perfect paper that I knew was hidden somewhere in my stash, I created an effective filing system. 

I have all my vintage papers in clear plastic boxes under my desk. Each box contains papers grouped by a similar theme or other shared feature. I’ve even organised my stationary the same way.

“Having all my materials and equipment close to hand and easy to find reduces frustration and allows more time for making.”

Jennifer Collier, Textile artist

Hiding the clutter 

I work from my own gallery, so because my space is open to the public, everything is neatly stashed away behind my counter. You’d be amazed at how much I have stored there! 

The retail area also doubles as storage. I have different sized recycled drawers for my sewing machine and haberdashery, that not only hide my stored equipment but also allow me to beautifully display my work on the front edge of my desk. 

Hooks & hangers

I have some S hooks hanging on the backs of the drawers to hold scissors, punches and tape. I even hang my orders and postal receipts to help streamline the making and posting of orders. And I made a pull-out packaging shelf that has tissue paper, stickers, postage labels and return address stickers. This means I can now package my work without having to clear my desk.

Lastly, I set up a shelved area at the back of the space to house all my workshop resources, examples and materials. It also houses my maps (arranged by region) and books (arranged by colour) which can be reached by a perfectly-sized vintage library ladder. It’s my favourite part of the space, as I can instantly find the paper I need when an order comes in.

Jennifer Collier is based near Stafford, UK. Her work has been featured in over 100 magazines and in many books. Jennifer’s work has been shown internationally and is stocked in galleries at The Museum of Art and Design (New York), Liberty, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

Artist website: jennifercollier.co.uk/
Instagram: @paperjennifer
Facebook: paperjennifer

Jess Richardson 

Jess Richardson, Stitch Club member: When the pandemic hit, I worked from home. After a few months sitting among bags and boxes of my stash, I knew I had to get organised. 

Fortunately, I had space for a deep double wardrobe, but I needed one with attractive doors as the wardrobe would be my backdrop for on-camera work meetings. Online meetings definitely forced me to be tidy!

I purchased a wardrobe from IKEA and then set myself a ‘cupboard rule’: I could only have materials and supplies that fit behind the wardrobe’s doors. Nothing else! 

I’m happy to report I’m still sticking to that rule, but it’s been challenging at times. 

“My cupboard rule does make me consider whether I need anything new.”

Jess Richardson, Stitch Club member

I can easily pull out what I need since everything is organised in one place. It also keeps my husband happy because my stuff isn’t taking over the house!

I also use other IKEA storage solutions, including big square see-through cubes for small pieces of fabric (one for patterned and one for plain). Pull-out wire baskets are great for tools, paper and art materials. Small clip-lock boxes hold beads, and large storage boxes hold yarns, ribbons and card embellishments. Larger pieces of fabric are sorted by colour, folded and put on shelves.

I usually make things at the dining table or on my lap, so I also put everything I’m using in a box lid or tray so I can set it aside at the end of the day. But when I retire, I’ll be able to use my large sit-stand work desk as my new making space. I’ll blissfully be able to leave my projects out.

Jess Richardson lives in Hampshire, UK. She loves mixed media, especially using paper or printing with stitch. Jess joined Stitch Club in 2020.

Now that you’ve learned tips for organising your workspace, is it time to stop adding to your stash? Learn creative tips for working with what you already have and more.

Featured stitchers

• Elisabeth Rutt is based in Suffolk, UK and is a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen.
• Lauren Austin is based in Florida, USA and is known for her story quilts.
• Deborah Boschert is based in Texas, USA and is the author of Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric Paint and Stitch. 
• Isobel Currie is based in Greater Manchester, UK and is a member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists.
• Jennifer Collier is based near Stafford, UK and is known for her stitched paper artworks using recycled materials.
• Rosalind Byass is based in Melbourne, Australia and joined Stitch Club in 2020.
• Jeannie Holler is based in northern California, USA, and joined Stitch Club in 2020. 
• Jess Richardson is based in Hampshire, UK and joined Stitch Club in 2020.

Ben had no prior quilting experience, but he did have a large stash of T-shirts representing his favourite heavy metal and punk bands. While they were a far cry from traditional calico cottons, he managed to piece them together. 

The results were sensational. His signature style was born, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Ben’s quilts and wearable art incorporate fabrics packed with memories, especially his commission work. Friends and strangers alike bring Ben their beloved vintage clothing, and he cuts, pieces and quilts fantastic designs bearing both beauty and personal stories.  

He says his work helps to bridge cultural fears between rock’s counterculture and more traditional society, and we wholeheartedly agree. In a world that is ever more divided, Ben creates an accessible way for anyone to step into his favourite music spaces.

We also appreciate Ben’s conscious pursuit of functional art, as the combination of form and function can challenge textile art’s place amid fine art settings. Just because Ben’s jackets can be worn or his quilts keep his family warm doesn’t mean they aren’t art. The impact of his jackets, totes and quilts when hung on gallery walls is proof positive.

You’re going to love this look into Ben’s edgy, colourful and rhythmic body of work. And his sense of humour? It’s the icing on the cake.

Heavy metal roots 

Ben Venom: My mom always hemmed my sister’s and my pants growing up. And my sister started making quilts around the same time I did in 2008.

My earliest memory of working with textiles was screen printing T-shirts of the bands I followed as a teenager. I grew up listening to a lot of punk rock and metal, and at the time, most of the bands were just starting out. With no record label, there wasn’t any merchandise to purchase. Everything was very DIY, so we printed shirts of our favourite bands.

