One thing you can say about Clara Nartey is that she’s persistent. The word ‘can’t’ simply doesn’t exist in her artistic vocabulary. Whether tackling a new stitching technique, figuring out how to work with a digital app, or navigating social media, Clara just won’t quit. She’s even set up year-long personal challenges to achieve her goals.

Largely self-taught, Clara was determined to learn how to draw with a needle and thread as she would a pen or pencil. She also committed to infusing her African heritage into everything she made. After tireless years of practice and the help of key mentors, Clara’s unique approach to free motion stitch is stunning. And the way she designs her own fabrics is icing on the cake.

In addition to making art, Clara also dedicates time to inspiring and motivating other artists. Clara’s persistence was fueled by her belief in herself as an artist, even in the wake of her mistakes and failures. Clara knew she had to be her own cheerleader, and she now helps other artists build their confidence to create and share their work.

Clara’s story is a great reminder of how persistence can pay off in big ways.

Sewing room dangers

Clara Nartey: The first textile art I remember creating was a crocheted table top piece. My mom taught me to crochet, and I enjoyed it very much. I eventually crocheted better than she did, including creating 3D animals.

I also grew up watching my mom machine embroider. She lovingly embellished our clothing which made me feel special anytime I wore one of those embroidered outfits. But she was scared to let me go near her embroidery sewing machine, let alone use it.

She also worried I’d hurt myself with her very heavy metal tailor’s scissors. One day they were hidden under a pile of fabrics. When she went to gather those fabrics, the scissors fell off the worktable and landed point-side down, piercing her foot. She had to use crutches for months after that.

So I’m guessing she only taught me how to crochet to avoid using machines or dangerous tools.

Learning trajectory

I’m largely self taught, but I’ve also had people guide me along the way. Of course, my mom’s refusal to teach me how to machine embroider only made me gravitate to it even more. So, later in life when a family friend asked if I could monogram something, I bought my first embroidery machine and taught myself how to use it.

I also read lots of books on textile art, watched videos, and then took a year-long online master class with Elizabeth Barton. That’s when I had my first lessons in art and design. I also took a live five day workshop with Elizabeth, and subsequently, she taught me how to dye fabric. I then took a textile design course with Bonnie Christine and her year-long group membership programme. And I took a course in colour studies at the Gail Harker School of Creative Studies.

​​Although I don’t have a formal art education, I seek to create art with the same basic art foundations of drawing and sketching, and a stitched line is my means to that end.

When I started my adventures in textile art, I tried a lot of techniques, including traditional quilting, appliqué, hand dyeing fabrics and free motion stitching. One of my earlier works, Whirlwind Thoughts, demonstrates a mashup of techniques with its different values of threads on the face, cut up fabrics for the clothes, and hand dyed and painted fabrics in the background.

But as I continued to experiment, I always seemed to come back to the drawn line. I think my years of watching how an embroidery machine can create images from stitches inspired my ability to see the mark making possibilities of stitched thread. So, I decided to start using machine stitching the same way one draws with pen and ink. The simplicity of a stitched line is appealing, and the ability to use it to create art is fascinating to me.

I’m often asked how I would describe my textile art. Quilting? Appliqué? The fact is there’s no single label I could use. My art is a composite of different art techniques I’ve learned along the way, including embroidery, quilting, textile design and digital printing.

Stories to tell

Each of my works usually starts with an idea or theme I want to express. I’ll write down my initial thoughts and things I want to say through the work and then use that information as my guard rails. Invariably, I’m not able to fully express a thought in just a single piece, so I often end up working in a series to express different aspects of my original thought.

My subjects are sometimes family and friends, and some are people I don’t know. Overall, I try to portray an idea more than an exact likeness of a person.

For example, in Bubbly, I wanted to depict the joys of everyday life. The pandemic was raging at the time, so I wanted to create a work that countered the gloominess and death. I wanted to create something happy, so I chose a model who was laughing.

In Charleena, I sought to tell the story of how Blacks have encountered untimely deaths during interactions with the police. The subject is Charleena Lyles, a young, pregnant woman with mental health issues. She was fatally shot in her home during a police altercation in Seattle, Washington (US).

African inspiration

I was born and raised in Ghana, before moving to the United States where I’ve lived almost as long as I lived in Ghana. Machine embroidery is very much a part of Ghanaian fashion. Clothes are elaborately designed with embroidery, especially around the neckline which we call ‘joromi’.

The first time one of my Ghanaian friends saw my thread work, they exclaimed ‘you are using joromi to draw!’.

Fabrics are also used for storytelling in Ghanaian tradition. We use fabrics to memorialise life events like birth, marriage or death. Those memorial fabrics usually have symbols or motifs that have significance or tell a story, which is why I use fabrics and threads to both draw and narrate stories. 

I use the ideas of traditional Ghanaian block printing techniques, especially when incorporating Adinkra symbols into my work. Adinkra is a writing system that consists of pictorial symbolism created by the Ashanti craftsmen of Ghana. The symbols can represent various ideas related to life’s lessons.

Representing kente cloth in my work is also important to me. The figure’s head wrap in Gele: The Skyscraper is a good example. Kente is a woven and then strip pieced cloth. Since kente is strip pieced, I often incorporate squares, rectangles and other blocks of colour to reference the look of the kente cloth in both subtle and overt ways.

Incorporating images of kente is my way of holding onto the edges of the national fabric of the country of my birth.

Going digital

I use photographs as references for my subjects, and then I create a line sketch from that image. I’ve recently begun to rely on my iPad as a sketching tool instead of a sketchbook. I use the Procreate application, which allows me to work on all the colours and shading on my iPad.

I initially had to get used to the Apple pencil’s pressure sensitivity when drawing on the iPad. It’s very different from using a regular pen or pencil on paper. I used to hold the Apple pencil too hard, but over time, I’ve learned to loosen my grip.

Now that I have better control of the Apple pencil, I have access to an unlimited palette of colours compared to traditional paints or coloured pencils. I also find I experiment more and try different options on the iPad than I would in a traditional sketchbook.

​​Once I’m pleased with my portrait sketch, I shade the skin tones, always starting with the face. I then design all the fabrics using shapes, colours and symbols that match the theme or story I want to tell. I then design the colours and patterns for the other fabrics that will be featured in the work, including the subject’s clothing. 

Again, incorporating African Adinkra symbols is important for me. For example, in Emerald and Sapphire, I drew a symbol of Siamese crocodiles to use for the background fabric in both pieces. They are part of a series called Gem Series, and the series’ theme is ‘although we’re different, there’s more that unites us than divides us’. 

The crocodile symbol depicts how absurd it is for the Siamese crocodiles to fight when, although they’re different, they’re still joined in the belly and, hence, they’ll have to agree with each other to be nourished.

When the final composition is in place on my iPad, I send all the digital files to Spoonflower, an on-demand fabric print company in the United States. I have them print the full composition on one piece of cloth, like a large fabric poster. And then additional yardage is printed with my different fabric designs.

Let the stitching begin

I use the fully printed piece as the base of my design, and then I appliqué the various cut pieces for body parts, hair and clothing onto the fully printed piece. While that base layer informs the overall design, I give myself permission to make changes as I see fit throughout the entire creative process. As I appliqué the pieces together, I also use different threads and embroidery stitches that often result in changes from the original design.

Once the appliqué and stitching are complete, I finish the work by facing all of the edges. I attach the facing from the front and then turn it to the back and secure it with hand stitching.

For the embroidery and quilting part of the process, I use a Juki 2010q sewing and quilting machine and a Handi Quilter Moxie longarm quilting machine. I assemble different colours of embroidery threads to match my original shaded sketch. This is never 100 per cent accurate, though, since thread manufacturers don’t make colours to match my paintings, and I don’t consider what threads are available when sketching – so I’m always improvising.

I typically start with my subject’s face, then move to the hair and the clothing. The background is finished last. For very large pieces, I’ll usually build the figure separately, and then appliqué the full figure to the background.

I like polyester threads. They’re strong enough to stand up to my high-speed machine stitching. However, if I need a specific thread colour to complete a project, I’m open to using other threads.

I don’t plan stitches ahead of time. I let the work tell me where they need to go.

Not knowing how the work will ultimately turn out is the really fun part for me. It’s exciting because the final result is always a surprise. It’s never exactly as I imagined, and that’s just fine.

Free motion curve

When I began learning how to draw, I started a sketchbook project. I carried the sketchbook with me everywhere and committed to drawing something every day. I especially enjoyed pen and ink drawing, but it was a challenge knowing I couldn’t erase any marks.

As I gained confidence with pen and ink, I decided to do the same type of drawing on fabric. I also figured free motion machine stitching would be as unforgiving as pen and ink. So, I embarked on a self-imposed 52 week challenge in which I had to recreate every pen sketch I drew on paper using my sewing machine. That challenge helped me learn the foundational stitch vocabulary I still use today.

I broke a lot of needles while I was learning! I easily went through a packet or more of needles a day. But I wasn’t deterred.

I wanted to find a way to both outline and create shading with my sewing machine. I also tried different stabilisers before I found one that worked. I had initially used leftover stabilisers from using my first embroidery machine, but they didn’t always work for free motion embroidery.

My top tip for those wanting to tackle free motion embroidery is to step away from the sewing machine and practise continuous line drawing on paper. Don’t lift the pen up until your drawing is finished. Remember your drawings don’t need to be full works of art. Simple curves, lines and shapes are enough. Eventually, the more comfortable you become drawing on paper, the easier it will be to direct the fabric on your sewing machine. 

Also, think about driving a car while using your sewing machine. Keep your hands on the wheel (fabric), your feet on the pedal, and your eye on the road ahead (your destination, not your current needle position). Quilting gloves and a teflon mat will help you move the fabric around more easily.

Lastly, be sure to change your needles after every six hours of stitching. The fast continuous machine stitching dulls the needles and will cause unnecessary troubles like broken needles or bad stitching.

Sharing the love

What I enjoy most about teaching is sharing with my students. I enjoy seeing how something I’ve learned can open a door for someone else in their own creative journey. It’s both my contribution and another way to create beauty in the world through others. My words and instruction become works of art through the hands of those whom I teach.

I also want my students to believe in themselves. No matter how much they learn, how many tools they acquire or how fancy their studio is, if my students don’t believe they have what it takes, none of that will do any good.

I give lectures on unleashing one’s creativity and how to get out of a creative slump. I also teach art marketing, covering topics like branding, email newsletters, social media and getting into art exhibitions.

Personally, I’ve had a complex relationship with social media. I initially resisted it, and I’m a late adopter. I’m an introvert at heart, and I didn’t feel comfortable sharing everything online. But the more I learned about making it in the art world, the more I realised I couldn’t avoid it. I create all my own content, mainly using my iPhone. For video editing, I use the InShot app, and for photo editing, I use Adobe Photoshop.

I use social media to promote my work – I share what I’m doing in my art practice, but I leave it up to the audience to decide whether or not my content is interesting. Algorithms are hard to figure out. Sometimes I’d post something I thought was interesting, but it only reached a fraction of followers. So, I’ve decided to not let individual post metrics bother me anymore. I just share as events happen in my art practice to keep my followers up to date, and I think it’s working.

Key takeaways

Clara Nartey’s work demonstrates the need to allow ourselves to make mistakes and not let them cripple us. Here are some suggestions for keeping yourself motivated:

• Connect to your culture. Explore the stitch or other artistic traditions found in your heritage and try to incorporate them into your textile art.

• Create challenges for yourself to explore specific techniques. Clara spent 52 weeks turning daily sketches into thread art. You don’t have to commit to that long a timeframe, but do try to push yourself to steadily explore the possibilities over time.

• Clara uses a fabric digital printing service to print her drawings on fabric and then stitches and appliqués on top of the printed fabric. How might you do the same? You could also try using treated fabrics that can be put through your home printer.

• Believing in herself as an artist helps Clara keep going in the wake of mistakes and failures. Always remind yourself you have something important to say in your textile art, and be kind to yourself when critiquing your work. Focus on the positives more than the negatives.

Clara Nartey is based in New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. She exhibits her work extensively in the US, and in 2023 the Yale University School of Management acquired six of her works for its permanent art collection. Clara is also a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and an elected member of Connecticut Women Artists.

Artist website: claranartey.com

Instagram: @ClaraNartey

Facebook: facebook.com/ClaraNarteyArt

Check out Marcellina Akpojotor who also explores her African heritage through her textile art. She juxtaposes recycled materials on painted surfaces in astonishing ways.

Clara creates personal challenges to help develop her design skills. Have you ever set yourself a learning goal to improve your stitching or textile art-making? Tell us more in the comments below.

The proverb ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’ reigns supreme with these five artists. Each of them rescues neglected and tossed away items to help tell significant truths and stories in their textile art. These artistic hunters and gatherers keep a watchful eye out for overlooked gems and then breathe new life into their found treasures in unexpected ways.

Certainly, there’s a pragmatic satisfaction found in helping the environment by reducing items headed for landfill. But these artists also tap into the joy of imagining the prior lives of their found riches and seamlessly blending the old with the new. Every recycled object bears its own bumps, bruises or sparkle that can’t be purchased or recreated. And that’s where the creative magic of working with secondhand materials lies.

Paul Yore’s works incorporate recycled objects as metaphors addressing the social challenges of queer culture. Louise Baldwin uses salvaged fabrics and construction materials to explore her feelings toward building a new home. Zipporah Camille Thompson celebrates her paternal grandmother through an installation featuring beloved colours and a special rice from the American South. Stacey Chapman builds Her Majesty’s coronation gown from surprising castoffs. And Melissa Emerson portrays a mother’s love on a simple netted fruit bag.

Paul Yore

Paul Yore’s interest in recycled materials initially stemmed from environmental concerns, as well as wanting to pursue a sustainable practice. During his art school days, the free or reduced cost of secondhand goods was also appealing when expensive art materials were out of reach. But Paul’s main driving force in choosing recycled materials connects to queer culture.

‘As a queer artist, my choice in scavenged material centres around an aesthetic of ‘bad-taste’. I’m interested in pop-culture, trash, camp, and lowbrow humour, all qualities which form part of subversive queer culture. I find the conceptual richness of found, thrown-out or waste materials serves as a metaphor for marginality, and by extension, queerness.’

Paul is also motivated by the idea of rescuing pre-loved materials and giving them new life. For example, he uses a lot of secondhand pet blankets with embedded hair. Nothing is off limits in terms of materials and media. Glue and paint may be used to cobble items together, or for tougher materials like plastic, hole punches, eyelets and cable ties work well. Other everyday fibres such as rope, string, fishing line and wire are also used.

Thanks for Nothing features a map of Australia conflated with a skull and the Union Jack flag as the background. Paul says it began as an interrogation of contemporary themes such as nationalism, colonialism, capitalist modes of production, consumerism and the politics of identity through a queer lens. However, the work is quite open-ended and offers a variety of possible interpretations. The work also incorporates diverse words and phrases that are also ripe for interpretation.

‘My interest in found materials extends to using found and borrowed phrases, expressions, slogans, symbols and logos. The layering of those images and sentiments further opens my work as a site for possible critique and speculation. They explore how language informs the ideology that underpins our cultural settings. Interestingly, the words text and textile share an etymological root in the Latin word textere meaning to weave.’

