The fantastic s0eRcZ quilt pattern by the RBD Designers is a free pattern download at https://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/free-quilt-patterns Keep calm and stitch on with Stitchy Birds by Teresa Kogut. Beautiful cross-stitching birds and their tools are just the beginning of this folk-art collection. Blue, butterscotch, green, midnight, and parchment make an oh-sew gorgeous palette for the florals, embroidery hoops, stitches and more. You’ll stitch to your heart’s content with this beautiful collection. Follow us for tutorials on YouTube | www.rileyblakedesigns.com ©2022 Christensen Wholesale™ All Rights Reserved
from the editor ;)0'31)XSQ]½VWXMWWYIEWIHMXSVSJEmbroidery PS... Take a one year QEKE^MRI-XMWETVMZMPIKIXSXEOIXLIIHMXSV´WGLEMVSJXLMW subscription to [IPPVIWTIGXIHNSYVREP-[SYPHPSZIXSKIXXSORS[]SYWS Embroidery and we’ll deliver HSTPIEWIIQEMPQI[MXL]SYVRI[WERHZMI[W8LMWMW]SYV each copy to QEKE^MRIMXRIIHWXSVI¾IGXXLIHMZIVWMX]SJMXWVIEHIVWLMT your door free ERHXLILIXIVSKIRIMX]SJXI\\XMPIEVX 26 of charge! 7S[LSEQ-#*SV]IEVW-[EWEGSYRX]QEKE^MRIIHMXSV DEADLINES 3YV,5[EWMREJEVQFEVR[LIVIMR[MRXIV[IXVMIHXS ISSUE . . . . .EDITORIAL . . ADS Sep/Oct. . .01 Jun . . . . . 28 July WXSTXLIQMGIJVSQIEXMRKXLISJ½GIGLSGSPEXIWYTTP]ERH Nov/Dec . .15 Aug . . . . . 28 Sept Jan/Feb . . .10 Oct . . . . . 23 Nov MRWYQQIVWXEJJLIPTIHVYRSYV.YRINE^^JIWXMZEP8LI Embroidery magazine ISSN 1477-3724 is published by Embroiderers’ Guild QEKE^MRIIZIRLEHMXWS[RVEGILSVWI Enterprises Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Embroiderers’ Guild. Registered -WXYHMIHEVXERH)RKPMWLEXXLI9RMZIVWMX]'SPPIKISJ;EPIW RIƓFH%XFNV&RXQW\\0XVHXP&KXUFK6W $\\OHVEXU\\+3433ULQWHU GLVWULEXWRU 1]JEZSYVMXIWTEVIXMQIEGXMZMXMIWMRZSPZIQEOMRKSJWSQI Warners Midlands, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH. All rights reserved. OMRHJVSQTEMRXMRKPMRSGYXWERHG]ERSX]TIWXSORMXXMRK Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. RIIHPIJIPXMRKERHYTG]GPMRK;SVOMRKTEVXXMQIQIERW Embroidery does not accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or images. QSVIXMQIXSHSXLIXLMRKW-PSZI-LEZIXSEHQMX-EPWS The Editor reserves the right to edit all contributions. The views expressed in IRNS]buyingEVXXSS[RTMIGIWXLEXWXMVQI Embroidery are not necessarily those of the Editor or The Embroiderers’ Guild. -PMZIMR8VS[FVMHKISRGIHIWGVMFIHEWXLI³1ERGLIWXIVSJ XLI;IWX´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³QEVOIXVIWIEVGL´ XSQEOIGSRXEGXWSVEXXVEGXFY]IVW (YVMRKPSGOHS[RWWSGMEPQIHMEGIVXEMRP]GEQIXSXLIJSVI 6IGIRXP]SRWLS[MRQ]GSYRX]ERHFSVRSYXSJPSGOHS[R 8LI'SZMH'LVSRMGPIMREMHSJ1MRH ERHXLI7EQI7IE (MJJIVIRX&SEXGSPPEFSVEXMZIUYMPXI\\LMFMXMSRWEVIELIEVXJIPX HSGYQIRXSJWSGMEPLMWXSV]]IWFYXQSVIXLERXLEX]SY GERWIILS[XLI]WSSXLIHEWJEFVMG ERHWXMXGL[MXLMXWMRKVEMRIHLMWXSV] SJLSQIMWMHIEPP]TPEGIHXSHS 'PEMVI;EVMRK )(-836 9RXMPXLIRI\\XMWWYIIRNS] VIEHMRKERHQEOMRK )QFVSMHIV]QEKE^MRI 328,)'3:)61M\\IHQIHMENYKJVSQThe Textile Artist: Sculptural Textile ArtF]4VMWGMPPE)H[EVHW%ZEMPEFPIEXWIEVGLTVIWWGSQ PHOTO BY STACY GRANT embroidery SUBSCRIPTIONS Embroidery is published six EDITOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS times a year in January, March, pocketmags.com/embroidery-magazine May, July, September and Claire Waring Single digital issue £6.99 November by Embroiderers’ 07769 397790 Annual digital subscription £34.99 Guild Enterprises Ltd, a wholly embroideryeditorial@ owned subsidiary of The warnersgroup.co.uk PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS Embroiderers’ Guild. DESIGNER mymagazinesub.co.uk/embroidery 7KHPDJD]LQHZDVƓUVW Melanie Smith Six monthly Direct Debit £17.50 published in 1932 and is read melaniesmithdesign Annual Direct Debit £34.99 today by textile professionals @blueyonder.co.uk Credit/Debit card annual payments and enthusiasts around the PUBLISHER UK £37.99. EU/ROW £52.99 world. The Embroiderers’ The Embroiderers’ Guild Guild is a registered charity Bucks County Museum PRINT PLUS ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS (No. 234239), which organises Church St, Aylesbury HP20 2QP https://bit.ly/embroiderypd an annual programme of embroiderersguild.com Annual Direct Debit UK £49.99 events and awards. The SALES Credit/Debit card annual payments Guild’s Museum Collection Media Shed, 58 High Street, UK £52.99. EU/ROW £67.99 of embroidered items is held Maidstone, Kent ME14 1SY. For renewals, back issues, change of at Bucks County Museum. 01580 891 581 address,or single print copies please [email protected] +44 (0)1778 392 468 embroidererymagazine.co.uk [email protected] 4 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
10 contents july august 2022 14 40 front features 46 THE KYRGYZ MATRIARCHS WITH GOLDEN HANDS 07 EMBROIDERY LOVES 10 THE SEWING ROOM ļŅłňōĴŅŀĴŁĴŅŀĴļĴŁŅĸĶłňŁŇņĻļņŀĸĸŇļŁĺ ĴĻĴŀļĴŁļłŊĴĵŌļņĴ Priscilla Edwards’ home studio is brimful ŊļŇĻŇĻĸņĻŌŅķĴľŅňĺфŀĴľĸŅņłĹŌŅĺŌōņŇĴŁ łĹŇŅĸĴņňŅĸķձŁķņņĻĸňņĸņļŁĻĸŅĴŅŇ ĹŅĸņĻŌłňŁĺŇĴĿĸŁŇ 50 UNITED WE STAND, 16 THE GOOD LUCK TALISMAN DIVIDED WE FALL 08 NEWS ŊłŀĴŁĵłŅŁļŁŇĻĸľŅĴļŁĸļņňņļŁĺ ňņĴŁłĻĸŅŇŌļņļŁշňĸŁĶĸķĵŌŇĻĸĴŅŇłĹŇĻĸ łŀĸņŇłŅļĸņŇłŇĴľĸŁłŇĸłĹ ĹłĿľфĴŅŇĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌŇłĵŅļŁĺŅĸĹňĺĸĸņ ĴĶļձĶļŀпŃŅłķňĶļŁĺņŇĴŅŇĿļŁĺķŅĸņņĸķķłĿĿņ ŇłĺĸŇĻĸŅĴŁķŅĴļņĸĹňŁķņ 09 OUT AND ABOUT 54 FRAGMENTED STORIES łňŅņĸņĴŁķĸʼnĸŁŇņ 20 THE SUBVERSIVE STITCHER ňŁĸļĿĿļŁʼnĸņŇļĺĴŇĸņŇĻĸĶĴņĸłĹŇĻĸ ĴĶŇłŁ łĿĿŌĸĴŅĿĸяņĴŅŇŊłŅľļņłņŇĸŁņļĵĿŌĶňŇĸ ĿŇĴŅĿłŇĻпŁłŊłŁņĻłŊļŁļʼnĸŅŃłłĿ 14 THE THREAD OF LIFE ĴŁķľļŇņĶĻňŁŇļĿŇĻĸĸŌĸŅĸĹłĶňņĸņłŁ ĸĶļĿļĴĻĴŅĿŇłŁńňĸņŇļłŁņłňŅ ĻĸŅŃłŊĸŅĹňĿņĿłĺĴŁņ 56 CAPTURING HEARTS & MINDS ŃĿĴĶĸļŁŇĻĸĶłņŀłņŊļŇĻĴ ŀĴŁķĴŇļŁŇłŁļņĺĸŇŇļŁĺňņĸķŇłŃĸłŃĿĸ ŇŅļŃŇŌĶĻļŁĵĴŅĺĸĿĿłņŇļŇĶĻ 24 OUT OF THIS WORLD! ĹĴĿĿļŁĺļŁĿłʼnĸŊļŇĻĻĸŅŁĴŇňŅĸфļŁņŃļŅĸķŊłŅľ ĻĸĸŁŁŌļŁĺ ŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌņŇňķļłŊĴņ 19 ONE OF A KIND ĸńňĴĿŇłŇĻĸĶĻĴĿĿĸŁĺĸłĹĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺĴ ĴʼnļķłŅŅļņĻņŇŌĿĸņĻļŀņĸĿĹ ňŅłʼnļņļłŁņĻłŊņŇłŃŃĸŅ ĴņĴюķļņŅňŃŇļʼnĸķĸņļĺŁĸŅяłňŇ ŇłŃŅłʼnĸĴŃłļŁŇ 26 A GROWTH MINDSET ŅłŀļŇĴĴĶľʼnļĿĿĸфĸņŇфļŁņŃļŅĸķļŇĸŀņ reviews ŇłĴŁфŃŌņĴŇĶĻĸĿпňĸĴŁĺĸĿĸŌķĸĿļĺĻŇņ 13 BOOKSHELF 32 70 YEARS, 70 VOICES The latest textile titles ĴŀļĸłĿŀĴŁļņĴŁļĶłŁłĶĿĴņŇпĶĻłņĸŁŇł ŃŅłķňĶĸĴŁĴŅŇŊłŅľŇłŀĴŅľŇĻĸňĸĸŁяņ 59 WHAT’S ON ŃĿĴŇļŁňŀĽňĵļĿĸĸ ŋĻļĵļŇļłŁņĶłŀļŁĺňŃ 36 EVERYTHING IN THE ROYAL 24 SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK GARDEN IS LOVELY ĸŀĸĸŇŅňņĴŁĴŌфļĿĿļĴŀņп ĶĻļĸĹĸŋĸĶňŇļʼnĸłĹŇĻĸłŌĴĿĶĻłłĿ łĹĸĸķĿĸŊłŅľпĴņŇĻĸņĶĻłłĿ ĶĸĿĸĵŅĴŇĸņļŇņҲҶұŇĻĴŁŁļʼnĸŅņĴŅŌ 40 COASTAL BLUES չĸŅĴŁĸŃļŃĻĴŁŌłŁŇĻĸĶłŇŇļņĻ ĶłĴņŇпĸĵłŅĴĻĴŀŃĵĸĿĿņĸŇłňŇ łŁĴŁ Ňł\"ńňĸņŇ 16 July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 5
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embroidery loves. . . 6MKLX+MS7[EF] ! ŌłňŁĺ ĴĻĴŀļĴŁ ŀňĿŇļŀĸķļĴĴŅŇļņŇŊĻłņĸŁĴŀĸļņłŁĸʼnĸŅŌłŁĸяņĿļŃņŅļĺĻŇ PHOTO COURTESY OF ŁłŊтŅĸņĻŃĴŇŇĻĸňņĸňŀłĹļŁĸ ŅŇņпŇĸŇĸŅņĵňŅĺп CLAIRE OLIVER GALLERY ĿłŅļķĴļņĻĸŅķĸĵňŇņłĿłņĻłŊĹĸĴŇňŅļŁĺŀłŅĸŇĻĴŁҵұ ŊłŅľņĶŅĸĴŇĸķĴņюĿłʼnĸĿĸŇŇĸŅņŇłĵĿĴĶľŊłŀĸŁятŅłŊļŁĺňŃ 'PSGO[MWI JVSQEFSZI ņňŅŅłňŁķĸķĵŌŇĻĸŇĻŅĸĴķņĴŁķĹĴĵŅļĶņłĹĻĸŅņĸĴŀņŇŅĸņņ Another Side to Me ŀłŇĻĸŅпŊĴĵŌĶĻłłņĸņŇłŊłŅľļŁŀĸķļňŀņŇŅĴķļŇļłŁĴĿĿŌ ĴņņłĶļĴŇĸķŊļŇĻķłŀĸņŇļĶļŇŌŇłļŀĵňĸĻĸŅŊłŅľŊļŇĻ Second Chapter 3 ĹĴŀļĿļĴŅļŇŌпĿĴĵłňŅĴŁķĶĴŅĸтĻĸňŃĸŁķņŇŅĴķļŇļłŁŊļŇĻ ĴņĸŁņĸłĹŀłŁňŀĸŁŇĴĿļŇŌļŁŇĻĸĿļĹĸфņļōĸņĸŅļĸņŅĸŇŇŌ PRIVATE COLLECTION, ISRAEL ŅĸŇŇŌтĻĸņňĵĽĸĶŇņĴŅĸļŁŇŅļĶĴŇĸĿŌŅĸŁķĸŅĸķļŁņĸŊŁŇĻŅĸĴķ ŊĻļĶĻļņʼnļņļĵĿĸĵŌņĻłŊļŁĺŇĻĸŅĸʼnĸŅņĸłĹŇĻĸĶĴŁʼnĴņпļŇņ New Growth Second ľŁłŇņĴŁķĿłłņĸŇĻŅĸĴķņтŁķłļŁĺņłпŊĴĵŌĸŀĵŅĴĶĸņĴŁķ Chapter 11 ĸĿĸʼnĴŇĸņŇĻĸļŀŃĸŅĹĸĶŇļłŁņтŊĴĵŌļĿĿňņŇŅĴŇĸņŇĻĸŊłŀĸŁяņ ŃĸŅņłŁĴĿņŇŌĿĸļŁķĸŇĴļĿĸķŅĸŃŅĸņĸŁŇĴŇļłŁņłĹĽĸŊĸĿĿĸŅŌпĻĴļŅ COLLECTION OF ĴŁķĶĿłŇĻļŁĺĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺņŃĴĶĸĹłŅŇĻĸļŅņĸĿĹфĸŋŃŅĸņņļłŁт THE ALTMAN FAMILY Gio Swaby: Fresh Up, Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg, My Hands Are Clean 4 Florida, USA, until October 9. %PPXLVIEHERH JEFVMGWI[RSRGERZEW COLLECTION OF CLAIRE OLIVER AND IAN RUBINSTEIN July August 2022 EMBROIDERY