From an early age, I wanted to do something art related. I was always drawing, painting, printmaking with paint and screen printing.

In 2008, I hit a point in my career where I had a bit of a crisis of conscience. I wanted to create something beyond just pretty pictures on the wall. I wanted art that could do a multitude of things.

When my good friend Kevin Earl Taylor invited me to participate in a group show he was curating at the Neurotitan Gallery in Berlin, I wanted to do something really big. So, I decided to make a quilt using all my heavy metal T-shirts – my work has been primarily textile-based since.

My artwork is heavily inspired by a Gee’s Bend quilt exhibition I saw at the De Young Museum in 2006. I was blown away by the attention to design, craft and handiwork the women from that very rural region in the American South infused into their quilts. 

They didn’t have a lot of materials at their disposal, so they used recycled denim jeans, blankets and other fabric scraps to construct some really amazing quilts. I liked the idea of upcycling and reusing. Nothing is thrown away.

Learning how to quilt

The first sewing machine I bought was a Brother XL-2610. I chose pink because it was the cheaper option, and then I covered it with stickers to make it look cooler!

I also bought a book called Quilting Basics 101 because I had no idea what I was doing. I made a lot of mistakes, and I asked a lot of questions from the employees at the fabric store. 

There are always different, better and quicker ways to do things, so that’s why I always ask questions.

Over time, I figured out which fabrics to use, which needles to buy, and more. I also learned to follow my dumb ideas! I never let anything hinder me from seeing my ideas through to the end. 

I’m still learning new tricks and techniques to this day. For example, I’ve become more obsessed over time with binding because I want my work to look professional and clean. 

For me, art is about research and continual learning. And mistakes are a large part of the process. I embrace them as part of the handmade nature of my work. 

‘I believe mistakes offer a visible direct link between the audience and the artist’s hand.’

Ben Venom, Quilt artist

Reducing fears

Using repurposed materials, I contrast the often menacing and aggressive counterculture components of gangs, punk/metal music and the occult with the comforts of domesticity. 

‘This collision of traditional quilting techniques with elements tied to the fringes of society re-envisions the materials’ stories through a softer lens.’

Ben Venom, Quilt artist

By presenting these unconventional ideas and themes in a form that is soft, light and tactile, my work can appeal to a wider audience. My art’s textile aspect isn’t heavy, loud or dangerous, which can foster an interest among people not typically familiar or comfortable with the ideas I present. 

Functional art

My passion is creating art that is both pleasing to the eye and fully functional. Textiles allow me to do that. 

I’m interested in sustainability to re-use and rework materials that still have value. I’ve become increasingly aware of the large waste within the clothing industry. As a family, we attempt to have a lower carbon footprint by walking, biking or taking public transportation when possible. This mentality directly affects my art making practice.

Clothing has a history. Maybe you had a pair of pants you wore during a pivotal point in your life. They’re now threadbare, but you don’t want to throw them away. Give them to me, and I’ll cut them up and give them a second life as art with function. 

‘By stitching together donated band shirts, jeans, jackets and leather into a unified piece, my quilts display a multitude of personal histories.’

Ben Venom, Quilt artist

Each person’s unexplained stains, tears or rips are displayed to visitors who often see themselves woven into that larger history. A collection of memories, dreams and past experiences are showcased in the form of a functional piece of art. 

Creative process

Everything I do begins with some amount of research into a particular topic of interest. I use my sketchbook to come up with a general idea using notes and quick drawings. 

I choose materials that will add to the overall design. Just like a puzzle, every little piece has a certain place that fits into the larger image.

Next, I import my sketch into Photoshop or Procreate to refine the design and scale it to the final size. 

Lastly, I print the design onto copy paper to make cutting templates. And then I cut the fabric pieces and sew them all together. Most of my work is appliquéd onto the top layer and then quilted with my sewing machine.

All my artwork is created in the back room of our apartment. It’s not a very big space, but it offers a flexible work schedule since I can just walk down the hallway to be in the studio.

For larger pieces, I move our kitchen table and work on the floor to piece fabrics together. Working from home allows all the comforts of home, but it can be challenging when the family is there. 

Punching the fabric

I use a Juki-HZL 600 Exceed for all my textile-based work. It’s my most important tool. It’s the second Juki I’ve owned, as I blew the motor on the first one. It does a straight and satin stitch, and it’s not very loud, so it doesn’t disturb the neighbours. 

I fold or roll fabrics in a specific way to fit through the sewing machine’s nine-inch throat. Sometimes I am literally punching the fabric through the opening!

All of my garments are backed with a stabiliser to strengthen the fabric, as well as to prevent bunching or fraying. I also try to use thicker reclaimed fabrics like denim or Carhartt workwear fabric. 

Much of my fabric is donated, but I also shop at local thrift stores, eBay or Goodwill to fill in the gaps. They’re all excellent sources for interesting reclaimed fabrics.

Collaborative designs

I started making custom clothing because I wanted to expand beyond quilts and learn more about how clothes are constructed. I also enjoy seeing people wearing my artwork in public. It’s free advertising, too!

I’ve made custom jackets for friends and others, as well as people I don’t know who have come across my artwork and want a custom piece. 