The construction of Thanks for Nothing is essentially a needlepoint embroidery with an appliquéd, quilted border. The wooden frame is embellished with found objects and paint. For the needlepoint section, Paul traced his design onto embroidery canvas and then stitched the main outlines in dark colours. He then slowly covered the rest of the surface with free-form designs, intuitively choosing colours along the way. The border was formed using scraps of off-cuts from larger appliquéd works. After stretching the work onto the frame and fixing it with cable ties, the piece was embellished with hand sewn sequin details and beading.

‘It can be a technical challenge to use materials that vary greatly in their constitution, from coarse materials like denim, jute and thick blankets to fine materials like lace and silk. However, an exciting aspect of my methodology is a sense that things don’t necessarily easily fit together. For me, the variety of degraded or broken-down materials becomes a metaphor for creating a new whole from salvaged parts.’

Paul Yore is based on the unceded land of the Gunaikurnai people in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. He has exhibited widely, with a major survey exhibition called WORD MADE FLESH (2022) at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, which featured 15 years of work and included over 100 textile pieces.

Instagram: @paul.yore

Louise Baldwin

Assemblage art is not for the faint hearted. Juxtaposing disparate elements into a cohesive whole can easily lead to visual chaos. But Louise Baldwin’s ‘bodging’ technique helps her expertly overcome that challenge.

‘My work may appear to take a bish-bash-bosh or that-will-do approach, but in fact, it’s a very slow process squeezing things together and shifting them around, so they work collectively. I like the term bodging to describe the way I combine, mend and repair things. It means using what is to hand rather than going out to find the correct piece of equipment. There is a frugality, inventiveness and accidental beauty to bodging that totally appeals to me.’

Louise admits she also has sentimental attachments to the variety of objects she incorporates into her textile art. She particularly enjoys weathered and handled materials, things that bear a history. Odd things find their way to her collection, from friends’ donated scraps of fabric to items found in London’s plentiful skips to ordinary household packaging. Containers are also of interest, as they often have unexpected details and shapes.

‘I really enjoy the challenge of thinking how materials can come together and have what I call conversations. Materials that have been discarded or lost their original purpose can be transformed and reinvented to take on new meaning. I also always enjoy the lack of hierarchy in the materials I use, treasuring an old plastic top as much as a pearl, and a sweet wrapper as much as gold leaf.’

When using hard materials like wood, linoleum or metal, Louise first drills holes for stitches and then uses simple running stitch, back stitch or anything that looks like sutures. She also uses a random weave stitch to work needle and thread over hard materials. The weaving technique was learned through a meander into basketry techniques, and Louise found it’s great for building up a surface and tethering down threads.

Temporary Condition is a series developed while Louise was building a new house next to her current one. When clearing and sorting out her studio, she found all sorts of ‘nonsense’ and decided to push it together into stitched assemblages.

Louise worked intuitively to create a record of the building process with its scaffolding, wiring, noises and tied down things. A thick wool felt was used as a contrasting material, creating a sense of insulation and calm. It was also functional and provided a blank canvas against the chaotic and worn materials discovered in the depths of her old studio. The materials are held together with staples, binding hand stitch and random weave stitch.

‘There was a lot of anxiety as we prepared to move, so I created the assemblages to describe the change that was occurring. The process of building on such a large scale as a house and making something on a more intimate and emotional level helped me capture some of my history and some of our future.’

Louise Baldwin is based in London, UK. She studied textiles at Goldsmith College London in the 1980s at degree and postgraduate level. Her work is held in public and private collections and has been shown in various exhibitions in the UK. Louise is a member of the 62 Group and Art Textiles: Made in Britain. 

Instagram: @louisebaldwin_textiles

Zipporah Camille Thompson

There’s a special colour of blue found in the American Carolinas. It’s called ‘haint blue’ and it’s Zipporah Camille Thompson’s colour of choice. The rich indigo and cobalt blue connects to the coastal ancestral connections that inform her work, and this work is no exception.

‘This work was part of an exhibition that honoured and memorialised the life of my paternal grandmother, Allean, originally from South Carolina. She loved the colour blue, and she always reminded me of strong, gentle ocean waves in the way she greeted, encouraged and loved you endlessly. Her life was difficult, emerging gracefully from an abusive relationship and raising 11 children on her own. She worked fields, as well as working as a washerwoman, and she spectacularly cleaned everything from cotton to kitchen floors.’

Carolina Gold features a quilted hammock and altar that symbolise eternal rest, with printed silhouettes of sublime psychological and physical landscapes of labour and survival. The pots hold candles and other objects, and the prized rice of Carolina was included to pay tribute to Allean’s endurance, faith and compassion.

One can spend days looking at Zipporah’s collections of recycled works and see something new every time. And it’s remarkable how everything stays together! Drills, rope machines and sewing machines are among her chosen tools. But her favourite technique is weaving.

‘I love weaving! It allows me to continue finding the best kinds of junk and find connections between recycled materials and the woven cloth. It’s so satisfying finding ways to bring everything together through installation and sculpture. It challenges me to see found objects differently and in a new context, while using my creative problem-solving skills.’

Nothing is off limits for Zipporah, including chicken bones. She reports they are incredibly hard to clean and require bleaching and layers of painting. She’s also discovered no matter how much bones are cleaned and sealed, a greenish blue chemical oxidation happens over time. It’s a natural process she’s grown to love and embrace.

Zipporah’s sources for recycled materials are as unique as the items she finds. Of course, thrift stores are a given, but she reports there were plenty of times she scavenged along highways and ocean shores. Friends and family also provide gifts of old or neglected items.

‘For me, the more materials, the better. I’m all about high texture, bizarre surfaces and exquisite details. Roadside tarps, crystals, rocks, shells, fabric scraps, marine rope, hair weave, chicken bones, antlers and bedsheets are some of my favourites. It’s all about juxtaposition, and in my studio, my mantra is ‘everything is sacred, nothing is too precious’.’

Zipporah Camille Thompson is based in Atlanta, Georgia (US). Zipporah is represented by Whitespace Gallery (Georgia) and is an Assistant Professor of Textiles at Georgia State University. She is a recipient of many awards and residencies, including the Margie E. West Prize (2023).

Website: zipporahcamille.com

Instagram: @zipporahcamille

Melissa Emerson

The fact Melissa Emerson’s tender scenes of a mother’s love are stitched onto plastic refuse tickles the brain in remarkable ways. Bubble wrap, bin bags, caution tape and, in this case, fruit netting, hardly seem loving and cuddly. But be assured, a fierce mama bear message is embedded in all of Melissa’s works.

‘I have an inherent need to document my motherhood experiences and feelings. In this piece, the netting is vibrant in colour and features strength and containment. It replicates my own protectiveness, strength and fragility as a mother. The netting can also be easily pulled apart and has areas of transparency, creating a further narrative exploring my vulnerability and fragility.’

Melissa especially enjoys working with found plastics in response to increased plastic waste problems across the globe. She also likes materials that can easily break to enhance her emphasis on vulnerability and fragility. She rarely starts a piece with a definitive meaning in mind, but instead lets the combination of her starting photograph and chosen material inform how the artwork develops.  

Plastic materials also inform Melissa’s stitching techniques. Thinner plastics require very fine needles and slow and careful stitching. More transparent materials require overlapping stitchwork to keep them in place.

To stitch on such tricky surfaces, Melissa typically uses soluble fabric. Sometimes she’ll attach the soluble fabric to the plastic object, stitch and then wash away. Other times she stitches onto the soluble fabric separately, and once washed and dried, she’ll attach the stitched artwork to the object.

‘I really enjoy the unpredictability of working with recycled materials. There is always an element of risk, and I’m never certain how the finished piece will look or if it will even work as an artwork. In many ways, the act of making becomes more important than the outcome. Plus, I’m always looking for ways I can reduce landfill , including only using fabrics that are found or of significance to me.’

I Know Your Face started with a sketch from a photograph onto soluble fabric. Initially, Melissa worried the netting would fall apart after washing the soluble fabric, so she stitched in a very detailed fashion whilst creating many overlapping stitches to create a strong mesh surface. Before washing the soluble fabric, she pinned the artwork to cardboard to prevent the stitches from moving. There was still a bit of movement where the stitching was fairly sparse, but Melissa felt that only enhanced the piece.

‘This work represents the changes that occur over time and accepting I cannot hold on to key moments or control future events. My son and I look directly at each other, and our unspoken words acknowledge we are both present. A single glance demonstrates our shared understanding: I know him, and I get him. Cocooned in a sleeping bag, he’s comforted and secure in the strength of our connection. His innocence and trust in my strength and protection radiates.’

Melissa Emerson is a UK-based artist that recently returned to Northamptonshire, UK, after living in Canberra, Australia. She has exhibited in both the UK and Australia and has won several drawing category prizes for her textile work.

Instagram: @mel_emart

Stacey Chapman

Upcycling is how Stacey Chapman describes her process of building her fabric ‘palettes of paints’ from second hand materials. And she confesses her method has led to hoarding on a grand scale. She’s unable to stop turning something worthless into something of value, especially when the perfect material appears at the perfect moment.

‘I don’t think a psychology degree is needed to diagnose what’s going on. My practice is steered by my obsession of turning rubbish into works of art, as each work always starts with collating and touching materials before any making happens. The end result is like alchemy!’

For this work, that alchemy came to life when a long-time neighbour donated fabric to Stacey. The neighbour had never done so before, but the day she did was the same day Stacey was starting work on the coronation dress. It was the perfect fabric!

Stacey also shopped dead stock fabric stores when she realised her stash of tiny offcuts wouldn’t work for the large-scale figure. Those speciality stores sell leftover fabric rolls from high-end retailers and designers at discounted prices, giving the materials a second life and preventing them from heading to a landfill.

‘Every element of upcycled materials changes the overall look of an artwork. No one can recreate the fabrics or notions that have lived and seen many things before making their way onto my palette. Their back history becomes embedded into the quality of the art, and to me, that is unique and ever so special.’

1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is essentially a large, quilted jigsaw puzzle, as each element was created separately. Stacey used a wide variety of techniques, including hand stitch, appliqué and beading. Stacey also added her own hair, retrieving clean strands from the bath, coiling them into curls, and stitching each curl down with clear thread.

Stacey especially enjoyed creating the orb. Stitching the faux pearls and diamantes was a challenge, but Stacey was pleased with the layering of metallic gold fabrics and organza. The jewels came from costume jewellery she was gifted as a teen, and she was thrilled ‘they waited 30 years’ for a worthy project.

The sceptre’s long, thin shape proved to be a challenge as it bent easily, even after being created on mount board. So, Stacey used various shades of gold stitching to reinforce the sceptre’s gold rope, various shades of brown organza, and blue chunky glitter fabric.

Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II died before Stacey’s work was finished. Having lived in the UK all her life, the news led to an emotional rollercoaster. Stacey felt immense sadness but also huge gratitude to have had such an inspirational and unshakeable figurehead.

‘Her Late Majesty’s passing gave my project even more meaning and gravitas. It was very important to me that the finish be literally fit for a Queen. I wanted it to be sumptuous, rich and impressive. I also heard the Queen was fond of a remnant and a bargain, so I hope she would have approved of my thoughtful sourcing with sustainability in mind.’

Stacey Chapman is based in Margate, Kent, UK. She exhibits her work in galleries and accepts commissions, and she was awarded the largest artist sponsorship to date from Janome UK. Stacey is also a presenter and has been featured in many publications, including writing as a columnist for Love Sewing Magazine.

Artist website: artseacraftsea.com

Instagram: @art_sea_craft_sea

Facebook: facebook.com/ArtSeaCraftSea

Key takeaways

Each of these artists demonstrates that nothing is off limits when incorporating recycled materials into their art. Here are a handful of ideas to help you add secondhand treasures to your own textile art.

• Like Paul Yore, consider using recycled materials as metaphors. What ideas or themes might your second hand object represent? 

• Look around your tool bench for possible items to include in your work. Louise Baldwin used construction materials like salvaged wood, metal, pegs and staples.

• Don’t limit yourself to thrift shops for materials. Some of Zipporah Camille Thompson’s best finds were found along the beach or highways. Keep an eye out when you next go for a walk.

• Experiment with stitching onto packaging materials. Melissa Emerson especially likes using bubble wrap, fruit netting and other plastic materials. 

• Let family and friends know you’re seeking second hand materials, especially fabrics and embellishments. Stacey Chapman’s neighbour provided the perfect textile for Her Majesty’s coronation dress.

Want more recycled textile art? Check out these additional six artists. 

Brendan O’Shaughnessy is both a sculptor and nature lover who loves the kind of plants and creatures that would make most people squirm a bit. He especially enjoys stinky plants like the corpse lily, sardines, and dead flies, but we’re guessing nothing is off limits.

Armed with degrees in art and science, Brendan is on a mission to show how the two disciplines go hand in hand. His creative choices are also driven by the notion of ‘biophilia’ which suggests humans have innate desires to intimately connect with other life forms. Brendan’s towering wearables that mimic his beloved natural oddities allow humans to crawl into the life of those beings. And his jewellery made with actual dead bugs or shellfish allows wearers to be literally connected with those creatures.

Be assured, it’s a lot to take in. But this adventure into Brendan’s strange world of natural spectacles is surprisingly delicious.

Sculpting with textiles

Brendan O’Shaughnessy: One of my earliest textile works was a small, square quilt that I made as a child with my grandmother. She taught me to sew when I was just six years old and was the first person to bring me into the spectacular world of fibre art. The simple quilt was hand sewn with scrap fabric.

I was more formally introduced to textiles through a course I took when pursuing a BFA in sculpture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (US). My professor encouraged me to explore fibre as a sculpture medium. I also took a garment construction course that exposed me to the possibilities of wearable art and the activation of sculpture using the body.

Before these courses, my work was made with traditional sculptural materials, such as paper maché, plaster and wood. When I started working with fibre and textiles, something ‘clicked’ and my creativity began to flourish. I’ve worked within the realm of fibre and textiles ever since.

Despite a formal education, many of the techniques I use are self-taught and are the result of experimenting in the studio.

Mixing art and science

In addition to a sculpture degree, I also earned a degree in Natural Resources/Environmental Science with a concentration in Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Biology. The knowledge acquired through my ecology courses fueled my artistic practice and vice versa. I cultivated a close relationship between these two seemingly disparate areas of study.

In reality, art and science are not all that different, as they both use creativity to understand the world around us in new and unexpected ways.

At its core, my practice is rooted in biophilia which is humans’ innate desire to establish intimate associations with other life forms in nature. I believe my art facilitates this deep biological connection. My sculptures express the unrestrained richness of the evolutionary history of life on Earth. From ancient life forms to extant species, creation has always rejoiced in its vitality, variance, and vision.

I understand the natural world through the unique perspective of a fibre artist. The natural world is a tangled ball of yarn, an infinitely complex string of ecological entanglements. Climate change and the unprecedented environmental destruction we are experiencing continues to fundamentally alter this tangled ball of yarn. Habitat loss and species extinction unravel the beautiful entanglements. If this trend continues, we will soon be left with an irreversibly simple pile of yarn.