news Born from a love of nature and crafting, Craftpod is a creative, quarterly subscription box which celebrates the current season through embroidery, craft projects and other seasonal treats, all in one surprise package. Each season, when a new box is released, you can sign up to a yearly subscription (four boxes) or just buy a single box to try. Mother and daughter team Jo and Immi create the beautiful kits. Find how to win a Craftpod.co.uk box at Instagram: @embroiderymag or Facebook: embroidery_mag 'SPPIGXMRKXLI;SVPH ĴŁĸĿҲп 5YE]'VEJXWEXXLI6YWWIPP'SXIW ĴŅŌĿŌŁŁ -RGIPIFVEXMSRSJXLI6YWWIPP'SXIW1YWIYQ GIRXIREV]RMRIEVXMWXWJVSQ5YE]'VEJXWER -WPISJ;MKLXFEWIHKVSYTSJTVSJIWWMSREP EVXMWXWERHQEOIVWLEZI[SVOWSRWLS[YWMRK E[MHIVERKISJQIHMEIRGSQTEWWMRKXI\\XMPIW GIVEQMGWTETIVTVMRXQSWEMGERHTLSXSKVETL] 8LIWI[MPPFIHMWTPE]IHXLVSYKLSYXXLI LMWXSVMGLSYWI[LMGLMWEYRMUYI:MGXSVMER WYVZMZEPMR&SYVRIQSYXLEPSRKWMHIXLISFNIGXW ERHWIXXMRKWXLEXMRWTMVIHXLIMV[SVO Until 16 October. russellcotes.com ļĿĿļŁĸŅĻļĿļŃŅĸĴĶŌĻĴņĵĸĸŁĴŁŁłňŁĶĸķĴņ ņĴŅŇņŃŅłĹĸņņļłŁĴĿņŅňņĻĸķŇłņĴʼnĸŇĻĸķļĺļŇĴĿĶłĿĿĸĶŇļłŁņłĹľŅĴļŁĸяņ ŀňņĸňŀņĴŁķĺĴĿĿĸŅļĸņпŇĻĸҲҵŇĻŁŇĸŅŁĴŇļłŁĴĿĸŋŇļĿĸĴŁķļĵŅĸ ŅŇ łŁĸłĹŇĻĸĽňķĺĸņłĹŇĻĸĴŁŁňĴĿĴŁķՔłĶľŅļōĸĹłŅ ļĸŁŁļĴĿĵĸĶĴŀĸĴʼnļŅŇňĴĿĸʼnĸŁŇтŅĺĴŁļņĸŅņňķŀļĿĴп ŁĴņŇĴņļĴĴŁķ ŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌпĸņŇĴĵĿļņĻĸķļŁҳұұұŇłŃŅłŀłŇĸŇĻĸձŁĸĴŅŇ ŁķŅĸŊņĴļķсѐĻļņļņŇĻĸձŅņŇŇļŀĸŊĸĻĴʼnĸĻĴķŇłŀĴľĸĴŁłŁĿļŁĸ łĹĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌтłŊĴĺĿłĵĴĿĶłŀŃĸŇļŇļłŁŊļŇĻĸŁŇŅļĸņ ĹŅłŀłʼnĸŅҵұķļծĸŅĸŁŇĶłňŁŇŅļĸņпŇĻĸĶłŀŃĸŇļŇļłŁŃŅłʼnļķĸņ ĸŋĻļĵļŇļłŁтĻĸņļŇňĴŇļłŁŊĻĸŅĸŊĸĴŅĸĵĴņĸķļņŅĸĿĴŇļʼnĸĿŌĶĴĿŀĴŁķłŁĿŌ ŇĻĸĴļŅŃłŅŇŊĴņĴŇŇĴĶľĸķтĸŊłňĿķĿļľĸŇłĶłŁŇļŁňĸĶňĿŇňŅĴĿĶłŁŇĴĶŇņтё ĴņŃļŅļŁĺĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌņŇňķĸŁŇņĴŁķķĸņļĺŁĸŅņŊļŇĻĴŁ łŃŃłŅŇňŁļŇŌŇłņĻłŊĶĴņĸŇĻĸļŅŇĴĿĸŁŇņт scythiatextile.com ŅĸĴĶŌяņĸŋńňļņļŇĸĻĴŁķĶŅĴչĸķņĶňĿŃŇňŅĴĿĻĸĴķŊĸĴŅ Intermission, ĻļĺĻĿļĺĻŇņŇĻĸĹĴŁŇĴņŇļĶĴĿļŀĴĺļŁĴŇļłŁłĹŇĻļņńňļĸŇĿŌ Danny ņŃłľĸŁŅļņĻŀĴŁŊĻłпĹłŅŀłŅĸŇĻĴŁҴұŌĸĴŅņĻĴņĶŅĸĴŇĸķ Amazonas. ĶłňŇňŅĸĻĴŇņŇĻĴŇķŅĴŊĴķŀļŅĴŇļłŁĴŁķņňŅŃŅļņĸļŁĸńňĴĿ 66in x 58in ŀĸĴņňŅĸтŅĸĴĶŌĻĴņŊłŅľĸķŊļŇĻŇĻĸĺŅĸĴŇĸņŇķĸņļĺŁĸŅņłĹ łňŅĴĺĸĴŁķļŁҳұұҸŊĴņĴŊĴŅķĸķĴŁĻłŁłŅĴŅŌ т ļņĹĸĿĿłŊĽňķĺĸņĴŅĸсĴŅŇļņŇłŅŁĸĿļĴĴŅľĸŅр ņŀĸ!łňŁĺ of The Great British Sewing Beeр ŁŇĻĸĴłķĹŅĸŌпĴŅŇļņŇļĶ ķļŅĸĶŇłŅłĹŇĻĸ ŀĵŅłļķĸŅĸŅņяňļĿķрŇĸŋŇļĿĸķĸņļĺŁĸŅĸŁŁŌ ļŁĺрĴŁķ ŁŁĴňŅŃĻŌпThe TimesяĹĴņĻļłŁķļŅĸĶŇłŅт handembroidery.com/handandlockprize-2022 PHOTO BY QUILT INSPIRATION Did you know it is World Embroidery Day on 30 July? RSN Sip and ĻĸĸņŇļʼnĴĿłĹňļĿŇņп ňĺňņŇҲҹфҳҲпļņŇłķļņŃĿĴŌłʼnĸŅҸұұńňļĿŇ Stitch is celebrating the theme by encouraging stitch-lovers around the world to get together with friends to share their passion, have fun ĶłŀŃĸŇļŇļłŁĸŁŇŅļĸņпĴĿłŁĺņļķĸŊłŅľņĻłŃņпŇĴĿľņĴŁķņĻłŃŃļŁĺłŃŃłŅŇňŁļŇļĸņт with stitch and raise funds for the Royal School of Needlework. The ŁĸĻļĺĻĿļĺĻŇļņĴŁŁŌ ŀĴōłŁĴņяňŁłŅŇĻłķłŋĹŅĸĸĻĴŁķŃĴŇĶĻŊłŅľńňļĿŇņт RSN is providing a wide range of ideas and themes so stitchers can ĿņłłŁņĻłŊļņŇĻĸŅĸŁĹĸĿĿĸŀłŅļĴĿňļĿŇпĴĶłŀŀňŁļŇŌŃŅłĽĸĶŇņĸŇňŃŇł host their perfect event. Ideas range from RSN Stitch Bank challenges ŃŅłʼnļķĸĴŁłňŇĿĸŇĹłŅŇĻĸĸŀłŇļłŁņłĹŇĻłņĸĴծĸĶŇĸķĵŌŇĻĸŅĸŁĹĸĿĿłŊĸŅ ĴŁķķļխĸŅĸŁŇŇĻĸŀĸņŇłńňļōōĸņĴŁķņŇļŇĶĻŇĸŀŃĿĴŇĸņсĸņłňŅĶĸņŊļĿĿĵĸ ŇŅĴĺĸķŌĴŁķĴņĴŇŅļĵňŇĸŇłŇĻĸҸҳŃĸłŃĿĸŊĻłķļĸķт available to download from royal-needlework.org.uk thefestivalofquilts.co.uk 8 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
out and about front COURSES AND EVENTS COMING UP 5 9 Ҳ ŋŃĿłŅĸŇĻĸŃłņņļĵļĿļŇļĸņłĹŊłŅľļŁĺŊļŇĻĿļĺĻŇŊĸļĺĻŇŊļŅĸŇłĶŅĸĴŇĸņŀĴĿĿфņĶĴĿĸĵļŅķĴŁķշłŊĸŅ ņĶňĿŃŇňŅĸņŊļŇĻŅļņĶļĿĿĴ ķŊĴŅķņтŅļņĶļĿĿĴŊļĿĿņĻĴŅĸŊĴŌņŇłĸŀĵĸĿĿļņĻŌłňŅĵļŅķłŅշłŊĸŅňņļŁĺ ĿĴŌĸŅņłĹĹĴĵŅļĶĴŁķŊĴŋпĵĸĹłŅĸĴķķļŁĺŇłňĶĻĸņłĹŃĴŃĸŅпŃĴļŁŇпĵňŇŇłŁņпĵĸĴķņĴŁķĻĴŁķфņŇļŇĶĻļŁĺт 7ITXIQFIVEQTQ shopbeyondmeasure.co.uk ҳ 2 ĴŃĸŅŃļłŁĸĸŅĸŁŁļĹĸŅłĿĿļĸŅĶŅĸĴŇĸņĸŋńňļņļŇĸņĶňĿŃŇňŅĸņĹŅłŀʼnļŁŇĴĺĸŅĸĶŌĶĿĸķŀĴŇĸŅļĴĿņĴŁķņŇļŇĶĻт 6 ĻĸŊļĿĿņĻłŊĻłŊŇłĵļŁķĶĴŅŇŅļķĺĸŃĴŃĸŅпŊĴŇĸŅĶłĿłňŅŃĴŃĸŅĴŁķĻĴŁķŀĴķĸŃĴŃĸŅņĴĿłŁĺņļķĸ ŃĴĺĸņŇĻĴŇĻĴʼnĸĸŀłŇļłŁĴĿʼnĴĿňĸт7ITXIQFIVEQTQbethmorrisworkshops.co.uk Ҵ ĸĵłŅĴĻĴŀŃĵĸĿĿŇĸĴĶĻĸņĶłĿĿĴĺŅĴŃĻłʼnĸŅĴŊĸĸľфĿłŁĺņňŀŀĸŅņĶĻłłĿтĸŇ ļŁņŃļŅĸķŇłŀĴľĸŃĿĴŇĸņňņļŁĺŊĴĿĿŃĴŃĸŅпŇĴŃĸņпĹĴĵŅļĶņпĺĿňĸпŀłķĸĿĿļŁĺŃĴņŇĸĴŁķ ĶĴŅĵłŅňŁķňŀт%YKYWXEQTQ deborahcampbell.co.uk ҵ ňĸ ŅłŊŁļņŇĻĸļŁņŃļŅĴŇļłŁĵĸĻļŁķŇĻĸĴŀĸĸĴпļծĸŅĸŁŇ łĴŇĸŋĻļĵļŇļłŁĴŁķ ļņĴŁĴŅŇļņŇŊĻłňņĸņŃŅļŁŇŀĴľļŁĺĴŁķŀļŋĸķŀĸķļĴŇłŇĸĿĿņŇłŅļĸņтŃĸŁķŇŊłķĴŌņ ŊļŇĻňĸŀĴľļŁĺņļŀŃĿĸĶłĿĿĴĺŅĴŃĻŃĿĴŇĸņŇłŃŅļŁŇłŁŇłŃĴŃĸŅĴŁķĹĴĵŅļĶт 7ITXIQFIVEQTQ hopeandelvis.co.uk Ҷ łļŁĴŅŇļņŇфļŁфŅĸņļķĸŁĶĸŀłĺĸŁłŅŅļņĹłŅĴŇĻŅĸĸфĻłňŅĸŋŃĿłŅĴŇļłŁłĹŇĻĸ ŃŅłĶĸņņłĹĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺĴŁňŁķĸŅфĿĴŌĸŅłĹŃĴļŁŇпŇĻĸŁłʼnĸŅĿĴŌļŁĺļŇŊļŇĻĴĵņŇŅĴĶŇņĻĴŃĸņļŁŇĻŅĸĴķĵŌ ķŅļĿĿļŁĺŇĻĸĵłĴŅķĴŁķņŇļŇĶĻļŁĺļŁŇłļŇт ŇŇĸŁķĸĸņŊļĿĿĵĸĴĵĿĸŇłłŃŇļŁŇłŇĻĸŁĸŊĴņŇĸłĹ ŅŇ юĵňŁķĿĸяпŊĻļĶĻļŁĶĿňķĸņĴĶĶĸņņŇłŇĻĸŊłŅľņĻłŃĴŁķĴķļņĶłňŁŇĸķŇĻŅĸĸфĶłňŅņĸŀĸĴĿĴŁķķŅļŁľ łŁĴŅŅļʼnĴĿĴŇ ĴŁľņļķĸłŇĸĿяņ ŅŇ!ĴŅķ ĴŅՔļŇĶĻĸŁт.YP]EQTQ[SVOWLST [SVOWLST[MXLPYRGL banksidehotel.com ҷ ĻļņĸŋĶļŇļŁĺĹŅĸĸфŀłŇļłŁŀĴĶĻļŁĸĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌĶłňŅņĸѼĹłŅŇĻłņĸŊļŇĻņłŀĸĸŋŃĸŅļĸŁĶĸѽŇĴľĸņŃĴŅŇ łŁĿļŁĸʼnļĴ\"łłŀĴŁķŅňŁņŀłŁŇĻĿŌпĵňŇŌłňĶĴŁĵłłľņļŁĺĿĸņĸņņļłŁņŇłłтŁňĿŌпŇĻĸĹłĶňņļņłŁ ŊļĿķĿļĹĸтĻĸĶłňŅņĸŅňŁņĴĿłŁĺņļķĸŇĻĸŃňĵĿļĶĴŇļłŁłĹ ĵļĺĴļĿļĿĿяņĵĸĴňŇļĹňĿŁĸŊĵłłľпWaveney Valley WildlifeпŊļŇĻĸĴĶĻĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌŃŅłĽĸĶŇĺļʼnļŁĺŌłňĴŁļŁņļĺĻŇļŁŇłŇĻĸŃŅłĶĸņņĴŁķņŇĴĺĸņ łĹĵňļĿķļŁĺňŃĴŁĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅĸķŇĸŋŇļĿĸŃļĶŇňŅĸт.YP]EQTQabigailmill.co.uk 8 Ҹ ŁŇĻļņŊłŅľņĻłŃпŇļŇĿĸķŅĸĸŁļĴŀłŁķņпĴծĸŊļĿĿĹłĶňņłŁĻļņņŇňŁŁļŁĺńňļĿŇĹŅłŀĻļņĵłłľп Quilts in IrelandпŊļŇĻĴķʼnļĶĸłŁĺĸŇŇļŁĺŇĻłņĸķļĴŀłŁķņշłŊļŁĺļŁŇłĸĴĶĻфłŇĻĸŅтĴծĸĴŁķ ŅĴŁķłŁŊļĿĿňņĸŀłņŇłĹŇĻĸĶĿĴņņŇļŀĸŇłŇĸĴĶĻŇĻĸĴŅŅĴŁĺĸŀĸŁŇłĹĹĴĵŅļĶņпŇłĻĸĿŃķĸʼnĸĿłŃ ĸĴĶĻŃĴŅŇļĶļŃĴŁŇяņŃĸŅņłŁĴĿĶłĿłňŅŃĴĿĸŇŇĸт%YKYWXEQTQºappletreecrafts.com ҹ ĹŌłňяŅĸŅĸĴķŌŇłĶłŀĵļŁĸŌłňŅĿłʼnĸłĹĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌĴŁķŀļŋĸķŀĸķļĴĴŁķĸŋŃĿłŅĸŇĻĸŇĻĸŀĸņ ĶłʼnĸŅĸķļŁĻĸĿĿĸŌĻłķĸņяĿĴŇĸņŇ ĴŇņĹłŅķĵłłľпFragmentation and Repair,ŇĻļņļņŇĻĸłŁĿļŁĸ ĶłňŅņĸĹłŅŌłňтŅłķňĶĸķŊļŇĻļĵŅĸ ŅŇņĴľĸŊłт)RVSPQIRXWSTIR.YP] ÅJZMIZ\\[\\ISM\\_WKW]Z[M[[PMTTMaZPWLM[ Һ юĴĺĸņяļņĴĿĸņņĸŅфľŁłŊŁĶłňŇňŅĸŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸŊĻĸŅĸĿĴŌĸŅņňŃłŁĿĴŌĸŅņłĹĹĴĵŅļĶņĴŅĸ ĵňļĿŇňŃłŁŇłŃłĹłŁĸĴŁłŇĻĸŅĴŁķņŇļŇĶĻĸķķłŊŁŇłĹĴŁłňŇĴŁķĿłłľĿļľĸŇĻĸŃĴĺĸņ łĹĴĵłłľтĻļņłŁĿļŁĸĶĿĴņņŊļĿĿŇĸĿĿŌłňĻłŊŇĻĸŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸļņňņĸķŊĻĸŁĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺ ĹłŅĶłňŇňŅĸпĴŁķĻĸĿŃŌłňĴŃŃĿŌŌłňŅľŁłŊĿĸķĺĸŇłĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺĴĵŅļĺĻŇŅĸķŇłĴķņŇłłĿ ŃļŁĶňņĻļłŁпŊļŇĻĴʼnĸĿʼnĸŇŇłŃņĶĴŇŇĸŅĸķŊļŇĻŃĸĴŅĿķĸŇĴļĿņпĴŁķĴņŇňŅķŌŊĸļĺĻŇĸķ ŊłłĿĿĸŁņŇĸŀтSV[MXLXLIOMXlondonembroideryschool.com 1ұ 10 ķʼnĴŁĶĸŁłŇļĶĸłĹŇĻļņձʼnĸфķĴŌļŁŇĸŁņļʼnĸļŁфŃĸŅņłŁĶłňŅņĸłŁŇĻĸŊłŅĿķłĹĶłňŇňŅĸ ĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌтĸņļĺŁĸķŇłļŁŇŅłķňĶĸĵňķķļŁĺĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅĸŅņŇłŇĻĸņĸĿĸĶŇļłŁłĹ ŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸņļŁňņĸĴŇĴŁķՔłĶľпŇĻĸŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸņŇĴňĺĻŇĴŅĸňņĸķŅĸĺňĿĴŅĿŌļŁ łŁķłŁпĴŅļņĴŁķĸŊ!łŅľĶłňŇňŅĸĻłňņĸņĴŁķļŁĶĿňķĸĵĸņŃłľĸĻĴŁķфĵĸĴķļŁĺп ņļĿľշłņņĴŁķņŇŅĴŁķĸķŇĻŅĸĴķŊłŅľпņļĿľņĻĴķļŁĺĴŁķĶłŁŇĸŀŃłŅĴŅŌĺłĿķŊłŅľĴŁķ ĶŅĸŊĸĿŊłŅľт2SZIQFIVEQTQ handembroideryshop.com July August 2022 EMBROIDERY
PRUE EDWARDS MARK DAVIDSON GINNY KOPPENHOL EMBROIDERY July August 2022 PRUE EDWARDS GINNY KOPPENHOL PRUE EDWARDS PHOTOS BY MARK DAVIDSON TAKEN FROM THE TEXTILE ARTIST: SCULPTURAL TEXTILE ART BY PRISCILLA EDWARDS. PUBLISHED BY SEARCH PRESS. PHOTOGRAPHS AND DESIGN COPYRIGHT © SEARCH PRESS LTD. 2022.
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PRUE EDWARDS MARK DAVIDSON MARK DAVIDSON GINNY KOPPENHOL BOTTOM ROW: ALL GINNY KOPPENHOL )H[EVHW´WIPIGXMZINY\\XETSWMRKMWFSXL MRKVIHMIRX´QIERWXLEXLIVWXYHMSGERRSX SJPMJIMWEWIHYGXMZISRI%RHPMOIXLI QIRXEPERHTL]WMGEPTPE]IHSYXMRLIV[SVO [LSPP]GSRXEMRIMXLIVLIVSVLIVTVEGXMGI GVIEXYVIWWLIVIJEWLMSRWJVSQXLIQLIPH ERHMRLIVWXYHMS³-QMKLXQSZIXLMRKW ³-VIEPP]YWIXLI[LSPILSYWIEWEWTEGI EPSJXF]EMVQIVIWYKKIWXMSRWSJWSPMHMX]SJ ERHVITSWMXMSRXLIQ;SVOMRKSRWIZIVEP JSVJSVQYPEXMRKMHIEW-´PPSJXIRQSZIXLMRKW XERKMFPIVIEPMX])H[EVHW´WXYHMSTIVLETW TMIGIWEXEXMQI-PMOIXSQSZIJVSQSRIXS HS[RXSXLIPMZMRKWTEGIERHPMZI[MXLXLIQ XLIITMXSQISJEGVIEXMZIWTEGII\\MWXW ERSXLIV´-X´WETVEGXMGIMR[LMGLLIV[MRHS[ ERHSFWIVZIXLIQSVTYXXLIQRI\\XXS ERHXLVMZIW[E]FI]SRHXLIJSYV[EPPWXLEX PIHKILEWETMZSXEPVSPI³-X´WERMRXIVQIHMEXI SXLIVXLMRKWXLEX-ZEPYI GMVGYQWGVMFIMXe WTEGIEWTEGIJSVXLMRKWXLEXEVILEPJQEHI ³8LIPMRIWEVIFPYVVIH-´QQEOMRKXLMRKW Ellen Bell ERHXLI]GERWMXXLIVIWSQIXMQIWJSVE]IEV JVSQSFNIGXWXLEX-PMOIERHMXQMKLXFI FIJSVIXLI]KIX½RMWLIH´ XLEX-PMZI[MXLXLIQJSVEXMQIFIJSVIXLI] priscillaedwards.co.uk %RHXLSYKLGLIVMWLMRKMXEWE³WEJIWTEGI´ FIGSQIETMIGISJ[SVO´ MR[LMGLLIV[SVOMRTVSKVIWW[MPPVIQEMR )H[EVHW´SFZMSYWHIPMKLXMRXLIXMR] ĻĸĸŋŇļĿĸ ŅŇļņŇсĶňĿŃŇňŅĴĿĸŋŇļĿĸ ŅŇ YRHMWXYVFIH)H[EVHW´GSQTYPWMZI³-´Q XLIXVERWMIRXERHXLISJXIRJSVKSXXIR by Priscilla Edwards, Search Press, £17.99. EP[E]WPSSOMRK´ HVMZIXS½RHXLEX³OI] WSQIXMQIWKVYFF]JEFVMGEXIHVIQRERXW Available at searchpress.com EMBROIDERY July August 2022