The design process is a constant back and forth, and there is typically a conversation about measurements, as well as fabric and design options. Sometimes I have free rein and other times the client has a general idea of what they want made.

I usually provide the client with at least three different sketches. Once a design is chosen, I refine the approved version and get the client’s confirmation. Then I cut the fabric and start sewing. 

I collaborate with Tul Jutargate in Los Angeles, USA to have the jackets constructed with collars, buttons and lining. He also adds a chain stitched label on the inside. 

Full Metal Jacket was commissioned by Brann Dailor, the drummer for the band Mastodon. It contains many of his old T-shirts along with all the special stains. The title is taken from the Stanley Kubrick film, as the materials all reference heavy metal music. The jacket is made from a letterman jacket pattern in collaboration with Tul Jutargate. 

War Pig was commissioned by a local floral designer Tyson Lee. I designed it with his input and used his vintage Carhartt jackets. Tom of Finland fabric was used as the quilt’s foundation. Tyson was particularly interested in incorporating his zodiac calendar animal (pig), eight flowers and chains

Thrasher love

My THRASHER quilt is currently my favourite. I grew up skateboarding and listening to punk rock/heavy metal music in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. THRASHER Magazine was a window into everything cool for me and my friends.

We also constantly watched skateboard videos on my videocassette recorder in slow motion to learn each new trick. 

The quilt was commissioned by Tony Vitello, the owner of THRASHER Magazine. It honours the influence skateboarding has had on me from then to now. My daughter has recently expressed interest in learning to skate, so the ride continues. 

It’s made from THRASHER T-shirts, and a Carhartt vest is used on the backside to honour skateboarder and THRASHER editor Jake Phelps. 

It features a Lacoste collaboration shirt by Alan Gonzalez and blue Vans fabric designed by Rachael ‘Steak’ Finley Wright (@instasteak) from one of professional skateboarder Lizzie Armanto’s uniforms, like the one she wore at the Tokyo Olympics.  

Trendy tote bags

My tote bags originally came about in response to San Francisco’s 2007 ban on plastic bags at grocery stores. I initially made a few tote bags for my wife to take to the grocery store, and it took off from there. 

The bag’s small size and ability to be customised with different design elements has kept me interested. I’ve started to add zippers and more pockets. Each bag is a one-of-a-kind design.

Craft Resurgence

I find the contemporary craft world very exciting right now. It’s inspiring to see so many artists focusing on the handmade and pushing the boundaries of traditional processes and techniques. I see my practice as part of that wave as I attempt to challenge the established imagery and style of quilting. 

I believe craft will become a respite from our technology driven society. While some aspects of our lives will be increasingly automated and devoid of human interaction, craft will continue to show an individual’s hand within a work. This handmade concept is very important to my practice.

‘Imperfections are an integral part of each piece. And every mistake and error an artist makes is ultimately what makes us who we are.’

Ben Venom, Quilt artist

This proved to be a winning combination when, after buying a one-way ticket to India she became entranced by the colours, fabric and texture of the traditional Tibetan thangka (sounds like ‘tonka’). 

These thangka, beautifully elaborate fabric mosaics, became a way for this previously meditation-resistant Californian to connect with Tibetan culture, as well as discover her own spiritual path.

Leslie’s four-year apprenticeship in a sewing room in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala – with the Dalai Lama as a neighbour – is an extraordinary story of how she became one of the few non-Tibetans to master the traditional art of silk appliqué thangka.

As she mastered this ancient artform, her own style of art evolved: blending Eastern techniques with modern materials and a Western colour palette. Today, Leslie is back living in California but she still draws on her love for Tibet and its people in her unique textile art. 

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo: I make sacred Buddhist images and portraits from pieces of silk stitched together by hand. My work is bold, textured, colourful, Asian-inspired and vibrant. It speaks to some and definitely not to others. 

I am a caretaker of a sacred Tibetan tradition of textile art. I stitch bits of silk into elaborate figurative mosaics that bring the transformative images of Buddhist meditation to life. 

Visually, I love the colours and the light and the three-dimensional textural quality. I also love the richness of symbolism and meaning in every form, and the connection of these forms to a great lineage of spiritual practice.

I love that the images I work with – the images of enlightened beings – have helped many people to become free of suffering and to teach others about their true nature. And I love being connected with a lineage of spiritual teachers and practitioners through these images and this sacred creative practice. 

I hope that, in my small way, I can open people’s hearts with my work, that I can provide some stimulus or inspiration for their own awakening.

“I believe that beauty uplifts. So, I hope that the beauty of my artwork can open hearts and raise the spirit.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

Connecting threads

People often call this type of work ‘tapestries’ because they are fabric wall hangings. But I am not a tapestry artist. I do not weave. 

Following a Tibetan tradition that goes back at least as far as the 15th century, I wrap strands of horsehair with silk thread and couch the resulting horsehair cords to silk fabric. Then I assemble pieces like a jigsaw puzzle into portraits and sacred images, all stitched together by hand. 

You can watch me creating Green Tara in my short film Creating Buddhas, The Making and Meaning of Fabric Thangkas.

The technique is most often referred to as Tibetan appliqué but – unlike most appliqué – in this Tibetan method, there is no backing cloth to which pieces are applied. 

Instead, pieces are overlapped and interconnected, held together by the elaborate connections between them. They do not rest on a single base. This is a beautiful metaphor for the Buddhist teaching of interdependence – nothing is absolutely true or existent. Rather each phenomenon arises in dependence on others, on relationships.