Along with this metaphor, I believe the intrinsic playfulness of fibre and textiles has a special ability to capture nature’s dynamic spirit. There are strong visual connections between this medium and a multitude of ecological phenomena. 

For instance, moss and lichens form lush, living carpets on the forest floor. On a smaller scale, mould operates similarly on the surfaces of decaying organic matter. In addition, certain quilting techniques can achieve a textural likeness to brain corals, segmented worms, and the human fingerprint.

Recently, I have been inspired by the ecology of carrion flowers, which mimic the scent of decaying animals to attract flies for pollination. Some examples include the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum), the stinking corpse lily (Rafflesia arnoldii), and the dead horse arum lily (Helicodiceros muscivorus). 

These species release a vile perfume comparable to rotten meat and cheese, and some even emit heat and grow ‘hair’ to further advance their bestial allure. I have been looking to carrion flowers as well as stinkhorn mushrooms to understand the delicate territory where the disgusting and the delicious coexist.

I would describe my work as Neo-Baroque and hybrid. My sculptures are spectacles characterised by extravagance and excess, both of which define the Baroque. They feature rich textures, vivid colours, and dramatic forms.

My sculptures are also hybrids that merge the human form with non-human creatures such as coral, fungi, and microorganisms. My wearable sculptures are both biomorphic and anthropomorphic – they give form to our biophilia.

Wearable fantasies

My love of wearables is intimately connected to the desire to adorn the human form. The beautification of bodies using jewellery and garments is a transcultural and transhistorical phenomenon. It is an essential component of the human condition.

My practice harnesses this aesthetic impulse to cultivate a deeper connection to the natural world. My wearable sculptures facilitate our biophilia through unifying the human and non-human.

I mostly work with two and four-way stretch fabrics. These synthetic fabrics are applied to cotton fabric using free motion quilting. The high loft, textured surfaces are created through a combination of meticulous hand stitching and machine stitching and manual stuffing.

Using stretch fabric with this technique is difficult because the fabrics have very different properties. At times, it feels as though I am wrestling with the fabric to get it through my sewing machine.

But ultimately, I enjoy working with these materials because of the visceral quality they can achieve. I have overcome many of the challenges regarding these materials and techniques by working on small sections at a time.

I also begin quilting in the middle of my pattern piece to lock the two layers in place. This prevents the fabric from shifting. Very large seam allowances can also account for the inevitable shifting and accordion-like shrinkage that occurs from this quilting technique.

Creative process

All of my textile art creations begin with observation. From frequent visits to forests and fish markets or even a trip to the Palace of Versailles, I find inspiration from a multitude of places. I am like a sponge, constantly absorbing the world around me to feed my creativity.

From there, I sketch until a final design is determined. For my wearable sculptures, I use my sketchbook. But for my new experimental work, small sketches are made directly with the material itself. Working this way is more intuitive because it establishes a conversation between the artist and the materials that he or she uses.

Materials have agency: their physical properties influence how we interact with them and thus codetermine the final form of the work. When we give materials the space to speak, they can teach us incredible things.

I next develop a sewing pattern and a plan for the internal structure of the sculpture. I gather materials and begin construction.

During the fabrication process, constant revisions must be made. The wearable sculptures must combat the constant effects of gravity while remaining light-weight, mobile, and portable. Finding that balance looks different for every project, and frustrations inevitably arise through trial and error. Working through these complicated structural issues requires persistence and patience.

I have started looking to historical crinoline structures, farthingales and bum rolls for practical solutions. I also use steel boning and dense quilting.

Most of my past sculptural garments feature coats made with handmade pom poms. Making pom poms with a large variety of different yarns presents infinite colour combinations. When densely applied to surfaces, pom poms achieve a visual likeness to pointillism. Texturally, they resemble moss, intestinal villi, and Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

I use a Pfaff creative 1471 sewing machine made in 1985 that was passed down to me from my grandmother. My other must-have studio tools include my left-handed dressmaking scissors by Galadim, a set of long wooden dowel rods, and curved upholstery needles. 

The dowel rods are used to stuff my elaborately quilted creations, which must be manually stuffed in small sections to achieve the desired texture. The upholstery needles are particularly important when stitching difficult pieces together.

Another tool I commonly use is a clear acrylic ruler with grid measurements. This is helpful for drafting the unusual seam allowances often required for wearable sculpture construction.

Edible textiles and flies

As part of my MFA degree program, I’m moving away from wearables to enjoy new opportunities of working off the body. That shift was initially daunting, but it has allowed me to experiment with materials in ways I haven’t before.

I’m thinking more broadly about themes such as desire, decay, and perverse beauty. My new work blurs the boundaries between adornment, body, nature, and food through material and form. These materials investigate our ancient attraction towards shiny and sparkling objects and our aesthetic impulse to adorn ourselves and our surroundings.

I’m also exploring the transition when peak ripeness and perfection have passed, and decomposition begins. For example, in these instances of decay, flies, with their brilliant iridescence, become a form of adornment that signals the beautiful impermanence of material life. (I use dead flies I find in interior window sills of various buildings. Flies have not evolved to ‘understand’ glass, so many drop dead after their unsuccessful attempts to reach the outside.)

My degree programme has also pushed me to develop unfamiliar materials, such as my edible ‘bio-textiles’. I make them from a type of bioplastic which probably wouldn’t taste very good but is fully biodegradable. My bio-textiles won’t decay unless prompted by the right conditions, such as composting. 

Their ability to biodegrade is important to me because artists must use materials that reflect their values. So, the materials I use cannot contribute toxic waste to our ecosystems or harm us and the non-human forms with which we seek intimate connections. I am also working with cultured pearls, shellfish, anchovies, and rhinestones.

Aphrodisiacs is the fun nickname I’ve given to the small material sketches I’ve created using edible materials, including shrimp, mussels, gelatin, algae and sardines. I don’t consider most of them to be wearable or finished work, as they are examples of my initial approach to working off the body. 

I instead consider them to be Frankensteins of desire that are products of play. They are my first attempt at combining food, adornment, body and ecology. And I plan to use them as references for making larger, non-wearable works.

Despite these material and thematic transitions, a deep connection to ecology and fibre and textile remains in my practice. I continue to employ sewing, embroidery, and other garment embellishment techniques. It is difficult to fully articulate what my recent work is about, because it is so new to me. Most of it remains in the experimental phase, but I am excited to see where it leads me as a fibre artist.

Thoughts on social media

I primarily use Instagram to share my work. Using social media to promote one’s work is incredibly important. Increased visibility and the exciting opportunities that come with it are two major benefits.

Through Instagram, I’ve been able to connect with many different textile artists and designers. Maintaining an active presence on social media can be demanding, but it keeps one’s work on the radar of others.

Creating content for social media can sometimes feel as though one’s work has been reduced to consumables, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Sharing work can be intimidating, especially when the work is experimental and filled with uncertainty. I have been reluctant to share my recent graduate school artwork for this reason. However, it is crucial to share the behind-the-scenes of one’s artistic practice. It’s an excellent way to build engagement and excitement surrounding one’s work.

The way one’s work is photographed and displayed changes everything. That’s why I stylize photoshoots for all my photographed works.

I assume the role of a world builder for which I consider every detail, including the lighting and background to the type of camera being used. The final image must be curated because the space contributes to the message being communicated by one’s work. A good example of this process can be seen in my work, The Grotesque. The work was captured with a 35mm film camera which worked wonders on the highly stylized tablescape and formal garden setting.

Key takeaways

Although we’re guessing you won’t be inclined to start stitching with dead flies, Brendan’s approach to textile art gives us things to consider:

• Try incorporating unusual objects in your textile art. They don’t have to be scary or creepy. Explore the various ways you might work with them and the impact they have. 

• Brendan enjoys using multiple colourful yarn pom poms because when combined, they create delightful colour palettes. How might you use multiples or repetition of textile elements in your own work?

• When taking pictures of your completed art, think about the setting surrounding your work as much as the work itself. How does that background add to the story behind your work? Like Brendan, pay attention to ‘stylizing’ your photos.

Brendan O’Shaughnessy is an artist-designer working at the intersection of sculpture and garments. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Art in Fiber & Material Studies at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture (Philadelphia, PA, US).

Instagram: @brendan_oshaughnessy

Interested in learning about other mixed media artists using unique materials? Check out these five artists.

Aran Illingworth has stories to tell, and many can be hard to hear. Having worked in nursing and social care, Aran saw firsthand the impacts of homelessness, poverty and social deprivation. Her textile portraits now bear witness to those experiences, walking the delicate line between pain and hope.

Aran’s Indian aesthetic is clearly present through her use of intricate appliqué and stitch. Bold colours are layered to create images of traditional garments and settings. Viewers can easily imagine the bustle of busy streets or the spices in the air that surrounds her portraits’ figures.

Still, not all of Aran’s stories are so bittersweet. The pandemic lockdowns inspired her to explore ways to stitch the birds and other wildlife she saw on her daily walks. Of course, she still infused traditional Indian imagery in those works, including an artistic nod to a particular Indian artist from the late 1700s.

Aran’s portfolio is an important reminder that art is not only about beauty. It also has huge potential, and dare we say an obligation, to tell stories that make us uncomfortable at times. Welcome to Aran’s world.

Stitched fingers

My earliest memory of working with textiles was using my mum’s sewing machine. I was eight years old, and I particularly remember getting the sewing needle caught in my fingernails! Thankfully, that experience didn’t put me off sewing, and I continued under my mum’s guidance. My mum had enormous skill and experience in working with textiles. She also taught me how to crochet and embroider.

Although I was initially self-taught, upon leaving nursing and after the birth of my son, I decided to get formal training to help develop my skills. I first completed A-levels in a variety of art courses, along with various City and Guilds courses and diplomas. In due course, this led to completing a BA Degree in Applied Arts at the University of Hertfordshire.

I love textiles, especially the colours they provide and their versatility as an art medium. And from the start, I’ve sought to produce works that use textiles in ways that replicate a fine art piece.

Connecting to culture

My sense of form and colour is informed by a specifically Indian aesthetic. This is especially apparent with my use of vibrant colours in my works featuring Indian subjects. For example, When We Were Very Young features a vibrant use of colour in its depiction of a young Indian girl holding a badly broken, but cherished, doll. I made two versions of this work and, although the mood varied between the two pieces, the vibrant sense of colour did not.

However, if you look at my more recent work, such as The Man and His Friend II, the colour of the homeless man’s clothing is particularly striking. But those colours weren’t present in the original photograph I used. I introduced the colours myself as an expression of my Indian colour sense.

In terms of form, Madonna and Child, which depicts a young mother living on the streets of Delhi with her child, captures the sense of movement in Indian sculpture, such as Chola statues from the 12^th century and even earlier works. To that end, my work at one level can be viewed as a current manifestation of a much older tradition.

Poverty exposed

I aim to produce images which evoke a clear emotional response in the viewer that can range from compassion toward the poor and a heightened awareness of their predicament to lighter emotions in relation to less politically charged subjects.

My concerns around poverty and social deprivation strongly reflect my background in nursing and social care. I originally trained as a psychiatric nurse where I saw the results of poverty and deprivation on a daily basis: homelessness, alcoholism, drug dependency, and psychiatric disorders in offenders as well as other types of people. 

For example, Rabbit Proof Fence expresses how children’s voices can go unheard in society, especially those that are destitute and displaced. Those children struggle for life every day, and they are victims of forces beyond their comprehension, as their fundamental rights are disregarded and trashed. On The Bench features many shades of hidden meaning about the juxtaposition of the untold wealth of experience and untold suffering experienced by the homeless and refugees.

My concern with dementia and other age related issues also arose naturally as a continuation of my work as a nurse. Remember Me addresses the way dementia undermines and finally destroys the powerful memories and emotions that hold the secret of happiness and sadness in the life of the sufferer. Thankfully, life changing research with the aim of eliminating dementia continues.

Animal attraction

During lockdown, I started featuring animals and birds in my work, as I spent a lot of time in the garden and taking short walks watching for birds. I love wildlife, and I see quite a variety where I live in the countryside by a lake. I decided to challenge myself to create birds for a change. 

Heron was inspired by a heron I’d always see on my walks. I sought to incorporate an Oriental artistic style. Black Hooded Oriole was my take on Shaikh Zain Ud-Din’s artwork using opaque colour and ink on paper from the Impey Album, Calcutta, 1778.

Both The Man and His Friend and The Man and His Friend II combine themes of social deprivation and animals. In human relationships, love is not always unconditional and can become warped through ulterior motives or other pressures. But animal love is unconditional, and for the homeless their animal might be their only relationship. Their pet provides a source of courage, strength and love free from any warping effects among humans.

The creative process

Ideas for my work are ultimately generated out of the passion I have for certain themes. They can be socially relevant, such as homelessness, forced migration and dementia. But themes can also reflect other concerns and interests, such as wild animals, flowers or landscapes.

When looking for a subject for a new work, I generally start sourcing photographs and other images. I often use the Internet, although I’ve also used photographs taken by me or my family and friends. I look for images that resonate with me and speak to my concerns and sympathies. It’s essential that an image evokes a sufficient response in me.

Once I choose an image, I use my computer to electronically posterise and resize it to my preferred dimensions. But from then on, the focus shifts to the subject, the person in the portrait. The background follows at the end once the main image has been completed.

There are several stages in creating the subject’s image. I first print the posterised image and then trace the different sizes and shapes to create a template for building up a layered image. I then trace the individual template shapes onto fusible webbing, which will be ironed onto corresponding fabrics. Using a good pair of embroidery scissors, I cut out each fabric piece, taking care to leave extra fabric along any edges that will be tucked under adjoining pieces.

After cutting all the pieces, I start the jointing process by assembling them on a separate piece of calico. As I go along, I check the accuracy of the assembly by placing the traced template on the fabric. I refer to the original photographic print from time to time for visual reference. I also take care to ensure the backing paper of the fusible web is peeled off before assembling the pieces.

Once I’m pleased with the assemblage, I iron everything onto the calico. And then I start the process of hand stitching to add details to the eyes, teeth and other prominent features. The stitching really brings the pieces to life, but nothing would be possible without putting the appliqué framework in place first.

When stitching over underlying appliquéd fabrics, I follow an unwritten method, which I have developed over several years to achieve my desired effect. A methodical approach is essential, as impulsive stitching wouldn’t give the quality of work to which I aspire. I mainly use backstitch with a single floss of cotton thread. As time has passed, however, I have sought greater intricacy in my stitching, so my stitching is ever more like painting with thread.

I have also introduced machine stitching for some parts of my images, as well as fabric paint. On the Bench is a good example in which the bench structure is machine stitched, and the homeless man’s leg is partly painted with fabric paint.

Work on the background only happens once the main image has been completed, and the time it takes to complete a background varies widely among different works. In some instances, the background is a plain fabric mount without detail, such as with Madonna and Child, Madonna and Child III and On the Beach. However, the background can be much more elaborate, as in East of Eden.

Defending textile art

I can’t say textiles are better or worse than any other media for expressing my concerns. However, because textile art has historically been undervalued and overlooked as an artistic medium, part of my challenge is to correct that false impression.