bookshelf front AN UNBROKEN THREAD: THE TEXTILE ARTIST: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS SCULPTURAL TEXTILE ART OF THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK Priscilla Edwards ŅļņĶļĿĿĴ ķŊĴŅķņяĶłŁŇĸŀŃłŅĴŅŌŀļŋĸķŀĸķļĴĴŅŇŊłŅľņ Susan Kay-Williams łծĸŅĴŅĸĹŅĸņĻļŁĺĿŌķļծĸŅĸŁŇĴŃŃŅłĴĶĻŇłĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌпŇĴľļŁĺņŇļŇĶĻŇłĴŁ ňĵĿļņĻĸķŇłĶłļŁĶļķĸŊļŇĻŇĻĸłŌĴĿĶĻłłĿ ļŀŃŅĸņņļʼnĸŁĸŊĿĸʼnĸĿŊļŇĻļŁŊļŅĸņĶňĿŃŇňŅĸтļŇĻĻĸŅļŀĴĺļŁĴŇļʼnĸňņĸłĹŇĻĸŁĸĸķĿĸ łĹĸĸķĿĸŊłŅľяņҲҶұŇĻĴŁŁļʼnĸŅņĴŅŌпŇĻļņŇļŇĿĸ ĴŁķĿłʼnĸłĹŅĸŇŅłʼnļŁŇĴĺĸŁłņŇĴĿĺļĴпŇĻĸĴŅŇļņŇĻĴņŃļĶľĸķňŃłŁĴŁĸŁķňŅļŁĺŇŅĸŁķт ŇĸĿĿņŇĻĸņŇłŅŌłĹŇĻĸĹŅłŀļŇņĹłňŁķļŁĺ ŁŇĻļņĺňļķĸпņĻĸŅĸʼnĸĴĿņĻłŊŇłĶłŀĵļŁĸĶłĿłňŅпņŇļŇĶĻпņĻĴŃĸпŇĸŋŇňŅĸĴŁķĿĴŌĸŅļŁĺ ļŁҲҹҸҳŇłŇĻĸĶňŅŅĸŁŇķĴŌтŅļŇŇĸŁĵŌŇĻĸ ŇłŇŅĴŁņĹłŅŀņňŅĹĴĶĸņļŁŇłĵĸĴňŇļĹňĿпŊĻļŀņļĶĴĿņĶňĿŃŇňŅĸņĹňĿĿłĹĶĻĴŅĴĶŇĸŅп пŅňņĴŁĴŌфļĿĿļĴŀņпļŇĻļĺĻĿļĺĻŇņ ĶňŅļłņļŇŌĴŁķĶĻĴŅŀтĸĴŅŁĴĵłňŇĹŅĸĸфŀĴĶĻļŁĸĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌĴŁķĻĴŁķфņŇļŇĶĻпŃĿňņ ľĸŌŃĸłŃĿĸпŅłŌĴĿĴŁķłŇĻĸŅņŃĸĶļĴĿ ĻłŊŇłĶłŁņŇŅňĶŇņňŃŃłŅŇļŁĺĹŅĴŀĸņт ĶłŀŀļņņļłŁņпŇĻĸĶĻĴŁĺļŁĺĹłŅŇňŁĸņłĹŇĻĸ ʼnĸŅŌŃĴĺĸłĹŇĻļņĺňļķĸļņĴʼnļņňĴĿĽłŌпĴŁķŇĻĸŅĸļņĴĿņłĴĶłŀŃŅĸĻĸŁņļʼnĸņĸĶŇļłŁ ņĶĻłłĿĴņĹĴņĻļłŁņŊĴŋĸķĴŁķŊĴŁĸķĴŁķ łŁĶĻłłņļŁĺŇłłĿņĴŁķņłňŅĶļŁĺŀĴŇĸŅļĴĿņт ŇĻĸĴŃŃŅłĴĶĻŇłŇĸĴĶĻļŁĺĻĴŁķфĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌт We have three copies of ĶňĿŃŇňŅĴĿĸŋŇļĿĸ ŅŇ to give away. Visit Instagram: ŇĴĿņłĵŅļŁĺņĴŇŇĸŁŇļłŁŇłŇĻĸŅłĿĸĴŁķ @embroiderymag or Facebook: embroidery_mag to enter. Open to UK residents only. ŃłņļŇļłŁłĹŇĻĸпĵłŇĻĻļņŇłŅļĶĴĿĿŌĴŁķ %ZEMPEFPIEXWIEVGLTVIWWGSQ-7&2 ŇłķĴŌпĴņņłĶļĴŇļŁĺŊļŇĻĸʼnĸŅŌłŁĸĹŅłŀ ņłĶļĸŇŌĿĴķļĸņĴŁķŇĻĸĴŇŅĸļŀŃŅĸņĴŅļłņļŁŇĻĸ ĿĴŇĸҲҺŇĻĶĸŁŇňŅŌпŇłŊłŅľļŁĺŊļŇĻĹĴņĻļłŁ ķĸņļĺŁĸŅņĴŇŅļĶľŅĴŁŇпļĶĻłĿĴņĴľŊĸĿĿ ĴŁķ ĿĸŋĴŁķĸŅĶňĸĸŁт %''%VX&SSOW JAPANESE MOTIFS STITCHED PICTURES IN STUMPWORK & GOLDWORK Linda Miller Jane Nicholas ĸĿĿфľŁłŊŁĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅĸŅļŁķĴļĿĿĸŅ ĴŁĸļĶĻłĿĴņļņłŁĸłĹŇĻĸŊłŅĿķяņ ĵŅļŁĺņŇĻĸĴŅŇłĹŀĴĶĻļŁĸĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌŇł ĿĸĴķļŁĺĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅĸŅņтĸŅĸŋńňļņļŇĸ ĿļĹĸļŁŇĻļņĶĻĴŅŀļŁĺĵłłľтĴĶľĸķŊļŇĻ ĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅļĸņļŁĺłĿķŊłŅľĴŁķ ŃŅĴĶŇļĶĴĿĴķʼnļĶĸĴŁķłʼnĸŅҳұұŃĻłŇłĺŅĴŃĻņп ņŇňŀŃŊłŅľĴŅĸļŁņŃļŅĸķĵŌĴŃĴŁĸņĸ ĸĴĶĻĶĻĴŃŇĸŅĺňļķĸņŌłňŇĻŅłňĺĻĴĿĿŇĻĸ ĹĴŀļĿŌĶŅĸņŇņпĴņňĵĽĸĶŇŇĻĴŇĻĴņ ņľļĿĿņĴŁķŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸņŁĸĸķĸķŇłŀĴľĸĴŁ ĹĴņĶļŁĴŇĸķĻĸŅĹłŅŀĴŁŌŌĸĴŅņтŁ ĴŅŅĴŌłĹĸŋĶļŇļŁĺŀĴĶĻļŁĸфņŇļŇĶĻĸķŃļĶŇňŅĸņт ĻĸŅĹłŅŇĻĶłŀļŁĺĵłłľпĴŁĸļŁŇŅłķňĶĸņҲҳ ĻĸŅĸĴŅĸņļŋŃŅłĽĸĶŇņĹĸĴŇňŅļŁĺķļծĸŅĸŁŇ ķĸņļĺŁņļŁŇĸŅŃŅĸŇļŁĺŇĻĸŀŇĻŅłňĺĻĺłĿķŊłŅľ ŇĸŋŇļĿĸŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸņпļŁĶĿňķļŁĺņłĿļķĿŌфņŇļŇĶĻĸķ ĴŁķŅĴļņĸķĴŁķņňŅĹĴĶĸņŇļŇĶĻļŁĺтĻĸŃŅłĽĸĶŇņ ŀĴĶĻļŁĸĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌпŊłŅľļŁĺŊļŇĻĹłňŁķ ĹĸĴŇňŅĸĴŁĴŅŅĴŌłĹŀłŇļĹņпĹŅłŀĵňŇŇĸŅշļĸņĴŁķ łĵĽĸĶŇņĴŁķŅĸʼnĸŅņĸĹĴĵŅļĶĴŃŃĿļńňųтŇĴĿņł łŇĻĸŅļŁņĸĶŇņŇłĴŃĴŁĸņĸŃĿĴŁŇņĴŁķշłŊĸŅņт ŃŅłʼnļķĸņŌłňŊļŇĻŇĻĸĶłŁձķĸŁĶĸĴŁķ ĸĴņňŅļŁĺĽňņŇҲұĶŀņńňĴŅĸпĸĴĶĻļņŊłŅľĸķłŁ ľŁłŊĿĸķĺĸŇłňņĸŌłňŅņĸŊļŁĺŀĴĶĻļŁĸĴņĴ ĴŁĴņņłŅŇŀĸŁŇłĹņļĿľĴŃĴŁĸņĸľļŀłŁłĹĴĵŅļĶņ ķŅĴŊļŁĺĴŁķŃĴļŁŇļŁĺŇłłĿт ĴŁķĴĶĶłŀŃĴŁļĸķĵŌķĸŇĴļĿĸķļŁņŇŅňĶŇļłŁņпĴ ņŇļŇĶĻķļĴĺŅĴŀĴŁķŇĻĸłňŇĿļŁĸĹłŅŇĻĸķĸņļĺŁт 8LI'VS[SSH4VIWW %ZEMPEFPIEXWIEVGLTVIWWGSQ3GXSFIV July August 2022 EMBROIDERY
Quick Q&A THE THREAD OF LIFE Last year, Embroidery magazine met US artist Cecilia Charlton. Here, we pick up the threads of her story as she wins the Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open CECILIA CHARLTON IS AN AMERICAN textile artist on the archetype of sisters, I remembered the myth of the Three currently residing in London, who uses the regimented stitches of Fates from Greek mythology and upon further research, I realised the bargello technique to tell both personal and universal stories. how relevant the topic might be, particularly for a work executed She works intuitively, the geometrics of the technique taking her in embroidery. As thread metaphorically represents a human life to abstraction. Countering this abstraction are the titles of her in the myth of the Three Fates, it seemed that a textile work would ŊłŅľņпłչĸŁĵĴņĸķļŁĻĸŅŃĸŅņłŁĴĿĿļĹĸт be the perfect medium to explore the idea. I was also interested in the potential of the artwork to speak of Responding to a £10,000 commission from the biennial Jerwood ĺĿłĵĴĿĶłŁĶĸŅŁņпĴņļŇŊĴņĴŌҳұҳұŊĻĸŁŇĻĸĴŅŇŊłŅľŊĴņձŅņŇ Art Fund Makers Open, which gives exceptional artists the opportunity to develop their ideas, Cecilia has produced the conceived. Then, as now, there are many global issues that require triptych Eternal myth and the poetry of the cosmos [fate, future, suture] consideration and recalibration. The artwork, hopefully, opens (2021). In this work, Cecilia invites the viewer to ponder: does the up a dialogue around myth and its relevance today: what are the thread of life bind us to our fate? And also to think more deeply mechanisms driving social decisions? on humankind’s place in the cosmos. The textile nature of the work highlights themes of a personal and At JerwoodArts.org, Cecilia lists Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan domestic nature but the scale and composition of the works relate (1994) as reading matter, among other titles. The ‘pale blue dot’ to more universal concepts. of Sagan’s work refers to the not even one pixel-wide photograph of Earth taken from space, at Sagan’s suggestion, by Voyager 1 on ĴʼnĸŌłňĵĸĸŁļŁնňĸŁĶĸķĵŌŇĻĸłŅŇĻĸŅŁļĺĻŇņъ ҲҵĸĵŅňĴŅŌҲҺҺұтĻļņņĸĸŀļŁĺфļŁņļĺŁļձĶĴŁĶĸпĵŅļŁĺņļŁŇłņĻĴŅŃ I would love to see the Northern Lights. I still have not seen them relief the search for our place in the cosmos. but it has been a life-long fascination of mine. My sister saw them from an airplane once, which, to me, always seemed like the What started you on the journey of creating Eternal myth and the most extraordinary experience. It is precisely this type of natural poetry of the cosmos [fate, future, suture] (triptych)? phenomena that really inspires me. My original starting point with the concept was the relationship that I have with my two sisters, a sort of character study. My works How far does bargello help you realise your visions? łչĸŁłŅļĺļŁĴŇĸŊļŇĻĴŃĸŅņłŁĴĿŁĴŅŅĴŇļʼnĸт ņŊĴņŅňŀļŁĴŇļŁĺ I have found bargello to be a needlepoint technique that seems uniquely suited to my work and to my way of working. Its foundation in maths and grids, its use of colors, the reliance on and manipulation of systems, it is all there with bargello. I naturally have an ordered, organised aesthetic, so bargello is a technique that enables me to move freely within it, rather than ձĺĻŇļŁĺĴĺĴļŁņŇĴŀĸķļňŀłŅŃŅłĶĸņņŇĻĴŇļņļŁĶĿļŁĸķŇłĵĸĴĵļŇ more haphazard. łŊĻĴņŌłňŅĵĴĶľĺŅłňŁķļŁնňĸŁĶĸķŌłňŅĴŅŇŃŅĴĶŇļĶĸъ ĸĴŅŁļŁĺņĸŊļŁĺŇĸĶĻŁļńňĸņпĴŁķķĸʼnĸĿłŃļŁĺĴŁĴղŁļŇŌĹłŅ ŇĻĸŊłŅĿķłĹŇĸŋŇļĿĸņпļņłŁĸłĹŇĻĸĵļĺĺĸņŇļŁշňĸŁĶĸņļŁŀŌĴŅŇ practice. This originated in my childhood, when my mother would teach my sisters and I to sew on the weekends. We learned to sew on the machine, cross-stitch, needlepoint, knit; not only did we learn these skills but also gained a relationship with the collective nature of sewing and how it can function socially and psychologically. These ideas all create the foundation for my art practice today. Where are you happiest creating? I really like to be at home, in my studio. I feel really comfortable there, knowing I can go make a cup of tea or hang up the laundry, read a book, visit with my partner; that my studio is integrated with the rest of my life. It feels very natural to me, rather than having a separate place that I go to in order to create artworks. e Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open transfers to the Newlyn Art Gallery, Penzance, 25 June-1 October, then Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen, 19 November-4 March 2023 ceciliacharlton.com jerwoodarts.org newlynartgallery.co.uk PHOTO BY RUTA SASNAUKAITE July August 2022 14 EMBROIDERY
Detail from Eternal myth and the poetry of the cosmos [fate, future, suture] (triptych) (2021). PHOTO BY ANNA ARCA July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 15