“In actuality, everything – including our ‘self’ – is always in flux and always interconnected.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

Cloth cultures

In my hybrid pieces, I’ve used quilting cottons, linen, photo-printed canvas and chiffon, and a variety of other materials. 

For my traditional work, I use silk satins and brocades, mostly woven in Varanasi, India. Varanasi is a sacred Hindu city on the banks of the Ganges River in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is considered one of the oldest continuously settled cities in the world. 

Varanasi is famous for its finely woven silk saris. Almost all the weavers are Muslim and live in the large Muslim quarter of the city and in outlying villages. While most of these weavers create the saris worn by women all over India, a few make the fine brocade and satin from which Tibetans stitch thangkas. 

The heavy silk satin and brocade produced by Indian Muslim weavers is not for themselves, nor for the Indian Hindu culture that permeates the city, but for Tibetan Buddhists from the mountains. These disparate cultures have been woven together in silk for generations.

“The satin has a particular buttery quality that allows large needles and thick horsehair cords to be pulled through without breaking threads or leaving holes.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

The role of thangkas

The Vajrayana or Tantric form of Buddhism practised in Tibet uses imagination to harness emotional energies and achieve speedy liberation from the misconceptions that cause suffering. 

Practitioners deliberately cultivate their imaginations with images of enlightened beings, pure lands, flowing blessings, and generous offerings. In visualisation, divine figures arise from emptiness like a rainbow and dissolve again into space. Although they may appear external to us, they always merge with us in the end. 

The point of all these practices is to move us from a muddled relationship with reality to a relationship based in awareness. 

“Thangkas serve as models for the intangible yet infinitely impactful images you can conjure in your mind’s eye to free yourself from distorted and limiting mindsets.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

The figures that grace thangkas are expressions of awakening, of fully realised human potential in honest relationship with the world as it is. They are personifications of teachings and practices in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Their multifarious forms highlight a vast range of awakened qualities: Avalokiteshvara embodies awakened compassion, Manjushri breathes awakened wisdom, Vajrapani radiates awakened power, and so forth. 

These divine figures are collectively referred to as lha in Tibetan, and generally called deities in English. However, referring to the figures as gods and goddesses is a misleading use of words. They are, in fact, buddhas, that is, awakened beings. As embodiments of our own true nature, their only purpose is to liberate us from ignorance and suffering.

While each form has a speciality, based on vows they made when they were ordinary beings like us, each also encompasses the full spectrum of awakened potential. They don different guises to suit people’s diverse temperaments. Every deity in the Buddhist pantheon exists to assist us in generating wisdom and compassion to become free from endless cycles of dissatisfaction and suffering.

Stitching as meditation

Making a thangka is like sharing quiet time with enlightened beings and sages. That is, people who have recognised the true nature of things; people who act out of pure compassion; people who have overcome all negative motivations and reactions.

Stitching a thangka is like hanging out with the best of my human potential and with the possibility and promise of awakening. We sit together, pass time, and share tea.

“As I stitch, I become steeped in their fragrance, tinged with their colours, and I feel the presence of enlightenment touching me.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

The Tibetan word for meditation, gom, literally means to familiarise or habituate. In some meditation practices, we sit with a specific heart-opening quality or inquiry, allowing it to permeate our mind-stream and allowing ourselves to become familiar with it.

Thangka-making acts like this too. Not only does the work arouse focused attention, it also engages the artist in a nonconceptual relationship with enlightenment, compassion and wisdom, while placing attention on just this stitch.

​​In class every morning, my teachers used Buddhist philosophy to open windows of freedom in my conceptual mind. In the sewing workshop every afternoon, the deities infused non-conceptual understanding in my heart, in my fingertips and in my bones. 

Rather than memorising lists of symbols and meanings, stitching invited me to hang out with the best of myself. On some unspoken, unanalysed level, I knew that these figures embodied the most potent and potential-rich aspects of my own being. I hoped that a little bit of their goodness would rub off on me.

The road to Dharamsala

I remember sewing clothes at home occasionally as a child with my mother’s guidance. In college, I became interested in Amish quilts. I was drawn to the bold colours, clear shapes, fluid fabric and meticulous handwork. I started to learn quilting but was interrupted, first by a herniated disc in my back and then many years of other activities.

I saw the Dalai Lama on his first visit to the US during my first year of college. He made a strong impression on me, but I wouldn’t have called myself a Buddhist. 

Toward the end of college, I did some quilting. I dropped it for a while, and then ended up in India, getting to know the Tibetans and delving more deeply into Buddhist philosophy. There, I found Tibetan appliqué and felt a wonderful sense of connection as two strands of fascination became intertwined. 

“I fell in love with the colours, the fabrics, the texture and the connection with my spiritual path – I just had to start stitching again.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

In 1992, while serving as an economic development volunteer for the Tibetans, I saw my first silk thangka in production. 

One day, as part of my volunteer work, I joined a tour of Tibetan handicraft centres. When I walked into a sewing workshop at the Norbulingka Institute, which was still under construction, I fell head over heels in love with the pieced silk images I saw there. 

I was completely entranced by their colour and beauty. I was also captivated by the integration of Buddhist teachings with such extraordinary handicraft. The threads of my life seemed to be coming together. I immediately wanted to learn this art, having no idea that my life would take a completely new trajectory from that point.