Textile artists are constantly confronted with the artificial distinction between fine art and textile art. Textile art is widely regarded in artistic circles as a lesser art form. Terms like ‘applied’ or ‘decorative’ art are often applied, as well as ‘craft’. This appears to be at least partly due to the association of textile related activities with domesticity and femininity. The fact textile art can also serve a practical purpose also poses a challenge in the fine art world.

These attitudes have always been a challenge for me, but I’ve never turned back or been tempted to look at any other medium. I have always been fascinated with both textiles and creating realistic images, and I continue to fight to be seen and heard.

Key takeaways

Aran states on her website that she wants her work to serve as an indictment of India’s social condition in the 21st century. Her passion to confront poverty and social injustice informs virtually all of her work. In this regard, consider the following:

• Aran purposely infuses the aesthetics of her Malaysian-Indian culture in her textile art. What aesthetics from your culture(s) or background might you incorporate in your own textile art?

• Think of a personal or social cause that stirs your passion. What can you create in response to that challenge or issue? Experiment with a variety of techniques and explore how your passion informs your artistic choices.  

• Consider using technology to ‘posterise’ an image of your choice to create a template. Along with Photoshop, there are other computer programs and tablet and phone apps that can help you achieve a similar effect.

Aran Illingworth is Malaysian-Indian by birth. Currently based in Cottenham near Cambridge, she has lived and worked in the UK since the 70s. Aran earned a BA Degree in Applied Arts from the University of Hertfordshire, and her work is exhibited in the UK and internationally.

Artist website: www.aran-i.com

Facebook: facebook.com/aran.illingworth

Instagram: instagram.com/aranillingworth

Interested in other textile artists who use their art to address important social issues? Check out Nneka Jones’ work, which tackles important social justice issues in the United States.

We all know how challenging it can be to attend in-person workshops with our favourite textile artists. And sometimes online workshops can be tricky to budget for, or hard to squeeze into our busy schedules.

Get ready to meet some very generous textile artists who are sharing their tips and techniques in book form, that super convenient, tactile and long-lasting format. They’re not holding anything back, and the wealth of information and instruction they provide is guaranteed to inspire.

There’s nothing like being able to sit with a book to study gorgeous images of an artist’s work and read step-by-step instructions to try out their techniques at home. And, as you tackle a book’s tips and projects, you can jot notes in the margins along the way. Most importantly, you can learn at your own pace and revisit ideas over and over again.

This is a long list filled with a variety of textile art genres, from traditional stitching to surface design to sculpture. And all the authors are indeed experts at what they do. We’re confident there’s at least a title or two you’ll want to add to your bookshelf. Enjoy!

Mixed Media Textile Art in Three Dimensions

Ann Goddard draws her inspiration from natural landscapes, organic materials and a concern for the environment. She combines textile and non-textile elements to create intriguing juxtapositions. Linen, loose fibres, paper and yarn are complemented by concrete, wood, lead and bark. 

Readers are introduced to techniques ranging from stitching, wrapping, couching and knotting to sawing, drilling and casting. Instruction is aimed to help artists create eclectic works in which boundaries are crossed and expectations are challenged.

Ann Goddard is part of the prestigious 62 Group. She exhibits globally, particularly in the UK and Europe.

Mixed Media Textile Art in Three Dimensions (2022) by Ann Goddard. ISBN 9781849946926

Organic Embroidery

Learn how to use your sewing machine to turn natural forms into exquisite art. Meredith Woolnough offers a behind-the-scenes look into her organic embroidery technique. Readers will learn how to create replicas of nature using a delicate system of tiny stitches. 

Twelve different creativity-prompting activities are included to help master her method, with emphasis on achieving varied shapes and patterns from sources like leaves, shells and coral. Instruction on working with your sewing machine is also included, as well as gorgeous images of Meredith’s works for further inspiration.

Meredith Woolnough is based in Australia, where she teaches workshops at textile studios and schools. Her work has appeared in Handmade, Fibre Arts Now, Stitches, Embroidery and other magazines.

Organic Embroidery (2018) by Meredith Woolnough. ISBN 9780764356131

Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media

This modern guide to weaving contains a wealth of practical advice and loads of inspiration for every aspect of weaving. From gathering materials to making and exhibiting ambitious woven masterpieces, this book celebrates the meditative and calming effects of the loom. The best part is readers won’t need expensive equipment to create something beautiful. 

Rachna Garodia clearly explains how to choose a loom, take inspiration from the natural world to design and plan, gather varied materials, personalise your work, and explore unusual weaving techniques. The book is also filled with gorgeous images of Rachna and other global weavers’ incredible textile art.

Stitch Club member Louise J. Jones is a big fan of this book, especially its chapter called ‘Walk With A Poem In Your Heart’.

‘I’m delighted by the way Rachna creates ‘poetry yarn’ by combining poetry with textile art, and it inspired me to make my own version. The chapter also describes how Rachna created her Ode to Sylvia Plath piece, which incorporates a dried fig leaf to echo Plath’s fig tree metaphor for the heroine’s turmoil in The Bell Jar’.

Rachna Garodia runs workshops, works to commission and exhibits widely. She trained at the National Institute of Design in India and The Royal School of Needlework in London.

Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media (2022) by Rachna Garodia. ISBN 9781849947657

Textile Creativity Through Nature: Felt, Texture and Stitch

Jeanette Appleton has come up with a guide packed with practical ideas for rewilding your creative practice. Written for new and experienced felters alike, Jeanette shares her philosophy and methods of working with nature as a way of nurturing creativity and sustainability. 

Learn how to create exciting felt surfaces that are both beautiful and versatile. From lines of sea, hedge and grass to cracks in parched earth or frosted puddles, Jeanette reveals her techniques for translating natural phenomena into subtleties of texture and stitch. She also shares a variety of strategies for overcoming artist’s block, including transforming recycled cloth, and studying the routes and patterns of your local environment.

Jeanette Appleton is a member of the 62 Group, and she exhibits her work in the UK and across the globe. Her work is featured in many magazines and books.

Textile Creativity Through Nature: Felt, Texture and Stitch (publication date October 2023) by Jeanette Appleton. ISBN 9781849947732

Fragmentation and Repair for Mixed Media and Textile Artists

‘Fragmentation’ and ‘repair’ are buzzwords in textile and mixed media art, and Shelley Rhodes is a master of both. Learn how she reconstructs and reassembles cloth, paper and other materials to create new pieces. 

Shelley also describes how she uses found objects collected over the years to add depth and emotional resonance to her work. From piercing and devoré to patching and darning, the author shares a wealth of favourite techniques, including the Japanese concepts of ‘wabi-sabi’ (finding beauty in imperfection) and ‘mottainai’ (using every last scrap).

Shelley Rhodes teaches workshops covering all aspects of design, stitch, drawing, sketchbooks and mixed media work. She has also written for a variety of publications, including Drawn to Stitch and Somerset Studio.

Fragmentation and Repair for Mixed Media and Textile Artists (2021) by Shelley Rhodes. ISBN 9781849946100

Embroidering the Everyday: Found, Stitch and Paint

Cas Holmes explores the everyday and the domestic to help readers re-examine the world and make use of their geographic limitations or individual circumstances as a rich resource for creating. 

Cas shares her own and other leading practitioners’ works to demonstrate how to be more resourceful, to rediscover a family history, to draw from one’s local landscape and to transform materials. Homemade dyes, mark-making, stitch, image transfer and collage are just a sampling of the book’s many techniques, which readers can use to create mixed media textiles in a more thoughtful way. 

Cas Holmes exhibits widely and runs courses at West Dean College in West Sussex. Her other books include Textile Landscape (2018), Stitch Stories (2015), Connected Cloth (2013) and The Found Object in Textile Art (2010).

Embroidering the Everyday: Found, Stitch and Paint (2021) by Cas Holmes. ISBN 9781849947114

Textile Portraits: People and Places in Textile Art

Anne Kelly is known for her evocative and nostalgic work that often incorporates portraits. This book gives readers a look into the variety of techniques she uses to achieve the nuances of facial expressions and personalities, including hand and machine embroidery, quilting and appliqué. 

Topics include self-portraits, cultural expression, abstraction, incorporating narratives and even pet portraits. Anne also features the work of other textile artists from across the globe who specialise in portraiture.

Anne Kelly is a textile artist and tutor. Her work is exhibited globally in solo and group exhibitions, and she is the author of Textile Travels (2020), Textile Folk Art (2018), Textile Nature (2016), and Connected Cloth (2013).

Textile Portraits: People and Places in Textile Art (2023) by Anne Kelly. ISBN 9781849947534

Targeted Truth: Threading the Reality of Society

Nneka Jones felt extremely vulnerable when she decided to transition from a painter to a mixed media artist, and Targeted Truth documents both her courage and artistic process. 

This isn’t a typical embroidery book highlighting different techniques or types of stitches. Instead, it provides a visual experience emphasising the marriage of art and activism and the physical work it takes to bind the two. 

Nneka’s portraits resonate with colour and feeling, and this sneak peek into her process allows readers to appreciate embroidery through every stage, ultimately leaving us with a greater appreciation for her final artwork.

Nneka Jones graduated with a BFA from the University of Tampa, Florida, US. One of her most notable achievements was a TIME magazine commission to produce the cover artwork for the August 31 2020 cover. 

Targeted Truth (2020) by Nneka Jones

Stitch and Pattern: Design and Technique for Pattern Textile Art

Learn how even basic squares, circles and triangles can create stunning impact in stitch and textiles. Drawing inspiration from across the globe, Jean Draper provides practical and simple instructions for developing and experimenting with patterns using grids, symmetry, rotation and repeats. 

Jean also provides instruction on creating bands and borders, strip patchwork and strip piecing. Even body ornamentation is explored to help interpret the human form in stitch. Inspiration, design methods and stitching techniques fill the pages of this gorgeous book.

Jean Draper is an exhibiting member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists and the Textile Study Group. Her work is in public and private collections throughout the UK and abroad.

Stitch and Pattern (2018) by Jean Draper. ISBN 9781849944397

Poetic Cloth: Creating Meaning in Textile Art

Discover how cloth, stitch and surface can create personal meaning in textile art. This book explores the connection between process and material by focusing on stitch, print, surface manipulation and construction to create seductive textile surfaces. Hannah Lamb emphasises a sensitivity to material, a quiet attention to detail and thoughtful application of textile technique. Her techniques include hand stitch, shadow work, patching, darning, devoré and cyanotype printing.

Stitch Club member Elizabeth Stephenson especially loves this book because it has a good balance of technical and practical information, along with inspiring images of completed works.

‘I’ve been very focused on process and am at a point where I need to consider meaning and purpose a bit more in my work. This book is a great prompt for thinking about those aspects. It also has a lovely textured cover, so it’s nice to handle as well.’

Hannah Lamb has lectured in embroidery and design at Bradford School of Art where she is currently Programme Leader for Textiles. Hannah exhibits nationally and internationally and is an exhibiting member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists.

Poetic Cloth: Creating meaning in textile art (2019) by Hannah Lamb. ISBN 9781849945363

The Art of Annemieke Mein: The Wildlife Artist in Textiles

Annemieke Mein is known for extraordinary sculptures borne out of her passionate commitment to the environment. She uses a variety of materials, such as silk, wool, fur and cotton for their colour, texture, credibility and aesthetic appeal. She then meticulously paints and stitches her subjects using hand and machine embroidery, appliqué, quilting, weaving, trapunto, felting and more. 

While her approach sounds complex, readers are provided with detailed instructions and gorgeous imagery of how to combine Annemieke’s numerous techniques for limitless combinations.

Annemieke Mein was the first textile artist to be accepted as a member of both the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia and the Australian Guild of Realist Artists. She has exhibited at galleries in Australia and her work is included in private collections across the globe.

The Art of Annemieke Mein: The Wildlife Artist in Textiles (2019) by Annemieke Mein. ISBN 9781782217657

Sculptural Textile Art: A Practical Guide to Mixed Media Wire Sculpture

Priscilla Edwards takes stitch to impressive new levels within wire sculpture. Working both two and three-dimensionally, Priscilla layers colour, stitch, shape and texture to transform surfaces into beautiful and whimsical sculptures full of character, curiosity and charm.

Readers can explore a playful mixed media approach to create 3D sculptures using a variety of media to transform plain papers, fabrics and memorabilia. Priscilla also offers tips for including both hand and free-motion machine stitching. The book wraps up with five separate projects designed to build upon complexity and inspire development of one’s artistic voice.

Priscilla Edwards exhibits her work globally and lectures in higher education for the University of Creative Arts (UK). Priscilla also hosts independent workshops and talks in galleries, museums and schools.

Sculptural Textile Art: A Practical Guide to Mixed Media Wire Sculpture (2022) by Priscilla Edwards. ISBN 9781782219002

Books featured in this article

• Mixed Media Textile Art in Three Dimensions (2022) by Ann Goddard

• Organic Embroidery (2018) by Meredith Woolnough

• Contemporary Weaving in Mixed Media (2022) by Rachna Garodia

• Textile Creativity Through Nature: Felt, Texture and Stitch (October 2023) by Jeanette Appleton

• Fragmentation and Repair for Mixed Media and Textile Artists (2021) by Shelley Rhodes

• Embroidering the Everyday: Found, Stitch and Paint (2021) by Cas Holmes

• Textile Portraits: People and Places in Textile Art (September 2023) by Anne Kelly

• Targeted Truth: Threading the Reality of Society (2020) by Nneka Jones

• Stitch and Pattern: Design and Technique for Pattern Textile Art (2018) by Jean Draper

• Poetic Cloth: Creating meaning in textile art (2019) by Hannah Lamb

• The Art of Annemieke Mein: The Wildlife Artist in Textiles (2019) by Annemieke Mein

• Sculptural Textile Art: A Practical Guide to Mixed Media Wire Sculpture (2022) by Priscilla Edwards

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Can’t get enough ‘must read’ booklists? Check out our Stitch Picks for best hand embroidery books.

Elizabeth Griffiths’ portfolio is a wonderful reminder that textile artists don’t have to stay in their lane. It’s okay to set down the needle and thread at times and pick up a paintbrush or ink roller instead. After all, mixed media is a mashup of various approaches. And the lessons we learn when focusing on different art forms can inform everything we create, including our textile art.

Elizabeth’s work also demonstrates how one’s emotions and state of mind can influence mixed media choices. When serious illness came knocking at Elizabeth’s door, she became acutely aware of how her rollercoaster health journey dictated whether to pick up a needle or a paintbrush. And she gave herself permission to follow those artistic instincts.

Variety is truly the spice of Elizabeth’s creative life. And by not playing favourites among stitch, watercolour and ink, she shows us how mixed media possibilities are truly endless. Including earning a spot on a major TV competition show!

Mixed media freedom

When I stitch, it’s deliberate. I know where my needle is going and what I want to achieve. But when I work in mixed media, I’m able to break away from some of the predictability of stitch and can instead be led by the medium I am using.

I often use a lino-print or watercolour on fabric as my starting point. These base paintings and prints are abstract. I then use embroidery to highlight the abstract piece, using colour and shape to enhance the composition. I find this approach helps me embrace the accidents and incidentals, which are always my favourite bits in my watercolour and print works.