gtohoed luck talisman A RECENT REDISCOVERY OF A CHILDHOOD PASSION FOR EMBROIDERY HAS ENABLED ONE WOMAN BORN IN THE UKRAINE TO RAISE FUNDS AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THE FACE OF THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS Victoria Baumgartner had already started her MRXLIWYTIVQEVOIXW´:MGXSVMEEVVMZIHMRXLIWEJILEZIRSJ I\\UYMWMXI9OVEMRMER¾S[IVGVS[RIQFVSMHIV] 7[MX^IVPERHEKIHWIZIR[LIVIWLIWTIRXLIVJSVQEXMZI [LIR6YWWMEVIHSYFPIHMXWEKKVIWWMSRMR9OVEMRI ]IEVW7LIWXYHMIH)RKPMWLERHHVEQEEXXLI9RMZIVWMX]SJ ERHJYPPWGEPI[EVFVSOISYX,IV½VWXXLSYKLX[EWXSLIPT 0EYWERRIERHLEWER)RKPMWLEGGIRX(IZIPSTMRKETEWWMSR XLITISTPISJLIVFMVXLTPEGIWSWLITSWXIHXLIWXVMOMRK JSV7LEOIWTIEVI[LMPIWXYH]MRKQIERX]IEVP]XVMTWXSXLI JSPOEVXSRPMRI/RS[RMR6YWWMEEWXLIkokoshnik and in the 9/XSWIIHVEQEWEX7LEOIWTIEVI´W+PSFIERHXLI6S]EP Ukraine as the vinokXLI¾S[IVGVS[REVXWSPHMRWXERXP] 7LEOIWTIEVI'SQTER] ERHWLI[EWHIPMKLXIH[LIREFY]IVSJJIVIHEWMKRM½GERX %JXIVQSZMRKLIVIXLVII]IEVWEKSERH[SVOMRKJSVSTIVE WYQ-RJEGXXLMWGSPSYVJYPTMIGIHMWTPE]MRKE[IEPXLSJ ERHXLIEXVIGSQTERMIW:MGXSVMEWXVYGOSYXSRLIVS[R WXMXMGLIWMRETEPIXXISJFVMKLXTMROVIH]IPPS[SVERKIERH -RXLIXMQISJXLITERHIQMG[LMPIWSQER]SJYW[IVI KVIIRERHWIX[MXLTIEVPWERHFIEHWGSYPHLEZIWSPHQER] SFWIWWIH[MXLQMRYXMEIERHEKLEWXEX[LEX[EWFIEQIH XMQIWSZIV MRXSSYVLSQIWSRXLIRI[W:MGXSVMEWIXYT&EVHMRXLI Victoria donated the funds raised to the UNFPA, a United =EVH[MXLXLIMHIEXLEXMJEYHMIRGIWGSYPHRSXEGGIWW 2EXMSRWJYRHXLEXMWLIPTMRKTVIKRERX[SQIRERH[SQIR XLIEXVIWXLIEGXSVWGSYPHWXMPPEGGIWWEYHMIRGIW ERHKMVPWPMZMRKMRXLIWLEHS[SJXLIGSR¾MGX[LSEVI ³-X´WVYQSYVIHXLEX7LEOIWTIEVI[VSXIKing Lear and ZMGXMQWSJWI\\YEPZMSPIRGI%RIWXMQEXIH[SQIR MacbethHYVMRKTPEKYIUYEVERXMRIWS-[VSXIX[SWSPS [MPPKMZIFMVXLMRXLI9OVEMRISZIVXLIRI\\XXLVIIQSRXLW WLS[WEFSYX7LEOIWTIEVIXV]MRKXS[VMXIFYX½RHMRK many in underground metro stations or hastily constructed TPEKYIUYEVERXMRIYRMRWTMVMRKWSLIGSQIWXS]SYV FSQFWLIPXIVW[MXLSYXEGGIWWXSQEXIVRMX]LIEPXLGEVI FEGO]EVHJVSRX]EVHGEVILSQISVWGLSSPMRWIEVGLSJLIPT´ QEOMRKGLMPHFMVXLEPMJIXLVIEXIRMRKVEXLIVXLERPMJIEJ½VQMRK &EVHMRXLI=EVHXSSOSJJERHPEWX]IEVWE[FEVHWTIVJSVQ IZIRX1ER][SQIRERHKMVPWLEZIEPVIEH]I\\TIVMIRGIH IZIV][LIVIJVSQ7GSXPERHXS0SRHSR KIRHIVFEWIHZMSPIRGIMRXLIPEWXIMKLX]IEVWSJXLIGSR¾MGX *SV:MGXSVMEXLIZEVMSYWWXEKIWSJ'SZMHPSGOHS[R 8LIXLSYKLXWSJXLMWIRXIVTVMWMRK]IEVSPHXLIRXYVRIH FVSYKLXERSXLIVTEWWMSRXSXLIJSVIXLEXLEWFIIRWMQMPEVP] XS[LEXQSVIWLIGSYPHHS8LIMHIESJWXEVXMRKERSRPMRI WYWXEMRMRK³1]KVERHQEXEYKLXQILS[XSGVSWWWXMXGLEW FYWMRIWWERHGSQQYRMX]TVSNIGXJSVFSXLPSGEPWERH EGLMPHERH-EFWSPYXIP]EHSVIHMX7LIMWZIV]KSSHERH 9OVEMRMERVIJYKIIWMRLIVLSQIXS[RSJ*SPOIWXSRI/IRX MWEPEGIXIEGLIVEW[IPP-[EPOIHMRXSQ]PSGEP3\\JEQ FIKERXSJSVQ4IVLETW]SY[SYPHI\\TIGXRSXLMRKPIWWSJ FSSOWLSTERHXLIVI[EWXLMWFSSOSRKEVHIRIQFVSMHIV] XLMWWIPJTVSGPEMQIHTIVJIGXMSRMWX[LSLEWFIIRVIWSYVGIJYP ERH-XLSYKLX±PIXQIWIIMJ-GERVIQIQFIVLS[XS MRXLIJEGISJWIZIVEPWIXFEGOW HSXLMW²8LIR-KSXVIEPP]MRXSMXFIGEYWIMXMWEHHMGXMZI- Victoria’s mother and grandmother are Ukrainian, her SVHIVIHQSVIWYTTPMIWERH[EWIRXLYWIHJSVXLIIRXMVI KVERHJEXLIV6YWWMER,IVKVERHQSXLIVPMZIWMREWQEPP 'LVMWXQEWFVIEO-WXEVXIH[EXGLMRKXYXSVMEPWSRPMRIERH ZMPPEKIWSYXL[IWXSJ/]MZ:MGXSVME[EWFSVRMRXLIGMX]SJ XLSYKLX±-´QWYVIXLEXXLMWGERFIHSRIWSQILS[²´ 0YXWOERHPIEVRIHXSWTIEO6YWWMERFIJSVIXLIHMWWSPYXMSR 8LI¾S[IVGVS[R MWEPMRO[MXLLIV6YWWS9OVEMRMER SJXLI7SZMIX9RMSR%XXLIJEPPSJXLI&IVPMR;EPPMR LIVMXEKI[LIVIXLIQSXMJWEVITEVXSJJSPOXVEHMXMSRERH WLIWE]WPMJI³[EWZIV]LEVHERHIZIRXYEPP]Q]QYQ TVI[EV[SYPHLEZIFIIRWSPHEPPSZIV/]MZ HIGMHIHXSQSZIXS½RHWSQI[LIVI[MXLNSFWERHJSSH :MGXSVME[EWPYGO]IRSYKLXSFIEFPIXSYWIWSQISJLIV KVERHQE´WWXEWLSJXLVIEHWSRXLITVSNIGX³1]KVERHQE ‘My grandma taught me LEWKMZIRQIEKMKERXMGFS\\SJXLVIEHW7LIWEMH±-[SR´X how to cross stitch as a WXMXGLEPPSJXLEXFIJSVI-HMINYWXXEOIWSQI²WS-´ZIKSXEPP child and I adored it’ XLMWGSXXSR-[ERXIHXLIIQFVSMHIVMIWXSLEZIEXLVII HMQIRWMSREPIJJIGXWS-´QSVHIVMRKTIEVPWERHFIEHWERH -´QEP[E]WWGSYVMRKGLEVMX]WLSTWXS½RHRIGOPEGIW]SYGER TYPPETEVXERHXYVRMRXSTMIGIWJSVIQFVSMHIV]´ 16 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
reader profile PHOTOS BY SEAN O’CONNOR Above: Victoria was taught to stitch by her Ukrainian grandmother, who supplied her with a stash of threads. She also discovered a book on garden embroidery in Oxfam, which proved ĻĸĿŃĹňĿтĻļņļņĻĸŅձŅņŇշłŊĸŅĶŅłŊŁķĸņļĺŁ which demonstrates a wealth of detail and technique, including embellishment with pearls and gold beads Right: Victoria Baumgartner, who was born in ľŅĴļŁĸпļņŅňŁŁļŁĺĴշłŊĸŅĶŅłŊŁĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌ ĺŅłňŃłŁňĸņķĴŌņļŁłĿľĸņŇłŁĸпĴŇňŁշłŊĸŅ House, where locals and Ukrainians can meet July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 17
‘They are here but their heart is still in Ukraine’ Right: The Russian kokoshnik, and in the *VMIRHWGSQQIRXIHXLEXWYVIP]IQFVSMHIV][EWJSVXLI Ukraine the vinokпļņĴշłŅĴĿĻĸĴķķŅĸņņ SPHIVKIRIVEXMSR³-WE]XSXLIQXLMWMWPMOIXLIGSPSYVMRK associated with virginity, womanhood and GVE^IJSVEHYPXW8LMWMWQIHMXEXMZIERHGEPQMRK-X´WXLI marriage. Ukrainians, both male and female, HIXEMPWXLEXLIPTXLIJEGXXLEX-VIEPP][ERXMXXSFITIVJIGX łչĸŁŊĸĴŅŇĻĸŀłŁŇĻĸļŅŊĸķķļŁĺķĴŌĴŁķ -XQEOIWXLITIVJIGXMSRMWXMRQIUYMIXIRHS[REFMX%PWS in the Ukraine, there is a tradition of young EWETVSJIWWMSREPMXXEOIWE[E]WSQISJXLIKYMPXSJVIPE\\MRK women donning them in spring. Pre-war, SXLIV[MWI-´QXLMROMRK-GSYPHFIHSMRKXLMWERHHSMRKXLEX´ they were readily available at stores and ;MXL9OVEMRMERVIJYKIIW½REPP]EVVMZMRKMR/IRX:MGXSVMELEW market stalls all over the capital of Kyiv SJJIVIHLIVWIVZMGIWEWEXVERWPEXSVEPXLSYKLWLIWE]WQER] Below: One of Victoria’s latest designs with VIJYKIIWWTIEO)RKPMWL[IPP³8LI]LEZIPSXWSJHMJJIVIRX striking peacock feathers. She is currently WXSVMIWFYXJSVQER]SJXLIQXLIMVLYWFERHWFVSXLIVWERH working on simplifying her work and JEXLIVWEVIWXMPPMR9OVEMRI8LI]EVILIVIFYXXLIMVLIEVX creating kits to sell in an online Etsy store, MWWXMPPMR9OVEMRI´;MXLJEQMP]WXMPPRIEV/]MZ:MGXSVMEEZSMHW which will also display work from refugees [EXGLMRKXLIRI[W³-WTIRXXLI½VWXX[S[IIOW[EXGLMRK to help raise money for UNFPA XLIRI[WSFWIWWMZIP]8LIMRMXMEPWLSGO[EWFMKERH-[EW UYMXIJVS^IR[MXLKVMIJ8LIR-VIEPMWIHMJ-EQXSHSELIPTJYP EMBROIDERY July August 2022 XLMRK-RIIHXSWXST[EXGLMRKXLIRI[W´ :MGXSVMELEWWIXYTEKVSYTJSVVIJYKIIWERHPSGEPWXS XV]¾S[IVGVS[REVXSR8YIWHE]WEX7YR¾S[IV,SYWI *SPOIWXSRIWIGYVMRKEZSYGLIVJVSQ0SZI'VEJXW XS[EVHWWXEVXYTWYTTPMIW7LIMWEPWSWMQTPMJ]MRKLIVMHIEW XSGVIEXIOMXWXSWIPPEPSRKWMHIEVX[SVOWJVSQXLIKVSYTZME )XW]ERH-RWXEKVEQ[MXLTVSGIIHWXSXLI92*4% ,IVFS]JVMIRHMWETLSXSKVETLIV[LSGERTSVXVE]XLI [SVOWMRXLIMVFIWXPMKLX ³8LIFIEYX]SJXLI¾S[IVGVS[RMWXLEX]SYGERWXMXGLWS QER]HMJJIVIRX¾S[IVW-XMWIRHPIWWERHZIV]VMGLFIGEYWI IZIV]SRIGERHSMXXLIMV[E]´:MGXSVMEWE]W³-X[SYPHFI VIEPP]PSZIP]XSJIIPPMOIMX´WLIPTMRK´ 8LI9OVEMRMER¾S[IVGVS[RMWEXEPMWQERJSVKSSHPYGO ;LEXGSYPHFIQSVIETTVSTVMEXISVRIGIWWEV]MRXLIWI tumultuous times? e Claire Waring PHOTO BY LESIA DUBENIYK ļņļŇľŅĴļŁļĴŁնłŊĸŅĶŅłŊŁłŁĵłŇĻ ŇņŌĴŁķŁņŇĴĺŅĴŀłŅ ĸŀĴļĿʼnļĶŇłŅļĴсĵĴňŀĺĴŅŇŁĸŅҌĺŀĴļĿсĶłŀс ľŅĴļŁļĴŁնłŊĸŅĶŅłŊŁĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌĶĿĴņņĸņĴŅĸłŁ ňĸņķĴŌņоҳŃŀуҶŃŀоňŁնłŊĸŅłňņĸоłĿľĸņŇłŁĸоĸŁŇс
front ONE of a KIND David Morrish seems to excel at everything he does, so with an exciting new venture in ŇĻĸłղŁĺпļŇяņŇļŀĸŇł sit up and take notice DAVID MORRISH CALLS HIMSELF ŊłŅľłĹŇĴŇŇłłĴŁķĺŅĴղŇļĴŅŇļņŇņʼnļĴ digital embroidery can do. I don’t like a ‘disruptive designer’. A man in the digital embroidery, using their Instagram logos and football badges on shirts as they traditionally female world of embroidery, he following to boost his own. are very rigid, while the minute you say is out to shatter stereotypes, from the tattoos Now he’s starting a business: digitally embroidery, people automatically think on his forearms to his prize-winning art. embroidering high-end denim jackets. łĹշłŊĸŅņĴŁķĵļŅķņтŊĴŁŇĸķŇłņĻłŊļŇ ņĴĹĴņĻļłŁĴĶĴķĸŀļĶĴŇĻĸղĸĿķĴĿĿĴŀ Several months ago David received ĶłňĿķĵĸņłŀĸŇĻļŁĺʼnĸŅŌķļծĸŅĸŁŇтя University (winning two awards as an advice from a Venice-based friend who David designs using pencil, pen, tracing ĸķňĶĴŇłŅѽпĴŁķĻĴʼnļŁĺձŁļņĻĸķĻļņłŊŁ is a lifestyle blogger: ‘You need to try paper, at 100 per cent scale. With Wilcom in fashion and textiles in 2020 (with a First, embroidering on denim jackets, they are ķļĺļŇļņļŁĺņłչŊĴŅĸĻĸķĸņļĺŁņņŇļŇĶĻĸņĴŁķ distinction), he is at the ‘cutting edge’. everywhere here.’ David ran with it, using ձĿĿņĵĸĹłŅĸŇĴľļŁĺļŇļŁŇłŇĻĸŀĴĶĻļŁĸтюяŀ A former Embroiderers’ Guild scholar, he Instagram to contact celebrities to ask if painting with threads, and I manipulate has twice won the Hand & Lock Prize’s they would like a bespoke jacket. the machine throughout,’ he tells me. Wilcom Digital Embroiderer of the David recalls: ‘I saw an Instagram post The limited edition made-to-order jackets !ĸĴŅтļņҳұҲҺŊļŁŁļŁĺĸŁŇŅŌŊĴņĴҶչ where Natalie Imbruglia was with a friend will be in one of several designs. Finding deconstructed denim jacket suspended in a and she was wearing a denim jacket, price points has involved analysing costs weaving loom-inspired frame. Embroidered so I posted that I’d love to embroider a down to each jacket inch. with a metaphorical owl clutching a rat in its jacket for her, give me a shout, and she A future client he would love is pro-boxer talons, the design represented the wealthy ķļķтяĴŇĴĿļĸŊĴŁŇĸķĴюձŅĸĵļŅķятюŊĴņŁяŇ Tyson Fury, ‘a typical Alpha male.’ ‘When Victorian cloth mill owner bringing about ņňŅĸŊĻĴŇĴձŅĸĵļŅķŊĴņĵňŇļŇŇňŅŁņłňŇ someone says, “What kind of thing do you the end of the handmade textile industry. it is a phoenix,’ David laughs. ‘Her new do?” I say, “You know what tattoo artists Currently sponsored by Wilcom, Janome album was called Firebird and she wore do? I do that for clothes.”’ and GSUK, what is David up to now? ŇĻĸĽĴĶľĸŇłŁŇĻĸŅĸĿĸĴņĸłĹĻĸŅձŅņŇ ĴʼnļŁĺĽňņŇĶłŀŃĿĸŇĸķņłŀĸձĿŀļŁĺп Dressing celebrities is the unusual answer. single.’ He followed up by approaching hush-hush for now, it is clear people think David set aside two years to build a portfolio Danni Minogue, designing a particularly David Morrish is going places.e ĴչĸŅĻļņĴņŇĸŅяņпĶłĿĿĴĵłŅĴŇļŁĺļŁļŇļĴĿĿŌ punchy Pop Art denim jacket for her. by reproducing the raw and powerful This proves a point. ‘I want to show what -RWXEKVEQ$OMRK¾]CIQFVSMHIV] July August 2022 EMBROIDERY