In the sewing room

Soon after, I found a teacher – and then another – and set my life in a whole new direction. I entered a full-time traditional apprenticeship with a Tibetan master. Working alongside several young Tibetan women who didn’t speak any English, day in and day out for four years, I learned to stitch like the Tibetans and create these vibrant sacred images.

People often imagine that thangkas are created in a solemn and meditative environment. Perhaps in some places that is true. But my own experience in a fabric thangka workshop – as well as what I saw among thangka painters in Dharamsala – is something much more integrated and natural and seamless. 

“The makers are not detached from worldly life but rather, channel all the energy and vivacity of worldly life into the creation of beautiful supports for spiritual practice.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

In the tsemkhang or sewing room, I sat around a big table with eight to 10 young Tibetans. Conversation was lively: gossip, laughter, camaraderie. 

We listened alternately to traditional Tibetan folk music and to dance tunes by Madonna and Michael Jackson. Butter tea and Tibetan cookies (sometimes the offerings left from a recent ritual in the temple) were served mid-afternoon. It was a joyful, friendly, relaxed environment. 

My Tibetan was pretty good, but not good enough to keep up with active group conversations, so sometimes I retreated into my own thoughts and sat quietly as I stitched.

Practice, practice, practice

We worked as a team on large projects. Genla (teacher) Dorjee Wangdu selected pieces of the design that were appropriate for each student’s level of skill. He transferred a section of the design to silk and handed it to an apprentice with instructions as to what colour and line weight to use. 

We sat on cushions around a big table – or, when appropriate, at one of the many treadle sewing machines in the workshop – and worked on our assigned pieces. When we’d finished, we returned to Genla for comment and for our next assignment.

The teaching method was straightforward: learn while doing. Working on big projects like this allowed us to get lots of repeated practice on each step.

“When I finally learned to embroider eyes, I spent a year practising only eyes.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

The time-consuming nature of creating these patchwork thangkas has always made them significantly rarer than painted thangkas. For this reason, they are considered by Tibetans to be especially precious.

East meets West

During my apprenticeship, I learned to create traditional images out of silk. However, I soon realised my colour sense was different from that of the Tibetans – slightly more muted, with more jewel tones and fewer primary colours. 

I also leaned toward simplified backgrounds and highlighting the central figure. This was partially due to aesthetic preference and partly because these thangkas take so long to produce that simplification was essential if I was ever to finish anything.

Over the years, I began to combine the traditional techniques I’d learned in my apprenticeship with inkjet printing and machine quilting, to create fabric portraits of real people in the Himalayan Buddhist world. I feel a mysterious kinship with Tibetans and their culture so, even in my non-traditional, non-thangka work, I play with imagery from that part of the world.

“As I incorporate new fabrics and machine quilting into my sacred works, evolving the traditional thangka form, I take care to respect and honour the qualities of the sacred images themselves.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

Developing my style

My ‘hybrid pieces’ fall broadly into two categories. First, traditional figures in quilted and/or printed surroundings (with idealised images of enlightened beings rendered in traditional Tibetan appliqué), such as Chenrezig and All In This Together. The figures are stitched by hand and their form is true to tradition, but the backgrounds and borders are machine quilted and sometimes embellished with printed words. 

In the second category, I’ve departed from traditional imagery and used a combination of quilting, printing and Tibetan appliqué techniques to create fabric portraits based on photos taken by friends. 

The first of this type was Three Mongolians. I became inspired when I saw a photo taken by a friend while on an architectural study tour of Mongolia. I was still in my apprenticeship learning to make fabric thangkas. I fell in love with the three figures in the photo and noticed they were wearing clothes that were made of the same satin I was learning to use to make thangkas. 

I immediately imagined these figures in fabric, but ten years passed before I got my hands on the photo and was able to make this completely hand-stitched piece. I projected the photo onto a wall and traced its outlines and the lines on the people’s faces. As I stitched those faces, I was very nervous and uncertain about how they might turn out. 

I had no idea whether it would be successful and was happily surprised by the result. For me, these three characters remain in perpetual lively conversation, and I know they bring great joy to the woman who ultimately bought the piece. Faces Of Pilgrimage and Pool Of Light incorporate photos by a dear friend, Diane Barker, whose photographs of Tibetan nomads can be seen in her book, Portraits of Tibet. With Diane’s permission, I printed her photos and applied hand-stitched fabric renderings of the figures onto the photo-printed fabric. This brings the figures to life as if they’re emerging from the photo.

Healing stitch

I started stitching a Medicine Buddha when my mother was in treatment for cancer, and many friends and loved ones were encountering health problems and loss. Each stitch was dedicated to their well-being.

When my mother recovered, I paused the work as I’d become indecisive about the background. I didn’t feel like moving forward with my original design but I wasn’t quite sure how to change it. I put the completed Buddha figure aside for a while to ponder and ended up leaving it undone for several years.

I finally returned to it during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic while we were all sheltering at home. The world clearly needed healing, and our interconnection was so tangible at that time.

“Spurred by the global pandemic to return to this thangka, I felt like the clouds and mountains wanted to offer the whole earth to the Buddha for healing.”

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, Textile artist

I became acutely conscious of global interconnection. The phrase ‘we’re all in this together’ kept coming to mind. 

At the same time, I was aware that different people were experiencing significantly different impacts from the shared crisis – depending on their work, health, race, socio-economic conditions, as well as whether they live alone or with others.