I experiment through trial and error when choosing inks and paints to find the right combination of fabric and ink or paint. I usually work with a highly pigmented watercolour paint on a medium-weight calico. I recently ran out of my painting fabric, and even though I’m sourcing new fabric from the same place, it looks like it’s been treated differently, as the paint seems to bleed more into the fabric. So, I’m still looking for the perfect fabric.

For printing, I use a calico-safe wash ink, and I prefer to print upon a heavy linen. Because I’m after an abstract application of the ink, I find the slubs in the linen add interest and texture to the prints.

When I’m asked for advice about using mixed media, I suggest just giving it a go and then keep going. It’s all about experimentation. Try a few different combinations of fabrics and paints. Then when you find a combination that works for you, keep practising, exploring and learning.

I also think it can be helpful to not only focus upon stitching. I’m currently enjoying learning more about watercolour through my abstract floral pieces. I tend to go in cycles alternating among stitch, print and paint as my favoured media. It gives me an opportunity to grow and learn and then bring that knowledge to my mixed media work.

Finding Balance

I was given a sewing machine for my 21^st birthday whilst studying architecture at Oxford Brookes University. I started to explore machine embroidery, and I often used my abstract stitching as inspiration for building plans and elevations. My first stitched artwork was an interpretation of Le Corbusier’s Modular Man that I machine embroidered on my flatmate’s old leather apron as part of my coursework. I also surprised my tutors by sewing my final projects!

After leaving university, I dabbled in art here and there. I made some embroideries, lino-printed Christmas cards each year and occasionally sketched, but I hadn’t formed an artistic practice. I don’t think I realised how much I needed art until I was retraining in public health. I needed a creative outlet to help me maintain balance.

I’m a public health professional in my day job, and the pandemic response was incredibly challenging. I had both a strategic and operational leadership role during the pandemic, including setting up testing arrangements, managing outbreaks, writing local emergency policies and advising medical groups and the general public. The hours were long, intense and pressured.

Art, especially embroidery, became an essential way for me to maintain balance whilst working. Stitching is very much like meditation and mindfulness, and it became an ideal way to switch off the buzzing in my brain, slow down and regulate work during tense times.

Now when I find myself itching to be creative, I try to give myself art time at least once a week. A big part of that is giving myself permission. I recognise art is an essential part of who I am and what I need to maintain balance.

I also strongly advocate for the use of art in public health. Art has been proven to provide health benefits when used as an intervention. It also prompts conversations that otherwise might not happen, which ultimately improves access to health across communities.

The eyes have it

I’ve always been drawn to eyes, as I think they display an honesty about a person. So much of an individual’s personality and thought processes seep through their eyes, and I try to reflect that essence through my embroideries. Creating eye embroideries during the pandemic was also a great way for me to feel closer to friends and family whilst we were all in our household bubbles.

My first eye portraits were of my son and daughter. I loved how viewers could tell immediately whose eyes were whose and that their personalities could be seen. My early eye portraits were far less detailed than those I create now. And in some ways, I’d like to go back to that earlier simplicity, as now there are so many stitches!

I use a source photograph to create my portraits. I’ll usually start by stitching guidelines as a rough starting point and then dive in with all the additional stitching. I don’t really start with an end point in mind. I just let the shapes and colours evolve as I go along.

I prefer unbleached calico as the base fabric. I like its natural fibres and how the fabric’s slubs show. My threads come from a rather messy box filled with small, rescued thread scraps nestled alongside new threads. It always delights me to find a small length of thread in the perfect shade. Some threads in my box have been handed down and are over 50 years old.

In loving memory

My mom was an avid textile artist and, whilst in treatment for breast cancer, she designed and created a beautiful cross stitch of a nesting bird. It has long been a treasured and inspiring piece.

I thought long and hard about how I might honour that piece using stitch and then, as we entered a period of lockdown, the concepts of home, nurture and family came to the fore. My ‘nest’ motif was born.

I created several nest works as part of my Stay at Home series that included three embroidered nests in colour palettes reminiscent of my mom. I also created a mixed media print and embroidered nest, and a series of lino-print nests, each with a different application of ink. I wanted to show the very different experiences during lockdown, so each piece is its own unique variation.

As with my eye portraits, the nests were created from my messy box of threads and, fittingly, many of the thread scraps had originally been used by my mom. I stuck to my usual style of stitching using double stranded threads and satin stitch all in a vertical plane.

Selfie time

Flashes of Self is a self portrait created in reaction to working in emergency response during the pandemic. The job was exhausting and draining, and whilst working very long days, we were all separate and working remotely from home. The portrait explores the different emotional dimensions I exhibited during the pandemic. I became functional and reactive, however, through my time with family and art, glimpses and flashes of my true self came through. I was in danger of losing a bit of myself, and so self-portraits were a way of reclaiming what was important to me.

Covid Selfie was my first full self-portrait. I had previously stitched my eye, but this was far more ambitious. I actually started working on the selfie before the pandemic. I stitched the cheek, and then for whatever reason, I became a bit daunted by the size of the undertaking and left it for a while. I think when I picked it back up, it was without really thinking about the finished product. I was more interested in the process and the opportunity to unwind.

I initially worked from a photograph, but then I took artistic licence! I try not to think about the whole, but instead look at the shapes and colours as I go along. It is only really at the end that I step back and see the whole portrait has emerged.

First solo show

I entered an open exhibition at the General Office art gallery in Stourbridge in 2019. I was lucky enough to win the People’s Choice Award for the open, and my prize was my own solo exhibition at the gallery!

I spent some time compiling works and a narrative for the show. Three sets of series work were displayed to reflect different parts of my pandemic experience, and each series used a different artefact as its starting point. 

Apart explored isolation, identity, separation and sparks of life using an embroidered ‘covid selfie’ as a starting point. Stay at Home explored safety, comfort, protection and nurture of home with the nesting series inspired by my mom’s cross stitch. And Beauty in the Incidental looked at the everyday and familiar through a new lens, exploring the passing of seasons on local landscapes. The starting point for that series was an embroidered inkblot of the moon.

The exhibition’s title, A Long Line, refers to both a stitch and a reference to my textile artist heritage. I wanted to acknowledge the fact my solo show was a moment in time in the stitching journey of many generations of creatives.

Needlework had a very strong presence in my mother’s side of the family. I learnt to sew with my mum. She taught me using an old Singer sewing machine on which I promptly sewed through my finger! The needle literally broke off in my finger, and I had to get a tetanus injection.

I’ve also taken a lot of inspiration from my aunt’s use of colour in her quilts. She is great at adding accents that really lift her work.

I feel much gratitude for having the skills and patience needed for needlework and other art forms, as well as my parents’ exposing me to art and creating. I take much joy in seeing these skills passed on to the next generation, and I wanted to celebrate their work in the exhibition too.

And action!

In 2022, I was fortunate to be selected to compete in Sky Arts’ well-respected TV show Portrait Artist of the Year. My mixed media Flashes of Self work earned me the spot.

The competition gives artists four hours to paint (or, in my case, stitch) a celebrity sitter. As one might imagine, four hours is no time at all for a textile artist. Especially when one is being interviewed, photographed and recorded live all at once.

Unfortunately, my grand plans to practise beforehand were fairly scuppered, as I was also planning my solo show and moving house at the same time. So, my actual preparation was simply thinking how best to achieve my outcome in four hours whilst staying true to my style.

My celebrity sitter was Bruno Tonioli, a former judge on Strictly Come Dancing. He was great fun, but he would not sit still! I started off with a quick sketch to make sure I had the composition I wanted. I then blocked in some guidelines, so I could make sure the sitter’s features were positioned and proportioned correctly. I then used a black thread to sketch in features, and halfway through, I added a splash of watercolour to give a bit more shadow to the piece. Finally, I started adding stitch details to one of the eyes. I managed to complete the work, but Bruno’s comment was that he wanted more: the Bayeux Tapestry no less! I’ll continue to think about how I can adapt textile art to a four-hour timeframe.

Art and illness

I learned I had breast cancer shortly after I appeared on Sky Art’s Portrait Artist of the Year TV show and after hosting my solo show. Because I lost my mother to breast cancer at an early age, there were quite a few emotions to process. Once again, I turned to my art, and I found it interesting to discover how my emotions and overall state-of-mind at any given point influenced what type of creative medium I chose.

For example, during the four weeks after diagnosis, but pre-operation, I simply could not embroider. The process was too long and deliberate, and I was in my head too much. So, I sought a new medium: watercolour. Watercolour is relatively rapid which was fascinating, especially in how it forced me to watch and learn and essentially hand control over to the paint.

Now when I look back at those paintings, I can see the emotion or thoughts I was subconsciously processing. For instance, the painting I made the day before my operation is defiant and haunting, and I keep it in my studio as a reminder.

After my operation, I was much more comfortable reaching for my needle and thread again. I had prepared some fabrics with paint in readiness, and I embroidered into those to create mixed media pieces whilst I was recuperating.

Having a dedicated creative space has also helped. I have always thought a key benefit of working with textiles is they are portable. I used to stitch anywhere, including the train, curled up on a chair, and poolside whilst waiting for the children to finish their classes. But we recently moved house, and I was adamant about bagging one of the rooms as a studio. I love it. The light is great, and it’s just lovely to have a space that is all about creating and finding balance.

I am still on my healing journey, and thankfully, the cancer appears to have all been removed. I am still due to have more operations over the coming year. But this illness journey has been one of growth and learning, and I can’t wait to see where it takes my art.

Key takeaways

• Set down your needle and thread and pick up a different mark making tool. Spend 10 to 15 minutes to see what you create, and then ask yourself how those marks might inform or be combined with your textile art.

• Consider choosing a facial feature to stitch. Elizabeth likes to create detailed eye portraits. How many different eye portraits can you create? What about noses or mouths?

• Elizabeth said making helps her achieve balance in her daily life, and she sets time aside every week for creative bursts. Is this something that would work for you as well?

• Give yourself permission to choose art techniques that suit your frame of mind. When Elizabeth’s thoughts were racing, she picked up a paintbrush instead of a needle. Let your emotions lead the way.

Elizabeth Griffiths works in embroidery, print, watercolour and mixed media. She staged her first solo show at the General Office Gallery in Stourbridge (2022) and was a competitor in Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year (2022).

Instagram: @lizgstitches

Facebook: facebook.com/people/Elizabeth-Griffiths-stitch-art

Interested in exploring more mixed media techniques? Check out this article featuring another five amazing artists.

‘Make it do, do without, use it up, wear it out’.

My mother was a young girl during America’s Great Depression, and she also had family members who somehow survived the Dust Bowl years. She grew up hearing this saying, and she repeated it often to me, especially when I thought I needed something new to wear. ‘You can fix that’ was her approach to everything, especially when it came to textiles and clothing.

In a world focused on consumerism, textile artists are increasingly questioning the need for ‘new’ and are instead choosing to use vintage fabrics or incorporate visible mending and other sustainable approaches. And some artists incorporate natural materials or take a meditative approach to their work, inspired by the sights, sounds and rhythms of nature.

Working sustainably is great for your wellbeing. Whether you’re experimenting with natural materials, experiencing slow stitching or connecting with nature through your art practice, this philosophy will bring mental, physical and spiritual benefits.

But knowing where to start can be overwhelming. What should I make with that old tablecloth and how do I work around those stains? How do I reconnect with nature? Where do I source older textiles? What’s recyclable and what’s not? How do I work more sustainably?

This booklist has the answers you need. These expert authors will help you imagine, source and create your own textile art using a variety of techniques, including dyeing your own fabrics, incorporating found objects and natural materials, and exploring unique threadwork. You’ll also discover the benefits of connecting with nature to inspire your creativity.

Create Naturally: Go Outside and Rediscover Nature with 15 Artists

Learn from 15 makers who share their philosophies and step by step processes to create nature connected works. They not only share tips and suggestions for creating your own art, but they also articulate the physical, mental and spiritual benefits they gain from working with natural, recycled and repurposed materials. 

Featured works include a nature journal, baskets, temporary beach structures, dyed textile and woven wall art, and embroidery. The book’s luscious pictures and interesting stories make readers feel as if they’re having a personal creative conversation with the makers.

Author Marcia Young has been making and writing about art and fine craft for over 30 years. She is the founder of the Fiber Art Network and former publisher of Fiber Art Now magazine.

Create Naturally: Go Outside and Rediscover Nature with 15 Artists (2023) by Marcia Young. ISBN 978-0764364341

Wild Textiles: Grown, Foraged, Found

Textile artist Alice Fox is known for her remarkable use of natural and found objects. And she’s now sharing advice on how to work with foraged, gathered and grown materials to create fabulous textile art pieces. You’ll be amazed by the possibilities! Weeds, dandelions and other plants are useful as cordage, while leaves can be stitched, quilted and shaped into vessels. 

Alice also describes how grass, wool, plastics and mud can be delightfully repurposed, along with stones, shells and a multitude of urban treasures. She encourages makers to be open minded and experimental as they work with seasonal bounties to create art that bears a strong sense of place and character.

Author Alice Fox is an embroiderer and textile artist who uses techniques from textiles, soft basketry and printmaking. She is based in Saltaire, West Yorkshire (UK), and exhibits and teaches across the globe.

Wild Textiles: Grown, Foraged, Found (2022) by Alice Fox. ISBN 978-1849947879

Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art

Following up on her renowned book Slow Stitch, Claire Wellesley-Smith considers the connection and ideas around wellbeing when using textiles for individuals and communities. 

Claire and other contemporary textile artists share practical ideas for ‘thinking through making’, using ‘resonant’ materials, and extending the life of pieces using traditional and non-traditional methods. Community based textile projects are also featured, including a moving account of one textile community’s creative response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The connection between wellbeing and the creation of textiles has never been stronger. Recommendations for resilient fabrics that can be manipulated, stressed, withstand tension and be made anew are offered throughout the book. Claire and featured artists also explain techniques for layering, patching, reinforcing and mending. The overarching goal is to help makers explore ways to link their emotional health with their textile practice.

Stitch Club member Rosalind Byass is a big fan of Claire’s books and says she has read them from cover to cover several times.

‘Her first book, Slow Stitch, is like a stitch meditation. Its calm colours, cloth cover and peaceful visual layout make it one of my favourite textile books. I love Claire’s style of writing and her attitude and approach to life. Be sure to read her page on repair. It will change your view about things not being perfect. The section on stitching and mental health is also uplifting.’

Stitch Club member Joekie Blom is also a fan of Claire’s first book Slow Stitch.

‘It’s wonderful. I especially love the natural dyeing Claire describes. I changed all my not-so-liked threads into wonderful colours.’

Author Claire Wellesley-Smith is based in Yorkshire, UK. She teaches extensively in adult education, schools, community based projects, museums and galleries.

Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art (2021) by Claire Wellesley-Smith. ISBN 978-1849946070

Wild Colour: How to Make and Use Natural Dyes

Natural dyes are a wonderful way to add colour and dimension to your textile art, but knowing the ‘what’ and ‘how’ in working with plants can be a challenge. Jenny Dean’s book is a practical and inspiring all-in-one resource for textile artists of all genres, including knitters, sewers and weavers. 

