| Traveler, a thread painting by Chris Roberts-Antieu. See more details on her website. |
Hello, Voyagers!
After a busy few months, life is slowing down, and I find myself filling time with unfinished projects. I have a needlepoint kit that I will finish this weekend before I focus on an almost-finished dress that has been waiting patiently for two years. Then, I’ll turn my attention to a partially cut-out quilt. I’ve never been particularly drawn to quilting, but cutting out rectangles and sewing them back together suddenly seems soothing.
Finishing these projects and clearing out space in my sewing cabinet also seems to be clearing space in my mind. My thoughts keep turning to England in 2025 – when should we go, what should we see? I’ve sketched an itinerary and am sitting with it to see if it feels right. Soon, I’ll start the ball rolling to make it happen and once it is set, I’ll announce it.
In the meantime, I realized I never shared photos of my visit to Chris Robers-Antieu’s studio in Santa Fe earlier this year. Looking at her work led me down an embroidery rabbit hole. Enjoy the inspiration below!
Cheers,
Betsy B
Textile Inspiration
Two photos from the Chris Roberts-Antieu in Santa Fe.
I can write a tome telling you how wonderful Chris Roberts-Antieu’s work is, but I’ll never really be able to give you the experience of seeing it in person. Take the image at the top of this email. That is all machine embroidery. I know, it’s bonkers. It is a huge piece, incredibly detailed, and to see it in person is to lose yourself in the work. And look at the dog, do you see how ruffled the fur on his belly is? You just want to reach out and pet him.
As I write this, I realize that there is too much to her work to describe in a paragraph. So, go to her website. Click on the images (they have wonderful detail shots). Read her artist’s statement. Explore her Glove Studies. Look at these tigers. Then, someday, if you are in either New Orleans or Santa Fe, go to her gallery and see it in person. It is a real experience.
Left to Right: A photo of a costume from Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, which I took at Paramount Studios. A shirt detail that has been sitting on my phone, and a gorgeous embroidery detail from an Asiatica jacket.
My closet is full, my drawers are bursting. I’m having a hard time sewing new garments because I don’t know where they will go. However, I’ve been contemplating an alternative to sewing new clothes – instead, why not add surface design to older garments, giving them new life? Look how striking a simple white embroidery stitch looks on this black jacket. From simple stitches to more elaborate embroidery, I think there is opportunity to work with what I already own.
I’ve embroidered but don’t know the first thing about thread painting. Searching online, I found Emillie Ferris, who wrote a book on thread painting by hand and has PDF patterns available. She has magical mushrooms, strawberries, and butterflies, but, you guys, look at this chubby leaping bunny. It is too cute.
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