The virus interacted with imbalances at our roots. Tibetan medical practices are based on the premise that disease arises from physical imbalances caused by the mental poisons of ignorance, attachment and aversion. True healing must, therefore, be grounded in spiritual transformation. 

Buddhas are referred to as great physicians because they possess the compassion, wisdom and skilful means to diagnose and treat the delusions that lie at the root of all suffering.

One world, many voices

I reached out to friends all around the world asking how they would say, ‘We’re all in this together’ in their languages. I printed their responses on strips of cotton and created a border of their words, surrounding the Buddha with voices from around the world – 28 languages in all – expressing the unifying truth that we’re all in this beautiful, muddy mess together. 

It was deeply gratifying. Alone in my home studio, I felt like friends around the world were collaborating with me.

Many offered versions of ‘we’re all in the same boat’. This reminded me of the traditional Buddhist metaphor comparing the cycle of lives to an ocean, and our human body to a boat that can cross this ocean of suffering to the other shore of clarity and freedom. 

I printed, stitched, and quilted the words into a watery border representing the ocean of samsara in which our diverse experiences arise. Below the Buddha, I included a prayer from the great Buddhist commentator Shantideva.

The thangka quilt All In This Together has been travelling around the United States for two years in the Sacred Threads travelling exhibition.

“May the frightened cease to be afraid and all those bound be freed.

May the powerless find power and all beings strive to benefit one other.

May I be a guard for those without protection, a guide for those who journey,and a boat, a bridge or passage for those desiring the further shore.

May I be the doctor, nurse and medicine for all who are ailing in this world.

May the pain of every living creature be completely cleared away.”

Shantideva, Buddhist commentator

Documenting tradition

Early in my apprenticeship, I realised I was uniquely positioned to write a book about Tibetan appliqué thangkas. There are no books on this art form in any language, just a few articles and a paragraph or two in books about other Tibetan arts. 

As an English speaker with uncommon access to a little-known precious tradition, I felt a responsibility and a debt of gratitude to my teachers to document the form. It felt like a life assignment that I would need to fulfil one day.

I really don’t love writing – for many years I preferred making art over writing about it. Then, for another several years, I thought I needed to get some formal education in art history so that I could trace the art form’s origins and speak on it authoritatively. I looked into advanced degrees but was discouraged by a couple of professors from taking that path.

Finally, I realised my direct experience was the most accessible and interesting way to approach the topic. 

I started writing my memories of apprenticeship: of the tsemkhang or sewing workshop, of life in Dharamsala, and of my experience making specific thangkas. The story gradually took shape over the next few years and was published as Threads of Awakening: An American Woman’s Journey into Tibet’s Sacred Textile Art, in 2022.

I’m proud that I actually wrote and published a book that documents and honours the tradition I inherited. After two decades abroad, I now live in southern California near the beach with my three cats and enough fabric to last several lifetimes – but never enough for the next project.

I’m now in a period of transition, open to daily inspiration and listening for clues as to what I’ll create next.

Though these hand-stitched textiles at first appear simplistic – some might say even child-like with their primary colours and candidly scripted text – further examination makes it clear that a great deal of thought has gone into these works.

The chattering ‘monkey mind’ spills out onto the fabric, countered with calming insights. In these artworks, you can interpret the duality of the world’s concerns juxtaposed with the mindfulness of walking the middle path – and the ultimate solution of being at peace.

Anthony works from his home in Brighton in the UK. He developed his artistic skills organically in his 30s, having learnt the basics from his mother in childhood. 

During a difficult period in his life, Anthony found that sorting through a bag of colourful fabric scraps helped him to deal with his anxieties and regain a state of calm. Little by little, he developed these scraps into small collages. Today, his artworks are being exhibited in the UK and internationally. 

In the true Buddhist tradition of loving kindness, or metta, Anthony gives back to the world, by managing inclusive arts projects for a small user-led mental health charity. His story epitomises the phrase ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ and is encouragement for us all to ‘keep calm and carry on stitching’.

A turning point

What initially attracted you to textiles as a medium? How was your imagination captured?

Anthony Stevens: Growing up, I had no plans to become an artist, it simply didn’t occur to me that it would, or could, be an option. However, life often has its own agenda that can sometimes run in opposition to what we think is best for us, and I feel that this is a rather wonderful thing.

Hastings Has Nirvana Too is based around a watershed experience in my early 30s when I was leading a life that I had built on shifting sands, that was beginning to crumble. Amidst the turmoil, I did what I always do when struggling, and started to chant ‘nam myoho renge kyo, nam myoho renge kyo’ over and over again.

I ‘heard’ a very quiet inner voice say ‘the answer to your prayers lies within your current circumstance’. I changed the focus of my chanting from denial of the experience of that moment to one of gratitude. It was at this moment that I felt as if I dropped through the surface of a polluted and rubbish strewn sea into the most beautiful clear water below.

The experience was full of paradoxes. I had never experienced anything like it, and yet it was intimately familiar. It seemed to come from within and yet it also felt that it was coming from without.
I had never felt such peace and security, and yet outwardly everything was so chaotic. Yet, the very clear message welled up from deep within me ‘everything is ok’. The intensity of this experience passed quickly, but the vestige of it remained.

During the following year, instinct led me to buy a large bag of colourful scrap fabric from a dress shop. I spent many hours sifting through the pile, untangling things; sorting the scraps into different piles and putting them back in the bag. I found this activity immensely calming and satisfying.