More than 65 species of plants and natural dyestuffs are featured, and Jenny carefully explains how to select fibres and plant parts and then choose the right methods for mordanting and dyeing. She also describes how to obtain a range of gorgeous colours from every plant using environmentally friendly dyeing techniques.

Author Jenny Dean has been using natural dyes for over 40 years and has written several books on the subject. She also lectures and leads workshops on natural dyeing, and she enjoys hand spinning, knitting and other textile arts.

Wild Colour: How to Make and Use Natural Dyes (2018) by Jenny Dean. ISBN 978-1784725532

Textures from Nature in Textile Art: Natural Inspiration for Mixed-Media and Textile Artists

This book is for artists wanting to combine unusual recycled and repurposed materials with traditional fabric and thread. Textile artist Marian Jazmik reveals the secrets of her lushly textured and sculptural embroidered pieces, from initial photography to finished objects. Who knew a chance spotting of lichen on a tree trunk or scattering of autumn leaves could lead to such glorious textile art?

This book is packed with practical tips and illustrated examples of a myriad of Marian’s techniques. She takes the fear out of working with images and helps makers translate those images into three dimensional works using an eclectic mix of natural and synthetic materials. Hand and machine embroidery, as well as dyeing, printing and painting techniques, are also explained.

Stitch Club member Zara Muradyan is a fan of Marian’s book.

‘I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for new ways to explore textural surfaces while using everyday materials. Great resource for upcycling while creating sophisticated artwork!’

Author Marian Jazmik is based in Bolton, Lancashire, UK, and she has exhibited widely, including at The Knitting and Stitching Shows, Home in Manchester and with Prism textiles group in London and Birmingham.

Textures from Nature in Textile Art: Natural Inspiration for Mixed Media and Textile Artists (2021) by Marian Jazmik. ISBN ‎ 978-1849946704

The Wild Dyer: A Maker’s Guide with Natural Dyes with Projects to Create and Stitch

Fabrics coloured with natural dyes have a beauty and subtlety all their own. Onion and avocado skins, chamomile and birch bark, and even nettles and acorns can produce lovely, ethereal colours and effects. 

Abigail Booth takes the reader’s hand to help demystify how to forage and grow dying materials. She fully explains her dyeing process, including workspace setup, equipment and fabric choices and care. Beautiful photographs are complemented by easy to follow instructions. 

In this book, Abigail also shares unique sewing projects for using your beautifully dyed fabrics, including a drawstring foraging bag, a gardener’s smock and a reversible patchwork blanket. Both beginners and experienced artists will enjoy Abigail’s journey from her kitchen to the great outdoors.

Author Abigail Booth is based in London, UK, and is co-founder of the studio collective Forest + Found. She works in textiles, drawing and painting, and exhibits in the UK and internationally.

The Wild Dyer: A Maker’s Guide with Natural Dyes with Projects to Create and Stitch (2017) by Abigail Booth. ISBN 978-0857833952

Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles

No matter your experience with using botanical dyes, India Flint leads the way. She explores the fascinating and infinitely variable world of plant colour, including gathering, preparing and processing plants. 

From whole dyed cloth and applied colour to prints and layered dye techniques, India uses renewable resources and shows how to do the least possible harm to the dyer and the environment. Her recipes include a number of processes uniquely developed by India, as well as guidelines for plant collection and using nontoxic mordants.

Author India Flint is an artist and writer whose works are represented in collections and museums in Germany, Latvia and Australia. She lives on a farm in rural South Australia, researching plant dyes, making artworks and planting trees.

Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles (2021) by India Flint. ISBN 978-1911668404

Textiles Transformed: Thread and thrift with reclaimed textiles

There’s something quite magical about textile collage using vintage textiles, and Mandy Pattullo is an expert. Following the make do and mend and folk art traditions of previous generations, Mandy provides simple instructions for working with a variety of antique textiles and precious fragments. The book is filled with ideas for embellishment, stitch and appliqué, as well as tips for transforming materials into impressive quilts, bags, books, tablecloths, tapestry panels, wall hangings and more.

Mandy also shares project ideas for working with quilts, patchworks, linen, lace, wool and deconstructed preloved garments. Each project beautifully demonstrates how makers can incorporate beautiful fabric and stitch finds from the past.

Author Mandy Pattullo trained as a surface pattern and textile designer and is now a textile artist who exhibits and teaches across the UK. Her work is based on collage techniques, and she makes a conscious effort to repurpose existing textiles.

Textiles Transformed: Thread and thrift with reclaimed textiles by Mandy Pattullo (2020). ISBN  978-1849945806

Mending with Boro: Japanese Running Stitch & Patching Techniques

One simple stitch can bring new life to hundreds of your favourite things! Harumi Horiuchi introduces the simple straight (running) stitch called sashiko (it translates as ‘little stabs’), used to repair and reinforce fabrics. This process of repair, and the philosophy of finding beauty in mending, emerged in Japan and is known as boro. It’s a favourite technique among visible mending enthusiasts, as it adds intriguing textural elements to garments and home furnishings.

Harumi’s approach is simple: the things you love are worth fixing. She helps makers discover the pleasure of working with old fabrics and making classic neutrals come alive. Whether readers want to reinforce, repair or remake an entire garment with patches, Harumi’s demonstrations and instructions are easy and enjoyable. Not only will fabrics and garments gain a new look and feel, but the environment will also be grateful.

Author Harumi Horiuchi is an expert in repurposing old fabrics, particularly linen. She has co-authored other books in her native Japan about the joy of reworking and wearing old clothing.

Mending with Boro: Japanese Running Stitch & Patching Techniques (2023) by Harumi Horiuchi. ISBN 978-0804856041

Creative Mending: Beautiful Darning, Patching and Stitching Techniques

Mending is truly an art form in the hands of Hikaru Noguchi, and she’s sharing her entire range of techniques for embroidering, patching, darning and felting. Noguchi’s basic rule of mending is that a repair should suit the fabric and its user, so she provides 13 illustrated lessons and over 300 colour photos to help readers make the statement (or not) they want.

Learn how to use yarn, floss, ribbon and fabric to reinvent well loved garments, as well as ways to manoeuvre through tricky places like inseams and underarms. Numerous variations and 67 different tips and examples provide all the guidance you need to rethink and repair beautifully.

Author Hikaru Noguchi moved from Japan to England in 1989 to study constructed textiles, which led to collaborations with several British designers, including Tom Dixon and Barneys. Hikaru has participated in many international exhibitions, and her work is sold in boutiques and department stores in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo.

Creative Mending: Beautiful Darning, Patching and Stitching Techniques (2022) by Hikaru Noguchi. ISBN 978-0804854740

Stitched Mixed Media

‘Embellishment’ is what Jessica Grady is all about, and she’s well known for literally turning trash into whimsical and colourful treasures. This book is packed with colour, ideas and enthusiasm as she helps readers look at the potential of recycled products. She then explains how to turn those finds into beautiful embellishments for hand stitching onto samples. 

Projects and step by step sequences demonstrate her exciting process of playing with textiles and mixed media to create new and unique works. Jessica helps readers build a basic tool kit, as well as provides ideas for sourcing and organising supplies, making a stitch library of samples, and using threads creatively. 2D and 3D techniques are clearly explained for creating unique pieces and helping readers develop their own artistic voice.

Author Jessica Grady is based in West Yorkshire, UK, where she is a member of Art Textiles Made in Britain. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and in 2018, she was named as the ‘Under 30’s Scholar’ by The Embroiderers’ Guild. Jessica is also a passionate teacher who teaches stitch and recycling through various workshops and community projects.

Stitched Mixed Media (2023) by Jessica Grady. ISBN 978-0719842238

Books featured in this article

• Create Naturally: Go Outside and Rediscover Nature with 15 Artists (2023) by Marcia Young

• Wild Textiles: Grown, Foraged, Found (2022) by Alice Fox

• Resilient Stitch: Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art (2021) by Claire Wellesley-Smith

• Wild Colour: How to Make and Use Natural Dyes (2018) by Jenny Dean

• Textures from Nature in Textile Art: Natural Inspiration for Mixed Media and Textile Artists (2021) by Marian Jazmik

• The Wild Dyer: A Maker’s Guide with Natural Dyes with Projects to Create and Stitch (2017) by Abigail Booth

• Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles (2021) by India Flint

• Textiles Transformed: Thread and thrift with reclaimed textiles (2020) by Mandy Pattullo

• Mending with Boro: Japanese Running Stitch & Patching Techniques (2023) by Harumi Horiuchi

• Creative Mending: Beautiful Darning, Patching and Stitching Techniques (2022), by Hikaru Noguchi

• Stitched Mixed Media (2023) by Jessica Grady

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

Looking for more book suggestions? Check out our list of the best hand embroidery reference books.

All dressed up and no place to go. Such was the quandary for Dr. Jack Roberts when he decided to focus solely upon creating textile fine art. He had a solid foundation of education, experience and skill, but he was stumped: what should he make?

One might think having a variety of possibilities would be liberating and provide the necessary confidence to start creating. But all those possibilities can become overwhelming and stifle artistic movement.

The good news is Jack had a moment of clarity in the most unlikely of places that kickstarted his textile art journey, and he’s been making remarkable art ever since. Jack admits many of his techniques are a bit quirky, including using a scalpel instead of a scissors and dragging his sewing machine outside to work. But when you see his work, it all makes sense.

Jack’s also sharing his experiences with social media and the impact this has had on his journey. His candid insights might inspire you to set up your own art page if you haven’t already.

Enjoy this story about an artist who learns to get out of his own way to let his inner muse take over the presser foot.

So close and yet so far

Jack: When I decided to focus on my own art during the pandemic, I had already completed three degrees: an undergraduate degree in Contemporary Art Practice (Staffordshire University, UK), a master’s in Arts and Museum Management (University of Salford, UK), and a PhD for which I interviewed high-end artists and art dealers about their involvement in the art market (Manchester Metropolitan University, UK).

In addition to my studies, I had also operated as an art dealer, worked as a community artist, and I helped arts organisations with funding bids and evaluation reports. Also, after finishing my PhD, most of my time went into co-running an art centre in Shrewsbury called ArtShack.

Ironically, despite all those experiences and achievements, I couldn’t decide what to make. I had ideas of painting rural landscapes akin to Constable and Rembrandt. But I realised while I could paint to a degree, it wasn’t where my skills laid. Textiles were my thing, especially freehand embroidery.

I had also been working on a body of art about the processes of the art market, the multiple values of art and the structure of the art world, but it was very deep, and viewers would need a comprehensive reading list before being able to understand what my art was trying to say. So, that, too, was set aside. But I still didn’t know where to go next.

Later, whilst walking part of the coastal path of southern England, I was trekking up a very steep hill and I started thinking to myself ‘you are overthinking it – you need to just sew’. I had been stuck in analysis paralysis and wasn’t achieving anything.

When I got home, I started to sew. I didn’t have a plan. I simply cut a piece of fabric, chose a stitch and a thread, and began sewing. I started to fill the fabric with stitch, and after it was about half full, I swapped to another thread. I just kept going.

Meditative stitching

I try to sew every day because I enjoy the process and find it calming. It’s my daily meditation. Some days I’ll sew for eight hours straight, while other days I might just do five to 10 minutes. There’s usually a project on the go that I can sit down to and continue.

I work intuitively because if I sit and think, nothing happens. I get stuck in analysis paralysis. To keep pushing forward, I need to keep making and let the process open new doors. As new ideas come to mind, I use mind maps instead of a sketchbook to record my ideas and thoughts in more of a note-taking process.

In terms of my actual process, I usually start by cutting two pieces of fabric and then tacking them together with a running stitch. Having two layers helps minimise distortion from the heavy embroidery. I then choose a thread and start zig-zag stitching. I gradually fill the fabric with stitching in an organic way, and when I feel it’s the right time, I’ll stop, pick another coloured thread, and then continue sewing until the whole piece is full. I mostly use two colours, but occasionally three or four.

Ultimately, my art is about the calming experience of making it, not what the piece looks like. So, when the fabric is full, the artwork is finished. In rare circumstances, if I don’t feel the piece is balanced, I’ll cut it and rework it. But that’s maybe only once or twice a year.

I then stretch the sewn fabric onto a piece of plywood, pull it really tight to get rid of any distortion, then staple it into place. The stitched work is then float mounted onto a black-stained backboard.

For my large artwork collections in which multiple individual artworks come together to create a larger piece, the process is slightly different. Those designs need planning, but the designs are still usually based on one of my one-off individual artworks where I felt there was more to explore.

My last step is to title my work. Because my art is about the experience of sewing, I always know when a work is finished: when the fabric is full. But that experience isn’t easily summed up in words, so I originally found myself thinking long and hard about finding the right names for my work.

While doing all that thinking, I jotted down dates on the back of the artworks to keep track. Eventually, I decided to use those dates as proper titles, and I’ve continued to do so since. I think the dates give each work its own sense of time, effectively recording my experience of sewing.

All about the zig zag stitch

My short answer to ‘why only zig zag stitch?’ is texture. It’s the only stitch I’ve used across my own embroidery, as well as when I teach. I find embroidery or decorative stitches can be distorted when using a free-motion foot, and they lose their decorative quality. And there are endless ways in which zig zag stitching can be used.

I want uniformity with both colour and depth. Overlapping and changing direction with zig zag stitching allows the stitches to sit on top of each other creating interesting depth and shadows. Viewers can see relief effects from a distance through the colour and pattern, as well as up close through the webbing of stitch.

I also always stitch with two top threads and one bobbin thread. It’s not the easiest process and sewing machines don’t really like it. But the two threads help create the colours I seek. Colour blending in sewing was so much harder for me than painting. I was limited by the colours of thread I could buy. And while I could sew with one colour, change threads, and then go back over and over again with some success, it was a pain doing so.

So, I started using two threads at the same time to better blend and create the colours I really wanted. A yellow thread and red thread can create an orange colour that’s much more vivid than just a single orange thread. Black and very dark grey threads can create a black with some real intensity. It’s also possible to create almost dual colours by combining opposites. For example, black and white threads appear as mottled white and black versus a straight grey.

When I say I use two threads, I mean I put two threads on the top of the machine and then thread the machine normally with both threads going through the same single needle’s eye. It’s a bit fiddly to be sure. I then play with the tension to help avoid threads breaking. If only one thread breaks, the machine gets really tangled.

Using two threads also helps me achieve the texture I want in my work. The two threads twist around each other, layer on each other, and sometimes one thread will be caught by the bobbin while the other is not. That all creates incredible texture, which is something I’m very interested in, especially with embossing.

All in all, my process can be quite infuriating, but with that said, it works well for me.

Nothing fancy needed

When it comes to choosing materials and tools, I think it’s important to avoid getting caught up in purchasing the ‘right’ machine or fabric or thread. Artists can find a way to make most things work. It’s more important to find one’s creative voice, and once that happens, all those things will be secondary.

That being said, I mostly use buckram as my base fabric, but heavy interfacing also works well. The fabric needs to be durable. I don’t use an embroidery hoop, so I need a thicker fabric that won’t distort under heavy stitching.