subtvheersive stitcher HOLLY SEARLE HAS MADE A NAME FOR HERSELF, QUITE LITERALLY, BY STITCHING IMPERATIVE AND SOMETIMES UNCOMFORTABLE SLOGANS ON TO TWEE HOUSEHOLD TEA TOWELS Holly Searle, aka The Subversive Stitcher, is a straight-talker. In fact, both she and her alter- ego tell it like it is, one through writing and the other through stitch. Though referring to the existence of this second self as vaguely duplicitous, Searle evidently revels in exercising its anonymous, unexpurgated voice. ‘I have a regular domestic life like everyone else but when I see something that makes me angry I feel compelled to do something so I go away and make something.’ This urge to make something is deeply entrenched in Searle’s family narrative. ‘My nan was a seamstress and from that generation of women who made their own clothes. She was a great knitter and she could crochet. 8LMWTEKI2S[MRLIV½JXMIWEVXMWX,SPP]7IEVPIMWJSVXLVMKLXERHLSRIWX EFSYXIZIV]XLMRKJVSQ[LEX´WMRXLIRI[WXSXLII\\TIVMIRGIWSJ[SQIR [LMGLSRGIFPE^SRIHZMEJIPXMRKSRXSEXIEXS[IPGSQISYXSJXLIWLEHS[W ERHMRXSJYPPZMI[0MOIQER][SQIREVXMWXWSJLIVKIRIVEXMSR7IEVPILEW LEHXMQIW[LIVIWLIHSYFXIHLIVWIPJFYXRS[EGORS[PIHKIWLIVWOMPPWJSV GVIEXMRKEVVIWXMRKXI\\XMPIEVX[SVXL]SJFSXLLIVERHLIVXLSYKLXWSJXLIHE] ERH[LMGL[MPPWTIEOXSQER]SJYW EMBROIDERY July August 2022
PHOTOS BY CHARLOTTE DOYLE AND SAMUEL OAKE July August 2022 EMBROIDERY profile
0IJX0SRHSRFSVR,SPP]7IEVPIHVIWWIHEWRSX4IEVP]5YIIR PHOTOS BY CHARLOTTE DOYLE AND SAMUEL OAKE FYX7YVP]5YIIRTEVXXVMFYXIXSLIVJEXLIV´W)EWX)RHVSSXW [LMGLWMXWEPSRKWMHIERSXLIVQSRMOIVERHTIVWSRE 8LI7YFZIVWMZI7XMXGLIV 6MKLX7IEVPIWXEVXIHJIPXMRKLIVJIIPMRKWSRXSGSPPIGXEFPIQSWXP] OMXWGLXIEXS[IPWHYVMRK'SZMHPSGOHS[RWERHMWRS[ PSSOMRKJSVETPEGIXSWXEKIERI\\LMFMXMSRSJLIV[SVOW (VE[RMRF]XLIHSQIWXMGMQEKIV]SJIEGLXIEXS[IP[MXL WSQIWPSKERWSJXIRQIPHMRKMRXSXLIMVFEGOKVSYRHWXLIZMI[IV MWSJXIRYRWYWTIGXMRKYRXMPXLII]IVIJSGYWIWSRGSQQIRXW WYGLEW³,S[XLMRHS-LEZIXSFIFIJSVI]SYPSZI[LS-EQ#´ She would always send me something mother-of-pearl, the latter dice). A cross- subsequent encounter with the work of for my birthday. My mum was the same. between fashion and costume, these Mary Francis Heaton. Incarcerated in I remember watching her knitting and łňŇձŇņĴŅĸпĿļľĸĻĸŅņŇļŇĶĻŀłŁļľĸŅпŊĻļĶĻ a mental institution in the 19th century thinking, what a skill to have, to be able doesn’t actually refer to Roszika Parker’s ĴչĸŅŃňĵĿļĶĿŌŅĸŀłŁņŇŅĴŇļŁĺŊļŇĻĴʼnļĶĴŅ to watch telly and make something at excellent book, which Searle hadn’t heard in church over her unpaid wages, Heaton the same time.’ of at the time – ‘I was always on ‘catch-up’ professed her sanity and articulated her Fascinated by the ever-busy, multi- – but it’s a personae she can literally step anger, frustration and pain through stitch. tasking hands of both her mother and into and become. It was an epiphany for Searle: ‘She’d such grandmother, Searle was eager to emulate A Londoner by birth, a city which she a crap time of it, it actually made me cry. them. ‘I remember when we moved to describes as one of the biggest loves of And I couldn’t believe that you could use West London my mum took me to an her life, Searle is proud of her father’s stitch to say all those things.’ embroidery shop and bought me one of East End roots. Initially a homage to A long-time blogger, where she would those pre-printed tablecloths. I loved London’s pearly kings and queens, Surly ‘write about various things’ using another doing it, it was fantastic.’ And then there Queen, being variously clothing item, nom-de-plume, Pandora’s Box, Searle, was the embroidered alphabet sampler decorative object, art-work, personal thanks to Heaton, realised that she she made at school for needlework. narrative and performance piece, goes could condense all that she wanted to ‘It was from a Golden Hands book. way beyond its original remit. say into a piece of art. And so, inspired Everybody else was making clothes and Duplicitous or not, all this dressing-up by almost anything, whether it was a nobody said it was any good or anything and alter-egos and split-personae make talk by Margaret Attwood, watching a but I do remember an English teacher the telling of Searle’s story a tricky one. A programme about Jimmy Saville, or the łծĸŅļŁĺŇłĵňŌļŇтяĻĸŁŇĻĸŅĸŊĴņĴ straight-talker, yes, and open (generously ŃĸŅŃĸŇňĴĿĹňŁķļŁĺķĸձĶļŇĹłŅŇĻĸп period of obsessive knitting: ‘From my so); but the layers of experience, of a life ĴņĸŅļĸņłĹłŁĸфłծŃļĸĶĸņłĹĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌ late teens until my early twenties, I just hard-lived are, nevertheless, a complex quickly followed. couldn’t stop. I’d make patterns up in my quarry to mine. And separating all this Confessing to not being able to either head. I’d get a knot in my shoulders from detail from the work is impossible. paint or draw – ‘a needle and thread is staying up all night knitting.’ Impossible because they are indivisible; what I use to say and do things’, Searle’s A child of the 1960s, Searle’s dyslexia for they are the work. Her years of embroidered one-liners, charged with the went unrecognised and as sibling to a юķŅļչļŁĺяпłĹюŁłŇľŁłŊļŁĺŊĻĴŇŊĴņ immediacy of a doodle or a comic-strip more ‘academic’ brother, school was a doing or where I was going’, are the work. cartoon, belie their meticulous rendering. challenge. Her energy, which is legion, Her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2018 Then Covid-19 and lockdown happened was channelled elsewhere. is the work. Her being a single-parent, and Searle’s Subversive Vintage Tea ‘Fascinated by rockabilly and country twice, is the work. Her having to do jobs Towels series was born. and western, I’d go to Kensington market she hated to survive is the work. Her Citing her inspirational sources as Tracey and buy 1950s clothes and shoes and never having had enough money is the ŀļŁĴŁķŇĻĸňծŅĴĺĸŇŇĸĵĴŁŁĸŅņĴŇĻĸ put things on them and create this sort work. Her breakdown in 2010 brought on Women Making History exhibition in of look. It was the way I wanted to be by bullying in her job is the work. And 2021, Searle began appliquéing letters ņĸĸŁтŇķĸձŁĸķŀŌļķĸŁŇļŇŌĴŇŇĻĸŇļŀĸтя it was also the beginning of it: ‘What I onto collectable 1960s and 1970s tea Her ‘tribe’ found, her hair was promptly learnt from that was that there was no towels she had sourced on the internet. ńňļծĸķпĽĸĴŁĽĴĶľĸŇņĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅĸķĴŁķ colour in my life.’ Admitting to spending ‘an unhealthy jelly pumps sprayed gold. A period of counselling ensued (‘the amount of time on eBay looking for them’, ĸĴŅĿĸяņĿłʼnĸĴծĴļŅŊļŇĻĶĿłŇĻĸņĴŁķп best thing I ever did’) as did her re- Searle’s trawling has paid dividends. A indeed, dressing-up endures, shown engagement with both London and art. ķĸչĴŁķłչĸŁŀňĿŇļфĿĴŌĸŅĸķĽňŋŇĴŃłņļŇļłŁ by her current works-in-progress Surly This culminated in her visit to Bedlam: of the sometimes syrupy, sometimes Queen and Lucky Lady, both involving The Asylum and Beyond, a show at the beautiful, but mostly kitsch imagery with ĸŀĵĸĿĿļņĻŀĸŁŇŊļŇĻĵňŇŇłŁņѼŇĻĸձŅņŇ Wellcome Trust in 2016, and led to her ŇĻĸĻĴŅķфĻļŇŇļŁĺпŁłфŁłŁņĸŁņĸѼĵňŇłչĸŁ EMBROIDERY July August 2022