“Every piece of fabric had inherent value and potential: I had to either wait for the right time, or learn how to work with it.

As it turns out, this has been a good metaphor for life – and people!”

Anthony Stevens, Textile artist

I made it a rule not to discard anything as it might prove valuable at a later date, even if I couldn’t think of how to use it at that moment. 

It dawned on me that this was a direct reflection of what was happening for me internally. A memory of sitting with my mom as a child while she made things came into conscious thought, and I slowly started to make little collages from the scraps. 

What or who were your early influences, and how has your life and upbringing influenced your work?

My mother was my earliest influence when it comes to textiles and needlework. She was a very talented, amateur dressmaker.

I’d often sit with her when she was working on a project and rummage through her sewing box. To stop me doing this and distracting her, she would make little cotton bags and get me to draw on them. She’d give me a large darning needle and wool, show me how to do a basic stitch and tell me to colour in the picture. This is still very much the way I work now.

Mindful embroidery

Your ethos – based on your narratives, thoughts and themes – is the basis for your work. Can you tell us how this developed?

The development of my ethos has been a very natural and organic process that’s directly connected with the daily (well, almost daily) Nichiren Buddhist practice that I’ve carried out for many years. I feel there’s a direct interplay between the internal world and what plays out externally. 

I feel that Buddhism and embroidery are both very good tools for observing the mind. They both provide space to explore in depth the personal and shared human experience. 

When engaged mindfully, room is made for our inherent creative wisdom to bubble up from our depths and filter through our discrete personalities. It can take the raw materials of our lives – the good, the bad and the ugly – and transform them into something wonderful. 

“The texture of our lives changes when given time and attention, just as cloth does when it’s held and worked with for long periods. It softens, but paradoxically becomes stronger, when the repetitive act of stitching adds layers as a story or image is played out.”

Anthony Stevens, Textile artist

Colouring with thread

Which topics and themes influence your work? Why do these inspire you?

In brief, I suppose I’m interested in what Buddhism refers to as the three poisons: greed, anger and ignorance; how we deal with them and also how these things show up in the human experience and the world at large, such as in consumerist culture and war.

As for why? Well, for better or worse, I have a rather generous personal share of all three, so I’m not short on inspiration! For me, it’s a matter of recognising the poison in our lives and slowly turning it into medicine.

Stitching with faith

I’m naturally very curious, so if a particular subject matter, artist or image grabs my attention, I’ll spend a lot of time researching and just soaking things up. Doing this makes life such a rich experience.

Everything can inform and be a source of inspiration. Because of this, I tend to carry notebooks with me to jot down observations, thoughts and feelings as they occur. I also note any particular themes or images that occur during my daily Buddhist chanting.

“I think that there’s an element of faith involved in making something, that if you keep moving forward, the next step will appear.”

Anthony Stevens, Textile artist

What, or who, inspires you, and why?

That is a tough question. All manner of people and things are inspiring. I think anyone who demonstrates courage and compassion is inspiring, especially in difficult circumstances.

Organic and low-tech

How do you develop ideas for your work?

I’ve had no formal artistic training. My development has been a process of trial, error and lots of time spent making work. I don’t have a particularly rigid process of working. Sometimes I can see a whole piece in my mind’s eye and I work towards that. 

At other times, a piece might start with just a phrase or fragment of an idea from a sketchbook or an observation. This becomes a much more intuitive way of working and I have to trust the process. Or, I might have made a collage at an earlier date that evolves into a piece of textile artwork. This is especially useful if time is an issue. 

But in general, whatever the method I’m working with, I tend to chunk everything down and create the hand embroidered imagery on a hoop, which I later appliqué onto the background. The background is usually laid onto blue felt and hand stitched together. 

Every layer will have its own meaning and purpose. My process is all very organic and decidedly low-tech.

What fabrics, threads and other materials do you like to use in your work?

I use all manner of threads and materials. Wherever possible, I’ll use recycled or secondhand fabrics. These might be gifted to me, sourced from old clothing, or found. I do buy a large roll of felt every year from a shop called Fabric Land. I’ll also buy calico from there too.

A bit like inspiration, materials can be found from many different sources. One particular treasure was a beautiful cotton duvet cover a friend gifted me. I was able to create a whole series of commissioned works from this – it was lovely to work with, too.

No such thing as rubbish

Do you have a piece of your work that holds particularly fond memories?

Yes – any piece that I thought was rubbish and put away. These pieces have always become the starting point for something that I’ve really valued making. This can be due to time and seeing things from a different perspective, or because they can be deconstructed or become the ‘missing piece’ for a current work. I love it when this happens.

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

Time: making it and having enough of it. One of the things that I particularly enjoy about hand embroidery and sewing is the sense of flow that can occur. This can be quite difficult to achieve when the pockets of time are short or irregular and there are the distractions of work and other things. 

I’m not sure that I’ve yet overcome this particular challenge, but I find working early in the morning and in the latter part of the evening very useful.

It’s all about you

What advice would you give to an aspiring textile artist?

Put your whole self into your work, note what interests you and follow that. Also, just keep on making and don’t disregard anything you make. Its value might not reveal itself until sometime in the future. 

If you’re really struggling with something, just let it be and put it away. When the time is right, it could be the groundwork for the best thing you ever make.