For threads, I’ll use anything I can get my hands on. Many people donate threads to me, and they vary from modern polyester to vintage cotton. When buying thread, I usually purchase overlocker threads because they come in bigger reels. I use so much thread, the bigger reels last longer. The only threads I don’t use are metallic, as they break a lot which gets very frustrating.

My current sewing machine is a Janome Sewist 725s. I usually go for a mid-range model machine. I need to be able to attach a free-motion foot and drop the feed dog, but not much more. I’ve ‘um’d and ah’d’ about moving to an industrial machine with faster speed, but I’m happy with what I have. It suits my rhythm. And because I find the creative process meditative, speed isn’t important.

Free-motion flow

I am totally self-taught when it comes to free-motion stitching. I’ve picked up some tips when speaking with other artists, but I have essentially found my own way. I definitely have some unusual ways of working. For example, I don’t use embroidery scissors to cut threads. I always have a scalpel nearby to use instead. It’s slightly unconventional and a bit dangerous, but I find it easier to work with.

I’m often asked how I deal with tension, broken needles, breaking threads and more. My answer is that it’s all just part of free-motion embroidery. Those things never stop happening, so get used to them. You can try to understand what makes those things happen to help avert them, but it’s essentially just part of the process.

My best advice is to persevere and keep pushing the process. Try different stitches, threads, tensions and needles to find a way of working that suits you. Another important tip is to clean out the fluff and dust from your sewing machine if you do a lot of embroidery. It gets filled fast.

Stitching in the great outdoors

I can’t remember exactly what inspired me to take my machine outside for the first time, but it instantly became a new way of working. It’s a pain in a practical sense setting up the extension lead and carrying the machine, materials and threads outside. I can always guarantee I’ll leave something I need in the studio.

But it’s well worth the effort. The light is so much better outdoors, and it’s just a wonderful experience. It reflects my goal to have my art express the tranquillity, rebalancing and sense of calm I feel when making. Seeing the clouds, having the sun on your face, and listening to the birds over the rattle of my machine has a positive impact on the artwork. I also think the fact I can’t sew outside every day due to British weather makes me appreciate sewing outdoors much more.

Exploring printmaking

I recently started exploring how I could make prints of my stitching. I didn’t want the prints to be photographs, but artworks in their own right. I first experimented with dry point etching, screen printing, gel plate printing, woodcuts and linocuts, but none of them felt right. I then tried inking and printing with actual stitching, and it felt right.

Printmaking is now becoming a very important part of my practice. It’s almost a secondary artmaking process as it comes out of and responds to my stitching practice. Printing is also a reflective tool that allows me to look at my stitchings in a slightly detached way, giving me the space to process thoughts and understand what is important about my stitchings.

My last run of prints was created from blind embossing. I made a stitching on the sewing machine using my normal method and then covered the stitching with two coats of wood hardener to strengthen the fabric. That turned the fabric into a printing plate that I could run through the press to emboss the wet paper.

The process is definitely still experimental, as it takes a bit of time to get the pressure just right. The ‘plate’ needs to be hard enough to leave a good strong embossing, but not too hard that it rips the paper. Equally, the paper needs soaking just enough to soften it to be malleable enough for embossing, but not too wet that the paper buckles, warps or rips under the pressure. I sometimes feel like the Goldilocks or baby bear of printmaking in my attempts to getting everything ‘just right’.

Thoughts on social media

Years ago, I very rarely showed my art. I might have had a very occasional exhibition or shared my work when teaching or lecturing, but no one ever really saw it. When I decided to make art full-time, I knew I needed to change that, and social media seemed like a good solution that was also free.

Social media was not my thing. I hadn’t ever posted much, and I didn’t like sharing my ‘story’ with the world. So, to form a new habit, I challenged myself to post about my art every day for a year on Instagram, which meant I would need to dedicate enough time to my art to have content to post.

It was really hard and uncomfortable to post at first, but I soon got used to it and even started to enjoy it. It has now become an integral part of my practice. It documents what I do, and it serves as my sketchbook, diary and journal. I also think it’s a form of art in its own right.

At this point, I’ve been posting every day for over 600 days, and I’m convinced it’s the best thing for me. It has created a lot of momentum, interest and sales. It sustains both my practice and energy. Receiving such nice feedback from people makes me feel that what I am doing is worth it.

I also think my posts, especially my videos, help people appreciate how long my art takes to make. They see works being developed over weeks and months, and I think that adds value. I understand why many artists don’t like social media, but Instagram works well for me.

Key takeaways

Jack was very generous with his tips about free-motion embroidery. Here are some additional ideas you might consider to enhance your creative journey.

• Explore the many ways you can use a single stitch to create texture and pattern. Jack chooses to only use zig zag stitching, yet he achieves a remarkable depth of texture and pattern.

• Think about setting aside time to stitch every day. It doesn’t have to be for a long period of time, and it could simply be sampling. It might help you generate ideas for future works.

• Jack focuses on the experience of stitching and allows the sewing machine to take charge. Why not try to do the same and see what you create? Hand stitching will work too.

• How do you document your textile art journey? Jack uses Instagram and posts every day. It allows him to reflect upon both his work and process.

• Consider heading outside the next time you are creating. As Jack said, the sun, wind and natural sounds could take your work in directions you never imagined!

Dr. Jack Roberts is based in Shropshire, UK. He operated as an art dealer specialising in Post-War and Contemporary prints and multiples and was involved with several community arts groups before focusing on his own art in 2021. Jack’s free-hand embroidery process functions as both art and meditation, and his Instagram account serves as his diary to document his journey.

Website: jprstitch.com

Instagram: @jpr_stitch

Interested in exploring more free-motion embroidery techniques? Check out Sue Rangeley’s exquisite work.

It’s hard to think about ‘collage’ outside of its verb tense. Even a finished artwork still hums and buzzes as the different elements mesh together. The eye shifts back and forth between viewing the work as a whole and then noticing the distinct pieces. Visual magic!

The collage process is all action. Artists first sort through beloved collections and stashes of materials to choose select treasures to be featured. Then those treasures audition for their place in the composition. Ephemera of all types are layered, swapped, snipped and reshuffled to see how colours, patterns and textures dance together. Once the pieces are in position, how to keep them all in place? Sewing? Glueing? Machine stitch? Hand stitch? The possibilities are endless, and that’s what makes collage a great way to explore textile art and develop your artistic voice.

We’ve gathered six renowned collage artists who are not only sharing their work but also their best tips for starting your own collage journey. Mandy Pattullo and Barbara Shaw especially enjoy working with vintage and recycled materials, while Anne Brooke shares her love of working with various papers. Marcia Bennett-Male describes her connection with African appliqué techniques, while Cas Holmes demonstrates her use of surface design using paint and other media. Deborah Boschert brings it home by sharing her raw-edge fused appliqué technique and use of personal symbols.

Mandy Pattullo

Mandy Pattullo made scrapbooks as a child with her grandmother, and she still collects tickets, images, postcards, fabric swatches and other ephemera today. She had also been sewing and doing patchwork, so transitioning to fabric for collage made sense.

‘I think collage and patchwork share a history. Both are about arranging things and juxtaposing colour, tone and pattern. But patchwork is more prescriptive, whereas my freer approach of layering materials from many different sources is textile collage.’

Mandy carefully sources interesting fabrics, and she’s committed to only using recycled materials or what she has to hand. She also only works with hand stitch. Having run vintage fairs with a friend, Mandy’s stash includes old quilts from the north, which have become part of her visual language. She is also particularly fond of thrift quilts that are less designed, as well as scraps left over from dressmaking or tailoring.

‘Quilts are collages themselves, but as I cut them up and unpick them, I feel a connection to the previous maker. I then put my own mark on them by rearranging the pieces and decorating the surface with stitches.’

Rather than working to a theme or brief, Mandy says her projects always come out of the fabric itself and its conjunction to other pieces. She’ll start by jostling fabric pieces next to each other to discover interesting colour combinations. Sometimes a piece arises out of a need to incorporate something in particular, like a piece of old needlepoint or embroidery. Other projects are inspired by old garments begging for transformation through collage and stitch.

‘I find collage to be liberating as I arrange things to explore the juxtaposition of colour, tone and pattern. And as a collector, I am driven to use my beloved collections of materials, cutting them up and collaging them into new and resolved compositions.’

Mandy believes having interesting materials that inspire is the key to creating a successful textile collage. If you can’t source old things easily, then look to charity shops. Once you have your materials, unpick, overdye, cut or tear fabrics into different sizes and mix them up in a basket. Then using a firm foundation such as a piece of old blanket or quilt, work instinctively as you pin a selection of pieces from the basket. Once you have something that’s appealing, leave for 24 hours and then return to view the composition with fresh eyes.

Hand stitching also makes collage work more personal, so Mandy encourages artists to develop stitch samples and then only work with stitches they really love. A limited repertoire of simple stitches can be used in so many ways.

Mandy Pattullo is based in rural Northumberland, UK. In addition to exhibiting her work, she teaches textile workshops at The Hearth and throughout the UK and France. Mandy has written two books: Textile Collage (2016) and Textiles Transformed (2020).

Artist website: mandypattullo.co.uk/

Facebook: facebook.com/MandyPattulloTextileArtist

Instagram: @mandypattullo

Marcia Bennett-Male

Collage is a great technique for artists wanting to both celebrate and rage against life events. Each collage element can hold its own symbolic meaning, and then collectively, raise voice to emotions that are otherwise hard to express.

UK artist Marcia Bennett-Male uses textile collage as her ‘art therapy’. Her works examine depression, suicide, self-harm and self-hatred as she navigates the world as a Black female. Her art also depicts important historical women and goddesses of myth and legend.

‘I started my textile pieces in 2004 to aid my severe depression. I was going through therapy and on medication before I even knew what art therapy was. I just knew sewing helped. After a long hiatus, I again picked up a needle in 2019 to help me deal with perimenopause, Black Lives Matter and other world events crashing into my life. I use my doll-like figures like ventriloquists’ dummies to comment on my life and surroundings.’

A stone carver by trade, Marcia enjoys the speed and colours of her collage technique. Sculpting stone is infinitely slower and more intricate than using a needle and thread. And the colours of her beloved felts provide a rich contrast to neutral stone hues.

Marcia starts with a thumbnail sketch, working up to a final drawing. She then makes a working tracing of the drawing and then templates of the individual pieces. Cut fabric pieces are then layered sequentially like a complicated puzzle. Marcia describes her process as ‘choreography’.

‘I predominantly work with felt and an African fabric called Dutch wax fabric. It’s a distinct batik-like fabric that uses melted wax for designs. I use it as a shorthand to denote my Black heritage and background. I also use upholstery chintz to denote I was born and live in England. I like how the two fabrics bounce off each other.’

Marcia also adds treasures from her mother’s button box that she inherited for her figure’s eyes and breasts. Other unique embellishments include netting, lace, beadwork, leather, and even metal washers.

Once the collage pieces are in place, the hand stitching begins. Marcia prefers using six-stranded cotton embroidery threads, splitting them when necessary to help the colours pop, and to accommodate different fabric weights. She also deliberately uses a range of simple stitches: back, blanket, chain and couching. Despite completing ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels in embroidery at secondary school and studying theatre wardrobe at the Wimbledon School of Art, Marcia believes less is more.

‘I even studied ecclesiastical embroidery, and I did use elaborate stitches when I started. But they slowed me down. So instead, I turned to the Asafo flag makers of Ghana, Africa, for inspiration of style and execution of work.’

In terms of advice for exploring collage, Marcia recommends working with felt. It’s easy to manipulate and cut, it doesn’t fray much, and it comes in many colours. She also suggests getting comfortable with playing with composition, pattern and colour, and then start to introduce other fabrics and haberdashery for embellishment.

Marcia Bennett-Male is an artist working in both textiles and stone, and is based in London, UK. She was interviewed in Embroidery magazine (January/February 2022) and staged a solo gallery show at the Knitting & Stitching Shows in London and Harrogate in 2022. Her work sells in the UK and internationally, including to Hollywood actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who owns two of her artworks.

Artist website: mbennettmale.co.uk

Instagram: @marciabennettmaletextile

Cas Holmes

Cas Holmes describes her work as ‘painting with cloth’, combining textiles and stitch with painting and drawing. Her processes and ideas are interconnected throughout her work, which largely uses reclaimed cloth, paper and found materials.

Driven by an innate love of textiles, painting and drawing, Cas sees her work as sitting between fine art painting and stitch craft. Her references come from the everyday world, and the visual and physical connection between her work and the landscape is essential.

‘Fabric provides one of the most versatile surfaces for manipulation. When combined with found materials and mixed media such as paint and dye, the substrate textiles allow surfaces to take up new dimensions, being reformed and transformed.’

Cas is especially interested in her immediate surroundings and exploring the processes of change. She also draws inspiration from physical experiences, situations and memory of place. Carrying a small portable art kit allows Cas to capture things of interest in her garden or while travelling. She makes quick drawings, records notes and stores images, much like a diary, marking her progress.

Most projects start with a limited number of found or gifted materials. Cas believes limiting her resources or time can lead to unexpected outcomes. She’ll then make a series of quick small test collages by pinning or glueing things together, and then she chooses the best samples to explore further. Cas also enjoys working into surfaces with brushes and mark-making tools in a freehand fashion, as well as altering cloth and paper with paint or dye.

‘The depth and tactility of textiles and their manipulation provides a whole new dimension to the surface. This is particularly useful when I’m trying to portray the shapes and forms we see in landscapes as they unfurl around us.’

When asked for advice on exploring textile collage, Cas stresses the importance of experimenting with both materials and processes. Make a list of what is important to you, such as colour, mark-making or texture, and then use that list to create multiple samples. The process does not need to be exact. Also set simple goals to explore, such as seeing how a stencil and acrylic paint work on different fabric surfaces. Then once you find a technique or material you like, you can explore it yet further.

Cas Holmes is based in Kent, UK. She exhibits her work internationally, including the Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery (2022-23, UK) and the Barony Centre –Craft Town Scotland (2023). Cas also teaches internationally, and she has written several books, including Embroidering the Everyday: Found, Stitch and Paint (2021).

Artist website: casholmes.wordpress.com

Facebook: facebook.com/casholmestextiles

Instagram: @casholmestextiles

Anne Brooke

Inspired by a love for working with paper and mixed media, and an admiration for paper collage artist Elaine Hughes, Anne Brooke began to experiment with a mix of paper, fabric and stitch. Anne initially worked wholly in paper with machine embroidery, but over time, she has incorporated printing, linocut stamps and fabrics.

Anne’s works revolve around a love of drawing, paper and observing nature’s treasures. And her inspiration comes from simply taking a step out the front door. As she wanders, she collects, draws and photographs the various ‘overlooked treasures’ found along the way.

‘Paper is an ideal place to start with collage work. You’re more likely to take risks and not worry as much about getting things wrong. It’s also helpful to look at other artists’ works and then try to put your own twist on their approaches. Find out what you are drawn to, and then be patient and stay open to incorporating new ideas.’

Anne’s sketchbooks are her first port of call for developing her ideas. She then gathers a collection of papers based on a colour theme. Wallpaper, old book papers, postcards, envelopes and other recycled ephemera help to build her collage base. She enjoys knowing the materials she uses have been on journeys of their own before landing in her collection. Maps are also often included to represent a journey, as well as vintage fabrics and lace to add a tactile quality.