very, very funny) felted straplines, this is an impressive collection. ‘I love doing them. I can do one in about three hours. They give me immense satisfaction,’ she remarks. For all their speed of construction, Searle prides herself on what she calls her ‘precision’. Eschewing her prescribed workspace, she prefers to sit on her sofa and sew, using a board on which to rest her work and carefully lay out the letters: ‘There’s a real science to it.’ With Boris Johnson being a consistent target (from Peppa Pig to Partygate), she has also used the towels to protest about the war in Ukraine, the Migrant Crisis, the Grenfell Tower Fire, Climate Change and Domestic Violence. A little discomforted by what she regards as ‘using’ someone else’s work, she concedes that the ubiquity of such anodyne, unattributed domestic ephemera makes artistic ownership a somewhat hoary issue. Whatever the answer, they eloquently carry the tale of Searle’s bursts of spleen. As with most of Searle’s projects, the production of the tea towels is ongoing, and she’s currently on the lookout for a venue to exhibit them: ‘because they look so fantastic together.’ She’s also in the throes of accepting submissions for a theme called I Am Woman Project, where, inspired by the work of Louise Bourgeois, she hopes to construct a ‘patchwork woman’. łŊļŁĻĸŅձչļĸņпŇĻļņļņŃĿĴļŁĿŌĴĺłłķ time for Searle, perhaps encapsulated by her Lucky Lady dress: ‘I do believe in myself now.’ And long may her compulsion to make something – an activity she equates with ‘a sort of happiness’ – continue. e Ellen Bell www.thesubversivestitcher.com July August 2022 EMBROIDERY
OUT JENS BÜTTNER/DPA/ALAMY LIVE NEWS OF THIS Above: Sam Ryder performing at WORLD! the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, wearing the pearl The Jenny King Embroidery and crystal-encrusted jumpsuit studio is used to having very which took more than 200 (wo)man special clients, but Eurovision’s hours to make Sam Ryder was stellar. Jenny King reveals all ĸչсĻĸĵĸĴķĸķņňŁշłŊĸŅĴŀ had on his guitar strap to show ‘;,)278=0-7809/).)**)6732(%= support for Ukraine GSRXEGXIHQIXSEWOMJ[IGSYPHLIPTTVSHYGI ENYQTWYMXJSV7EQ6]HIVXLI9/´WIRXVERXJSV Top centre and far right: Jennifer XLI)YVSZMWMSR7SRK'SRXIWXXLIERW[IV ņĻķłŊŁņĴĶŅļձĶĸķĻĸŅĵĴŁľ [EWEVIWSYRHMRK³=IW´-X´WEP[E]WETPIEWYVI holiday weekend to work GSPPEFSVEXMRK[MXL0YOI;I[SVOIHXSKIXLIV on the beading JSVQER]]IEVWSRXLI8ST1ERHIWMKRWLS[WJSV 0SRHSR*EWLMSR;IIO1ERERHSRXSYVSYX½XW Other shots show detail of the JSV8EOI8LEXERH6SFFMI;MPPMEQW0YOINYWX pearl and crystal beading GSQIWYT[MXLWYGLEQE^MRKGSRGITXWERHLEW MRGVIHMFPIZMWMSR %WEWXEVXMRKTSMRX0YOIERH.SWE],IJGEQIYT [MXLMRMXMEPMPPYWXVEXMZIMHIEW;I[SVOIHXSKIXLIV XSFVMRKXLIWTEGIQERKEPEGXMGGSRGITXMRXSXLI IQFVSMHIV]HIWMKR3YV½VWXWXIT[EWXSHIZIPST XLIHIWMKREVX[SVOSRTETIVMRGSVTSVEXMRKWXEVW ERHTPERIXWSRKVMHFEGOKVSYRHWERHXLIWI [IVIXLIRXVEGIHSRXSEUYE½PQ4PEGIHSRXLI NYQTWYMXXLI½PQEGXIHEWEKYMHIJSVXLIMZSV] GSPSYVIHJVIILERHWEXMRWXMXGLIQFVSMHIV] 8LMWWXMXGLMWXLIWXYHMS´WWTIGMEPMWQERHMW TVSHYGIHSR7MRKIV³-VMWL´QEGLMRIW8LIWILEH FIIRTIVJIGXIHF]XLIWERHLEZIEWMRKPI RIIHPI[LMGLTVSHYGIWE^MK^EKWXMXGLPMOIWEXMR WXMXGL[LMGLMWGSRXVSPPIHF]EORIIFEV8LI QEGLMRIWWXSTTIHFIMRKTVSHYGIHMRXLIW ;IEVIXLISRP]WXYHMSMRXLI9/SJJIVMRKXLMW X]TISJIQFVSMHIV]TVSHYGXMSR 0YOIERH7EQ6]HIV´WXIEQORI[XLI] [ERXIHPSXWSJIQFIPPMWLQIRXSRXLINYQTWYMX WSXSKIXLIV[IHIGMHIHXSGSRGIRXVEXISR HMEQSRHWERHTIEVPW;ILEZIELYKIWXSGOSJ FIEHWMRXLIWXYHMSWS[ITYPPIHSYXIZIV]XLMRK XLEX[SYPH[SVOFYXLEHXSEHHHMEQSRHWERH TIEVPWJVSQZMRXEKINI[IPPIV]WSYVGIHF]WGSYVMRK XLI¾IEQEVOIXWSJ&VMKLXSR %WMRKPITIEVP[EWFIEHIHXSIZIV]GVSWWSJ XLIIQFVSMHIVIHKVMHW[LMPIEPPXLITPERIXERH WXEVQSXMJW[IVILIEZMP]FIEHIHMREQM\\SJ GV]WXEPWERHTIEVPW;IEPWSGVIEXIHEFIEYXMJYP IQFIPPMWLIHWYR¾S[IVW]QFSPMWMRKWYTTSVXJSV 9OVEMRI[LMGL7EQLEHSRLMWKYMXEVWXVET EMBROIDERY July August 2022
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profile A GROWTH MINDSET Sue Rangeley’s working life evolved from Swinging Sixties’ style to showing her own organic textile pieces, seemingly growing out of garden plots Embroidery artist Sue Rangeley’s trajectory, from a small family farm in south Northamptonshire to London’s West End in the fashion heydays of the late 1960s to early-1970s, is breath-taking.With its cinematic and photographic iconography indelibly etched on our cultural memory, it appears an impossibly glamorous time, when just being young, free and ambitious was enough.Whatever the reality, Rangeley’s narrative glitters with the names of artists, designers, journalists and photographers of the era, a star-studded roll-call of creative trail- blazers who in their turn inspired, guided or commissioned her. Describing herself as being ‘aware of fashion’ from an early age, Rangeley recalls how at secondary school,‘when everybody else was doing very humble cross stitch on their cookery aprons, I got carried away and emblazoned mine with fairies and pixies ERH¾S[IV W´7YTTSV XIHF]FSXLLIV³PMFIVEP minded’ needlework and art teacher, and her equally liberal-minded parents, such creative transgressions were actively encouraged. And despite one note of opposition in the form of her headmistress who, seeing her as ‘practical’, wanted her to go to a domestic WGMIRGIGSPPIKI6ERKIPI]HI½ERXERHGLSSWMRK her love of painting and drawing over that of XI\\XMPIW[IRXSRXSWXYH]½RIEV X In 1967, the year that saw Richard Long’s A Line Made Walking, Andy Warhol’s Big Electric Chair and David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash, it was, as Rangeley says with charming understatement,‘a slightly turbulent time’ ALL PHOTOS © MICHAEL WICKS July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 27
to enrol at art school. And this was markedly the case at 0ERGLIWXIV'SPPIKISRISJXLI9/´W½VWXTSP]XIGLRMGWERH what is now Coventry University), where there was a schism in XLI½RIEV XHITEV XQIRXFIX[IIRXLITEMRXIVWERHGSRGITXYEP artists.Yielding to the overriding minimalist paradigm, Rangeley WXM¾IHLIVSVREQIRXEPXIRHIRGMIWHYVMRKGSPPIKILSYVWERH embellished in her free time:‘I was always making clothes and decorating things. I did a lot of whimsical cards which I’d decorate and send to people.’ Teacher-training and a stint teaching in a comprehensive school in Reading followed, a purely bill-paying endeavour around which Rangeley juggled her making, a practice both stimulated and facilitated by joining a ‘commune of artists’ at the Stow-in- the-Wold workshops set up by Michael Haynes. Perhaps most notable for his Swinging London exhibit at Madame Tussaud’s (the inspiration for Peter Blake’s Sgt Pepper’s album cover) and the establishment of the seminal Wandsworth Road 401½ Studios, Haynes proved pivotal to her career by introducing Rangeley to the then editor of Vogue Living, Judy Brittain. ‘It all sounds so easy now,’ says Rangeley,‘to take a picnic basket of samples to Vogue House. And she was incredibly helpful and encouraging. I’ve still got the notes she wrote for me of where to go and who to see and one of these was designer Bill Gibb.’ She remembers the walk down Bond Street to Gibb’s showrooms in Bruton Street, the cup of tea and his receptiveness. Rangeley went on to design and embroider JSV+MFFJSVSZIV½ZI]IEVWERSXI[SV XL]I\\EQTPIFIMRKXLI Embroidered Silk Ensemble now in the V&A’s collection. ,IVGSR½HIRGIFYS]IHMRXIVIWXJVSQHIWMKRIVWERHFY]IVW such as Tricia Guild, the founder of Designer’s Guild, and Maureen Doherty, then owner of Elle Boutique and later creator of Egg, quickly followed. In 1978, with her work on the front cover of the Crafts Council Index (now Crafts magazine) a whole new market opened up. Above and right: Textile artist Sue Rangeley’s new book, Embroidery Atelier: Visions and Passions, gives the reader the inside track on her artworks,including the exuberantly expressive Embroidered Terrariums pieces shown here Below: One of the gloves the artist Sue Rangeley imagined for Vita Sackville-West, seemingly being ŅĸĶĿĴļŀĸķĵŌĿĴĶĸշłŊĸŅņĴŁķĿĸĴʼnĸņļŁĴņłչŃĴĿĸŇŇĸ 28 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 29
