Last year around this time (Aug. 2010 to be precise) I submitted a few pieces of artwork to a woman named Leanne Prain out in Vancouver BC, looking for artistic people with a love of craft to be a part of her next book – Hoopla: The Unexpected Art or Embroidery. One of my pieces was accepted to the now 400pg work of art and the book will be out mid-October! There will be a book launch in Toronto @ Type Books (Queen St. West, right across from Trinity-Bellwoods park) Tuesday, Sept. 27 2011, between 6 and 8pm. Come on in and say HI!
From start to finish (actually embroidering the piece, drawing and writing up the pattern) the piece took me about 46hrs. This was the longest amount of time I’d ever worked on a piece of embroidery, but the end result was definitely worth it. Here
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- Original sketch
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- half done
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- Complete project!
are some pics of the original sketch, work in progress and finished piece that you will see in the book. My piece was actually done on a nude colour chemise to symbolize the “self image” aspects of the work, so you won’t just be seeing a bunch of pictures of embroidery…Leanne has taken the time to photograph each piece into a work of art! Check out this link to Leanne’s page for more information about her other projects and how to acquire this rad book!
I learned to ebrmoider and cross stitch as a little girl when my Mom taught me how to ebrmoider designs on tea towels. I’ve always loved ebrmoidery but haven’t done a lot of it in recent years. Then, a few years ago, I was asked to make a square representing my family for an anniversary quilt. I chose to make a crazy quilt square and in it I ebrmoidered our family member names and birth dates and my husband’s and my anniversary date. But my favourite part was using a wide variety of stitches and beads to decorate the seams. I learned so many stitches and embellishments I’d never tried before and I was happy that I was so easily able to do a good job just from reading instructions. Now I’d love to make a bigger crazy quilt and do a lot more ebrmoidery.
Congratulations on being published in this book! I found you on flckir, as we share textile groups/contacts. Your quilting work is magnificent. Truly.How great to find out you embroider as well. Since my kids learned to hold a crayon & make marks with it, I’ve been embroidering their drawings. Something about tracing the lines they’ve made with my needle reinforces what I do as a parent and as an artist. The works have grown to include applique and screen-printed elements, but at heart they’re embroideries. I’d love a chance to get my hands on your book.