Anthony Stevens is a self-taught textile artist based in Brighton, UK.

Anthony is represented by the Candida Stevens Gallery, having been discovered via the organisation Outside In. He is also represented by Copenhagen Outsider Art Gallery in Denmark and has shown work at London Art Fair and Collect Art Fair. His work has been in solo and group shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Brighton and London. Anthony works as a project coordinator, managing inclusive arts projects for Recovery Partners, a small user-led mental health charity.

Artist website: Anthony Stevens (Candida Stevens Gallery)
Instagram: @wabisabistar

We already know you’re interested in the art of fabric and thread – why else would you be here? But perhaps you’re looking for a more tactile read, and the luxury of sitting down and reading a magazine cover to cover? If you’re interested in subscribing to a print (or digital) journal exploring textile art, there’s lots of gorgeous options to choose from. 

Here’s our list of the best textile art magazines. These publications are suitable for readers at all levels. High quality, beautifully illustrated, and aiming to inspire, engage and share, each title brings alive the latest developments and inspirations in textile art. 

Read on to discover these periodical gems: Embroidery, Selvedge, Fiber Art Now, Textile Fibre Forum, Quiltfolk, Quilting Arts and Surface Design Journal.

Embroidery

Embroidery is a beautifully presented long running magazine serving lovers of embroidery and contemporary textile art. It comes from the renowned Embroiderers’ Guild in the UK and was first published in 1932.

Over the decades, Embroidery has become the most well respected review of the art of embroidery and stitched textile art. This magazine inspires and impresses with its mix of textile art features, in-depth artist interviews and colourful artwork shots. There’s a listing of the best exhibitions and events around the UK and beyond, and all the latest news in the world of embroidery. 

Subscriptions are available for readers in the UK, Europe and worldwide. Published six times a year, it will bring you plenty of inspiration. Not to mention the option for incredible access to a vast, fully-searchable digital archive of back issues!

A digital downloadable version is available through Pocketmags, or a single issue pay-as-you-go option is available for those who don’t wish to commit to a long subscription.

Selvedge

Celebrate our communal love of cloth, culture and creativity in Selvedge, an attractive feast-for-the-eyes, square-format magazine. This internationally renowned magazine was launched in 2004 by textile obsessive Polly Leonard, and is published every two months in print and digital formats.

In a magazine as beautiful as the textiles represented within its pages, it features articles on textiles in fine art, craft, design, fashion and interiors, sharing the history and importance of cloth, and its place in the modern world. 

Print magazine subscribers receive complimentary access to the corresponding digital edition. Or subscribers can choose the digital-only version. Back issues are available to buy separately.

Great pride is taken in the printing process, using soy-based inks, paper and packaging produced in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.

Textile Fibre Forum

Textile Fibre Forum is a long-running Australian textile art magazine, in print since the 1980s. Produced by ArtWear Publications since 2011, this quarterly magazine shares the work of textile artists, as well as promoting exhibitions and events, and exploring new techniques and innovations relating to textiles, fibres, and textile art. It has a strong focus on Australian artists and contemporary textiles, with articles from specialist contributors in each issue. 

The subscription price includes postage and handling within Australia. International purchasers pay postage at checkout. Alternatively, you can buy a digital subscription. Print format back issues are also available to purchase separately.

Fiber Art Now

This sumptuous magazine, published in the USA, has a broad remit – perfect for those who like a little bit of everything. It explores all types of textile art, including embroidery, crochet, weaving, felting, book arts, quilting, traditional techniques like shibori and sashiko, and more.

Covering installations, wearables, sculptures, vessels and basketry, wall and floor art, plus engaging artist profiles, there really is something for everyone. 

You’ll get four jam-packed magazines a year, as well as instant access to the archive of digital back issues. Shipping is free in the USA, and international subscribers can either pay for shipping or choose the great value digital-only subscription.

Quilting Arts

In Quilting Arts, you’ll learn more about textiles and techniques for contemporary art quilting and surface design. Published in the USA since 2001, this quarterly magazine is full of informative articles dedicated to promoting the art quilt movement, and is suitable for all levels, from novice to professional quilters and textile artists. 

It provides inspiration, technical information and mixed media insights; its aim being to elevate the visibility of art quilts through education, innovation and inspiration. 

Quilting Arts is available in print format, with a supplement to cover postage outside the USA. Back issues are available separately.

Quiltfolk

Travelling coast to coast from New Jersey to California, the quarterly magazine Quiltfolk visits a different state of the USA in each edition, exploring quilters and quilt stories unique to that region.

Beautifully designed and printed, this magazine is a tactile delight, with a soft cover and gorgeous images showcasing the art of quilting, and will appeal to all quilt makers and quilt lovers everywhere. 

This print-only magazine, first published in 2016, has 164 pages brimming with inspiration, and it is advert-free. Back issues are also available to purchase.

Surface Design Journal

If you’re looking to take your art to the next level, check out the Surface Design Journal from the Surface Design Association. This magazine will help to expand your knowledge on techniques and applications.

It covers textile art, design trends, exhibitions, as well as  interviews with artists, makers, curators and collectors. The journal is published in the USA, but has an international scope. 

This quarterly journal comes with membership of the Surface Design Association, which includes a range of other benefits.

Readers can choose print and digital, or digital-only subscriptions, at different price points depending on your location worldwide. Individual issues can be purchased at the SDA store.