‘I was invited to exhibit nationally and internationally and started JEVQ[LMPIMXWGSRXIRXVI¾IGXWXLI³REXYVI[EPOW´WLI[SYPH getting clients from America and Australia. I remember sending take with her father, where,‘down the lane or the track we’d off some things to a remote island off the coast of Australia called see cow parsley and dead nettles.’ Rangeley’s I-Spy Satchel, using Norfolk Island and they became one of my biggest clients.’ a fabric-printing technique she was inspired to try in homage Working peripatetically from the shared studios in the Cotswolds to Elsa Schiaparelli, is equally personal.‘It’s really me romancing or from a bedroom in her parent’s house, it was only when she my childhood. I’ve still got all my I-Spy books.They shaped and met Constance Howard, the doyenne of textiles, who told her ‘If sharpened my eyes to things, rousing my curiosity.’ you really want to do this you’ll need to set up your own studio’, A fastidious researcher, collector, archivist and amateur historian that Rangeley mustered the courage to hand in her notice at the – Rangeley is an active committee member of Charlbury’s ‘little’ school and dedicate herself full-time to her practice. museum – it’s an inquisitiveness that over the years has fed and In 1980 she established a studio in her newly-bought cottage’s informed her embroidery, such as with the three pieces inspired converted barn in the West Oxfordshire village of Charlbury.This by Vita Sackville-West.‘I loved doing the research. And it wasn’t was superseded in 2009 by a renovated 18th century stable in just the gardening but her relationships that inspired the pieces. the same village, from which she now works. I got really excited, and that slightly quirky gaiter just came out Forty years on from those heady days of rushing to get another of nowhere. Suddenly I just saw this vision of it lost and moss- parcel red-starred to Paddington, the pace has changed.‘I’m not covered. I’d love to exhibit them at Sissinghurst.’ And though the working round the clock like I used to,’ Rangeley laughs,‘it’s a bit more balanced.’Though with her second book just out, a project QENSVMX]SJXLI[SVOMRXLIFSSOVITVIWIRXWEOMRHSJ½KYVEXMZI conceived during the 2020 lockdown, such hard-won equilibrium human-shaped embodiment of nature, described through dress may be shaken. panels, gloves, basques or collars, in her Embroidered Terrariums Embroidery Atelier:Visions & Passions, produced in collaboration pieces Rangeley has moved beyond the body to create gloriously with the photographer Michael Wicks, features the machine- undulating, free-form textile sculptures. lace embroidery that has become the trademark of her more Generously shared and lucidly explained, the evidence of the rich recent work. A technique Rangeley began using in 2009 for her strata of Rangeley’s technical and conceptual understanding gained ½VWXFSSOEmbroidery Originals, it involves drawing and then through a long and enduring creative practice permeates the book. And with plans for another publication, possibly involving a JVIIWI[MRKSR[EXIVWSPYFPIJEFVMG%½RIHVEYKLXW[SQERERH retrospective ‘catalogue’ of her early work, Rangeley is currently producer of delicate, highly-detailed botanical drawings, the pieces busy organising her collection in her studio, her ‘nice, cosy’ place in this second publication are undeniably exquisite. with its French windows opening out onto the garden ‘where the It’s a sumptuous and somewhat nostalgic book, which, though dreaming happens’. e clearly echoing the 1960s with its mini dress-shaped panels, draws Ellen Bell heavily on childhood memory. Pretty Wild, a stunning conception Embroidery Atelier is available via Sue’s website, plus details of SJLIHKIVS[¾SVEMWEGEWIMRTSMRX-XWJEHMRKTEPIXXIIZSOIW open studios in July and September at www.suerangeley.co.uk/ the view she saw as a child from her bedroom window on the 30 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
Opposite page: Sue Rangeley at work in her ‘nice, cosy’ studio in a renovated 18th century stable block in the village of Charlbury in West Oxfordshire This page: Sue Rangeley has been working in machine-made lace, with the jacket above and gaiter below inspired by the gardener Vita Sackville-West Right: Pretty Wild, a dreamscape of stitchery, explores the dimensions of ĴķŅĸņņŃĴŁĸĿтļĿķշłŊĸŅņĴŁķŊĸĸķņłĹĶłňŁŇŅŌĿĴŁĸņĴŁķŃĴņŇňŅĸņĴŅĸ celebrated in machine-lace patterns Embroidery Atelier: Visions & Passions by Sue Rangeley with photography by Michael Wicks, £28. An artist’s studio holds the secrets of their creations. Embroidery Atelier: Visions & Passions invites readers ŇłķĸĿʼnĸļŁŇłŇĻĸĴŅŇĴŁķĶŅĴչłĹĴ contemporary embroiderer, and be inspired to stitch. This is Sue Rangeley’s second publication. July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 31
70 YEARS, 70 VOICES Jamie Holman is something of an iconoclast. Not the typical prospect for a royal commission then… IN THE BUILD UP to the Queen’s platinum AZ: This is unusual subject matter for you, isn’t it? jubilee, artist Jamie Holman was chosen to JH: On the surface yes it is, as my work is often represent Lancashire’s celebrations with the concerned with working class communities making of a monumental tapestry artwork. His and cultures, so a royal commission may seem studio resides on a street just a stone’s throw unexpected.What I am interested in across all my work, however, is the experiences of ordinary JVSQ&PEGOFYVR´WLMWXSVMGGSXXSRXVEHMRK¾SSV people; so this commission is an unusual lens in a town that built its industrial wealth on the to explore different stories and experiences at a point in time that will never be repeated. XI\\XMPIMRHYWXV]-XWIIQWSRP]½XXMRKXLEX.EQMI While the platinum jubilee is a celebration of the would turn to the product of the surrounding monarch, with all of the associations of class and mill towns, to encapsulate the story of how our privilege that you would expect to encounter, it QSREVGLLEWMR¾YIRGIHXLMWGSYRX]&YXMXQMKLX MWEPWSXLIWXSV]SJE]SYRK[SQER[LS½VWXWEX seem surprising that an artist creating a 19-metre with Winston Churchill and with every prime tapestry does not consider himself a textile artist. minister through to Boris Johnson, which I think Curator Alex Zawadzki spoke to the artist about makes her a living archive and a cipher for what his upcoming project 70 Years, 70 Voices. we consider to be ‘modern Britain’. AZ: How did this new work come about? AZ: What will people experience when they visit JH: In 2021, Lord Shuttleworth, the Queen’s this installation? Lord-Lieutenant in Lancashire, along with his JH: The artwork is an installation that consists of deputies,Tony Attard and Dennis Mendoros, a 19-metre jacquard tapestry, that captures the launched an open call for artists to respond to passage of time through the seven decades of the theme of ‘service’ in relation to the reign of the Queen, and I was the selected candidate. 32 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
profile July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 33
Above: Jamie Holman is an artist who works under a studio identity, called Uncultured Creatives, and says his method of working with assistants, designers, factories and specialist makers is not new but rather recalls the teams of studio artists that Renaissance greats would have had working on their projects. His woven jacquard tapestry artwork Samba is pictured in production Right: In Samba, Jamie Holman invokes the football hooliganism of the terraces, while in other works he has referenced the Acid House meetings of the 1990s in Blackburn’s former cloth mills Below right: Banners carrying slogans such as ‘gather and become powerful’ created in 2019 by Jamie Holman, which call to mind the trades unionist banners of Blackburn’s history Previous page: Jamie Holman was commissioned by the Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Shuttleworth, and his deputies, Tony Attard and Dennis Mendoros, to produce 70 Years, 70 Voices, an installation which includes a machine-made 19-metre woven jacquard tapestry depicting visits by the Queen to Lancashire. This is part of an installation which includes recordings of interviews with 70 people aged 70 and above recounting their ŀĸŀłŅļĸņтĴŀļĸŊłŁĴĶłŀŃĸŇļŇļłŁŇłձŁķĴŁĴŅŇļņŇŇłŅĸņŃłŁķŇłŇĻĸŇĻĸŀĸłĹюņĸŅʼnļĶĸяļŁŅĸĿĴŇļłŁŇłŇĻĸňĸĸŁ the Queen’s reign, as seen in the royal visits to be as delighted in my work and what it ideas and I feel full authorship of my work, to the county.The tapestry is industrially tells them, as I am when I see the ghosts of despite the fact that it may have been woven, then sewn on to heavy velvet past lives moving before me in the Mitchell industrially fabricated.This actually harks making a decorative border that references back to the Renaissance when artists had medieval tapestry. Audiences will also hear ERH/IR]SR½PQEVGLMZIW[LIVI-WIIQMPP teams of people working on artworks, the memories of 70 people aged 70 and workers leaving the same buildings that but in my case I employ and direct the I now weave my work in, or which were EFSZIVI¾IGXMRKSRXLIMVPMZIWXLIGSYRX] later the locations for 10,000 kids to dance I\\TIV XMWISJGYXXIVW[IEZIV W½RMWLIV W and the Queen herself woven into an during Acid House raves. It’s all part of the designers and curators. orchestral soundscape. same