After playing around with the composition, she’ll add printed and hand-drawn elements. Finally, hand stitching using hand-dyed threads and other embellishments are added to create a relief effect that brings the whole work to life.

Anne Brooke is a textile artist and tutor based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire (UK). Stitching has been a major part of Anne’s life for over a decade, and in 2020, she set herself a challenge to stitch each week. That led to her launching several online global stitching projects and challenges, including #52tagshannemade.

Artist website: annebrooke.co.uk

Facebook: facebook.com/hannemade

Instagram: @hannemadebyanne

Barbara Shaw

When viewing Barbara Shaw’s work from a distance, you’d think it was an Impressionist painting. But when you look more closely, instead of layered paints, you’ll discover hundreds of tiny fabric scraps layered atop one another to create glorious shapes and colours.

Most of Barbara’s work starts with some sort of visual inspiration: something seen or a special piece of fabric that suggests an image. She especially loves recreating buildings of all shapes and styles. Black-and-white beamed houses have held particular interest of late, but she’s equally happy interpreting bricks, wood and thatch.

Barbara’s urge to create is so strong that she avoids using a sketchbook. She instead dives straight into designing, grabbing various fabric scraps of different colours and textures from her very large collection. Then she starts cutting small pieces and pinning them together one by one on a fabric background. Much as a painter builds colour and texture, Barbara builds her composition scrap upon scrap. Once pleased with the overall composition, all the bits of fabric are hand stitched into place with a running stitch.

‘Hand stitching gives me control over how tightly or loosely I pull the thread so the different weights and textures of the fabrics I use aren’t crushed. I use a grey thread, and the knots and thread become part of the work.’

Despite not using a sketchbook, Barbara still researches her subjects, often using photographs as a guide to help measure proportions. In her mind, she carefully notes the colours and details of a subject’s shape and character. Then she turns to her incredible fabric stash, which includes printed cottons, batiks, silk, lace, chiffon, organza, beaded fabric and sparkly pieces. Many of her fabrics are recycled, and she encourages beginning artists to also use old textiles.

‘Textile collage allows you to use waste scraps to experiment, and if you don’t like the end result, it can be discarded without worry about what you spent. Start with a simple colour palette and see if you enjoy the process of layering, pinning and hand stitching. With practice, you’ll learn what works for you and develop your own artistic voice.’

Barbara also suggests when finishing a collage, artists should ask themselves: ‘Is this the best I can do, and does it say what I want it to say?’ This is one of the best ways to develop your own authentic style.

Barbara Shaw is based in Herefordshire, UK. She has been artist-in-residence at two National Trust properties (Chastleton House and Claydon House), and her work has been exhibited in several UK museums, including the Oxford Museum of Natural History. Barbara appeared in the BBC’s Junk Rescue show (2019), which led to taking part in the BBC Summer Social where she taught over 400 children to create textile collages.

Artist website: artintextiles.co.uk

Facebook: facebook.com/artintextiles

Instagram: @art_in_textiles

Deborah Boschert

The best part of the collage process for Deborah Boschert is the opportunity to explore how materials, shapes, colours and patterns interact. Her art quilts feature layers of fabric, paint and stitch that create remarkable texture and dimension. Added symbolism, including houses, leaves, ladders and bowls, allows Deborah to share her unique personal narratives.

‘My symbols serve as anchors for my work, and they come from significant personal experiences. For example, my house quilts were made during a time when my husband and I were moving around a lot. But I purposely feature symbols that are simple and spare, so viewers can create their own meanings from their own experiences. They don’t have to know what my original intent was to be able to engage with my work.’

When inspiration hits, Deborah first sets parameters for a work related to its size, colour palette or theme. She then starts sketching simple and small compositions, usually with a black pen, none of which offer specifics in terms of size or colour.

Once a design feels right, Deborah gathers a ‘fabric palette’, which includes a variety of commercial prints and fabrics she’s printed with original surface design. Those fabrics are scrunched, folded, sliced, arranged and pinned on her design wall in the general arrangement of the sketched composition.

After everything is in place, Deborah finesses each shape and fuses all the fabrics to a batting. She then takes a picture of the fabric layer and prints several copies on which she doodles and auditions various stitch designs. After stitch plans are finalised, hand embroidery happens first, and when complete, a fabric backing is fused to the quilt, and the quilt is finished with machine stitching.

Deborah teaches workshops across the globe, and her best advice to students is to explore, experiment and see what happens. Developing a unique creative voice is a process that takes intention and patience. Think about what you want to express: which visual elements, materials and techniques work for you.

Another good tip is to set parameters for a project ahead of time. Maybe limit the size, the colour palette or techniques to help you figure out your best options. Limitations can help eliminate the paralysis of choice and keep you moving forward.

Deborah Boschert is based in Dallas, TX (US). Her award-winning quilts have been exhibited in quilt shows and art galleries internationally. She has appeared on Quilting Arts TV and The Quilt Show, and she authored Art Quilt Collage: A Creative Journey in Fabric, Paint and Stitch (2016). Deborah also teaches across the globe, and she serves on the Studio Art Quilt Association (SAQA) board.

Artist website: deborahsstudio.com

Facebook: facebook.com/DeborahBoschertArtist

Instagram: @deborahboschert

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Want to explore the possibilities of working with photographs in stitch collage? Check out Gregory Wilkins’s amazing textile collages.

Sue Hotchkis’s textile art is proudly contrarian. In a world that worships youth and the latest new thing, Sue celebrates all things falling down and falling apart. She captures the beauty only true relics can bear, glorifying all their bumps, scrapes, missing parts and other forms of neglect.

You’d think pursuit of the decrepit would lead to sombre tones and overall sadness in her work. But Sue’s 3D ‘fragments’ remind us to look for the overlooked and discover their treasures of colour, pattern and texture. There’s a joyfulness that Sue presents that’s both engaging and remarkable.

Sue’s creative process is also as textured and dimensional as the ageing process she presents. Each work features a mashup of photography, dyeing, print, fabric manipulation and embroidery. And we’re grateful to Sue for sharing many of her insider tips related to each of those techniques.

Welcome to Sue’s world that celebrates the lost and forgotten. It’s simply gorgeous.

Fragile fragments

Sue Hotchkis: I call my abstract works ‘fragments’ because they capture the fragile, transient beauty of things ageing and decaying. When nature breaks things down in urban or rural places, it’s a slow process. Holes and layers are created that reveal long-forgotten hidden surfaces or paint colours. A cracked edge of rusted metal becomes lace-like.

I love finding new patterns and shapes that are different and original. I also get excited using my camera to zoom in on the details and imagine how I can use them in my work.

To me, all that decay looks like miniature works of art. And I try to infuse that same broken quality into my work.

I also try to blur the boundary between a picture and an object. Playing with the shape and form makes my art feel as though it was once a part of something that existed versus making a 2D image that’s more like a photograph or picture.

Intuition leads the way

I work organically and respond to what develops. I enjoy trusting accident and chance when manipulating and experimenting with fabrics. And I relish finding new ways to create marks on surfaces.

I don’t use commercially printed fabrics. Very occasionally I might find one with an interesting texture, but then I’ll work into it to the point it becomes unrecognisable. I prefer to create every aspect of my work, although having a limited amount of handmade fabric can result in me running out. Still, I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of all that. So, I never throw anything away, no matter how small. The bit that got chopped off today may well be the bit I need later.

One of my must-haves is a wall space on which I can pin a work during the creative process. It’s important to be able to stand back and view the work from a distance. Every one of my works finds me piecing together parts which I add and remove along the way. As a result, a single piece can take anywhere from a week to several months to fully evolve.

Seeking decay

I’m passionate about surface and texture, and I’m drawn to the insignificant and overlooked. I look for things that have been damaged in some way by human touch, neglect or the weather. Cracked plaster, crumbling paint, torn posters, or broken metal from oxidation are all interesting to me.

I find what I’m looking for mainly when travelling, often on trains, in stations, harbours or the high street. It can be found on walls and pavements and derelict buildings. I look for patterns, shapes and colour combinations within those damaged surfaces to use in my work.

I then take photographs with either a traditional camera or my iPhone which is handy if I’m out and about. I can edit and play around with an image whilst on the move. My actual camera has a long zoom which helps me close in on a detail, and it takes quality high-resolution images that I can accurately crop.

I don’t work directly into a sketchbook, because I get distracted trying to make it become a beautiful work of art. I prefer to work directly with my photographs and on loose paper and prints from computer images. I use Photoshop to turn my photographs into black and white images that can be used to make a thermofax or silk screen.

I do have a few ‘favourite’ sets of images that I’ve used a lot in my work. One is a collection of photos I took of a rusty old fishing boat in Iceland way back in 2007. It has inspired several works, most recently Avast (2022). I also adore the images I took at a Heritage Railway’s repair yard that was filled with bits of old trains. It was before digital cameras took off, so I only have a couple of images. But they continue to provide inspiration.

Dyeing and printing

I took a print workshop during my embroidery degree, and then, during my master’s degree, my tutor pushed me out of my comfort zone by having me focus on using print rather than stitch. It was definitely a challenge, but I’m glad I accepted. I’ve enjoyed combining the two techniques ever since. For me, they go hand in hand, and the print enhances the stitching.

I usually work with any plain white medium-weight cotton, as long as it is 100 per cent cotton and takes the dye. I also use synthetic fabrics such as voile and felt.

I create thermofax screens (like a silk screen) from my images for printing. I then use either a procion dye mixed with Manutex or a ready-mixed textile printing medium. Procion dyes take longer to prepare and fix, whereas ready-made textile printing mediums are immediate and can be heat set. Procion dye fully colours a cloth, while textile medium just sits on top of the fabric, making the handle much stiffer. For each work, I weigh the pros and cons, and sometimes I’ll use both types on one cloth.

I also use a discharge paste to remove dye, taking the fabric back to its original colour before printing. Depending on the paste’s strength, dye removal varies which can lead to variations in colour. The paste is clear, and you don’t see its effect until heat and steam are applied. I enjoy that element of surprise.

Bring on the heat

Fabric manipulation plays a strong role in how I create my work. That includes using stitch, padding and quilting to distort a shape. 

But I’m not too precious about my artwork, so I also chop or rip larger pieces of fabric, as well as use a heat gun.

I learned most of my techniques during my embroidery degree, but I explored using a heat gun on my own. My mum gifted me one, and I found it a great way to create holes and broken edges with synthetic fabrics. I stitch on the fabric first and then use the heat gun to manipulate it further, as melted fabrics often become too hard to stitch.

I wear a mask when using the heat gun, and I make sure the room is well ventilated to protect against nasty fumes. I only use the gun in short bursts, as once a fabric is melted, there’s no going back.

I had tried using a soldering iron in the past, but I struggled to completely clean the tip, so the unpleasant fumes from melted fabric would linger until the iron cooled down. I also managed to burn myself, so I gave up on that tool.

Free-motion tips

Embroidery is on my mind throughout my creative process. I stitch onto fabric at the beginning of a project, as well as once it’s been printed and quite often again whilst the piece is being made.

I look at the patterns and marks on my images and think about how they can be translated into computerised stitching or how I could use free-motion stitch. I’ll build up a collection of printed and stitched fabrics that I can use, sometimes deconstructing them as I create the final piece.

I prefer working with a sewing machine, particularly one that can drop the feed dogs for free-motion stitching. I had to replace my old Bernina 1001 after 20 years of constant use, but I replaced it with a similar model (the 1008). I still have my computerised Bernina 730E. I use it a lot, but I haven’t fully explored everything it can do. There’s always something I’d rather do than read the enormous online manual!

My best free-motion embroidery tip is to bring the bottom thread up through the fabric before starting to stitch. Then take a couple of stitches, and snip off both threads. Leaving a long thread underneath leads to tangles and knots that can break a needle. It also leaves a tidier back.

I also suggest changing needles frequently, because a blunt needle can cause lots of problems. And use the best thread you can afford. Cheaper threads can be coarse and have tiny slubs that can cause more knotting that leads to thread and needle breakages.

Lastly, always use a presser foot. I find the open darning foot works best. Never use the needle on its own, as it’s too dangerous and can damage the machine.

A later start

As a child, I was constantly making things, and my parents encouraged me with endless supplies of paint and glue. My father was a skilled carpenter, and my grandfather was a painter. Although I never met my grandfather, I was fascinated by the marks and textures in the few oil paintings my father kept. I’d try to reproduce them in my own basic oil paintings.

My mother and grandmother were always knitting and sewing, so as a child, I was surrounded by fabric and suchlike. I had my first sewing machine at seven years old and used it to make my own dolls’ clothes.

When I was in middle school, ‘Art and Needlework’ was my favourite subject, but it wasn’t until I did a foundation course at Manchester Metropolitan University that I discovered how much I enjoyed combining the two. I was 28 at the time, and as an older student, I loved every minute of it. I then went on to complete an MA in Textiles at the same university.

When I was in middle school, ‘Art and Needlework’ was my favourite subject, but it wasn’t until I did a foundation course that I discovered how much I enjoyed combining the two. I was 28 at the time, and as an older student, I loved every minute of it. I then went on to complete a degree in embroidery and an MA in Textiles at Manchester Metropolitan University.

My greatest challenge then and now is writing. I struggled with spelling and essays throughout all my education. But it wasn’t until an adult friend training as a dyslexia teacher asked to practise with me that I discovered I had dyslexia.

Fortunately, word processors were available when I wrote my dissertation, and today, predictive text and autocorrect help me enormously. I also find dictating to Microsoft Word is a great help, although it doesn’t always type what I say (while writing this, it wrote ‘banana’ instead of ‘Bernina!’).

Technology has been a lifesaver, but I do hate having to write an artist’s statement or interview. I know these things are important, but it’s hard. I wouldn’t change being dyslexic, though, as it’s part of what makes me so creative. It allows me to see the world differently.

Key Takeaways

Sue has given us a wonderful look into her creative process. Why not try some of her tried and tested strategies in your own textile art?

• When you’re out and about, look for the worn and weary around you. What textures and patterns stand out? How might you recreate those in stitch?

• Take pictures of interesting aged surfaces you come across, and then zoom in and crop them in different ways. Use those new images as inspiration for stitch samples.

• Think about ways you can distress the fabrics you use in your textile art. Sue uses a heat gun to melt holes and edges of synthetic fabrics.

• Do you have any stamps or other printing materials you could use for surface design? Consider using them as a background for embroidery.

• How might you create dimension in your work? Sue manipulates fabrics and inserts padding in areas. Experiment with ways you can create a bit of height in your work.

Sue Hotchkis is based on the Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions, most recently a solo show Alchemy at the Timeless Textiles Gallery, Australia (2019). She was the silver medal winner at the Scythia 12^th International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art, Ukraine (2018) and winner of Studio Art Quilt Association’s Golden Hour fabric design competition (2017). Sue is also a member of Quilt Art.

Artist website: suehotchkis.com

Facebook: facebook.com/SueHotchkisTextiles

Instagram: @suehotchkis

If you appreciate Sue’s passion for capturing erosion and decay in her textile art, you’re going to want to check out Gwen Hedley’s work.