textiles story and we should make sure that we are the people who tell it. AZ: Do you think you are breaking the mould AZ: Can you talk more about the place of by working in these ways with textiles? archives in your work? AZ: You work in ways that can be perceived JH: I suppose it is unusual for a ‘textiles JH: I am interested in what archives can as non-conventional as an artist. Particularly artist’ to make work that proposes football reveal, what may be hidden in them and around the way you work in collaboration and hooliganism as a textile heritage or Acid what may be no longer visible due to how you fabricate work.What is your method House as a weaving tradition, alongside a the passage of time.There are things of creating and producing work? royal commission, but that is an authentic that are known but become forgotten JH: I work in partnership with a curator, or things that we thought we knew but under a studio identity, called Uncultured VI¾IGXMSRSJ[LEX[IHSEW9RGYPXYVIH re-evaluate with new information. I am Creatives.We work collaboratively with Creatives and what I am interested in as often concerned with establishing new assistants, designers, factories and specialist an artist. e archives as I believe that this is one of the makers to really push the potential Alex Zawadzki functions of the artist, to tell the stories of my ideas.There is a lot of nostalgic that matter in their own time, but also to presumption around how art should be The installation will stay in Blackburn until next the future viewer. I would like someone made, but these are very old-fashioned year, when it will be shown round the country. jamieholman.com 34 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 35
‘It’s so well imagined that even though you’re seeing it in the middle of Bermondsey, frankly, you really believe you could almost walk into that piece.’ 1872 1875 1893 1895 1901 1902 1910 1915 The School of Art Queen Victoria The school produces Princess Helena Princess Helena The RSN On the death of Miss Wade, the Needlework is founded becomes patron the embroidered version approves the commits the RSN makes Edward Edward VII, Queen ½VWXTVMRGMTEP by Lady Victoria Welby and the school of Pomona designed by three-year to making Queen VII’s mantle, Victoria’s funeral pall retires; her above a bonnet shop in moves to South Edward Burne-Jones diploma training Victoria’s funeral canopy and is reused. Queen successor is Miss Sloane Street, London. Kensington. and William Morris, and course. pall; it takes 45 other parts of Mary becomes Evelyn Bradshaw. Princess Helena is the exhibited at the Chicago women 21 hours of the coronation patron allong with president. World Fair. continuous stitching. regalia. Queen Alexandra. 36 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
profile EVERYTHING IN THE R OYA L S C H O O L OF NEEDLEWORK GA R DEN I S LOVELY Meet the chief executive who has been busy cultivating fresh crops of hand-embroiderers and future needlework tutors, growing from the crown The Royal School of Needlework is the grand dame of hand-embroidery and they are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, in style.There is a new book out: An Unbroken Thread written by Dr Susan Kay-Williams, chief executive of the school. And they have an exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. The school is now based in beautiful surroundings at Hampton Court Palace, but opened in South Kensington in 1872. It was, as Dr Kay-Williams says: ‘Founded by women, for women.The aim was to offer suitable employment to middle class educated women who would otherwise have been destitute.’ The school was, and still is, all about the art of hand-embroidery.They offer the only (fully) hand-embroidery degree course in the country. I spoke to Dr Kay-Williams about what has been and what will be for the school. She has worked there since 2007, when she was brought in with her RSRTVS½XQEREKIQIRXLEXSRXSTYXXLMRKWMRSVHIV%WWLIWE]WEXXLEXTSMRX they didn’t need another stitcher. She was part of a shift-change at the school. The apprenticeship that had been aimed at training embroiderers to work in the school’s studio had become untenable and ended in 2009.‘That was really aimed at people going into work in the studio. And we could no longer ĴŅĿĸչсThe Woodland, a nature-inspired appliqué panel in cotton and wool by the Royal School of Needlework ņŇňķļłѼҲҺҹұѽпձŅņŇŀĴķĸĹłŅŇĻĸ ĻĸĴķłղĶĸłĹĴĶłŀŃĴŁŌпĵňŇ returned in 2019 to the RSN ĸչсĻļĸĹĸŋĸĶňŇļʼnĸŅňņĴŁ Kay-Williams has written the book An Unbroken Thread: Celebrating 150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework to coincide with the anniversary 1916 1922 1923 1932 1937 1942 1948 The RSN starts making lingerie The RSN changes RSN president There is a new principal, Lady The RSN Lady Smith The RSN moves until the Second World its name from The Princess Helena Olive Smith-Dorrien. embroiders many Dorrien advises to Prince’s Gate. War.The RSN also makes Royal School of dies and is The RSN opens additional items for the allied countries ‘housewifes’, a stitching kit, so Art Needlework replaced by the premises in the West End to sell coronation of on therapeutic soldiers can look after their to the Royal Duchess of York. its lingerie and holds its popular George VI, now stitching. uniform. It also designs kits for School of winter and summer sales at the patron, while Queen soldiers’ occupational therapy. Needlework. home of Sir Philip Sassoon. Elizabeth is president. July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 37
take large numbers of them to work in there.We really needed A lot of the students are what you might call late-starters. Dr people who could teach, so we decided to introduce a degree Kay-Williams acknowledges that students need to be in a good programme.’ A degree was implemented but students seemed quite clear that they wanted to make embroidery and not to ½RERGMEPTSWMXMSRXSHSXLI³TVIXX]JYPPSR´XLVII]IEVGSYVWI&YX teach it. So, in 2012 a future tutor programme began. they are looking at ways the school can enable part-time work- Soon the school was able to expand their other offers.They ran study options in the future, to open doors to more students. an international summer school in America in 2018 and a series It’s always lovely to hear gossip about former RSN students doing of classes in Dublin and Belfast.‘Because we taught more teachers, good things. Often the work of an embroiderer remains behind that really helped us to spread what we do. And now that we’ve the scenes rather than in the public eye. Former student Lucy moved into online teaching, we can take things even further.That Martin created the original NHS embroidered heart idea during gives more opportunity for the graduates of the future tutor lockdown. And another graduate, Hattie McGill, stitched the cloak program to look at their future and see what they could be doing.’ [SVRF]&IRIHMGX'YQFIVFEXGLMRXLI½PQDr Strange. The RSN wasn’t phased by lockdown, either. In May 2020 they The school has obvious (it’s in the name) connections with royalty. Their 150th anniversary sits alongside the Queen’s platinum LIPHXLIMV½VWXSTIRWLSV XGSYV WI³%RHMX[IRXHS[REWXSVQ jubilee celebrations.The RSN designed and embroidered the Robe You could say we haven’t looked back.The big one for us was the of Estate for Queen Elizabeth in 1953 and there is a sample of the goldwork on purple velvet in the exhibition.The robe itself is on GIV XM½GEXIERHHMTPSQEFIGEYWIXLEX[EWXLIGSYVWI[IWEMH[I show over at Windsor Castle. would never be able to do online. But by January 2021, we had I asked Dr Kay-Williams about her favourite piece, while she has worked out how we could offer that as well.’ the anniversary book and exhibition fresh in her mind. She picked Online students get a broader introduction to both technique and a slightly hyper-real piece on the back wall of the exhibition (and also in the book) called The Woodland made by the RSN in the XSXLI672[LIRXLI]½V WXWXEV X³;IXV ]XSQEOIXLIQJIIPXLEX they’re part of the RSN even though they’re working remotely.’ 1953 1961 1962 1972 1981 1987 1989 1992 2002 Designs and The Ministry An apprenticeship The RSN’s The RSN The workroom The RSN stops Launch of the FIFA commissions embroiders of Education begins as training 100th contributes lace moves to most classes VIZMWIHGIVXM½GEXI the RSN to Queen Elizabeth demands changes to enter the anniversary to the wedding Hampton and retrenches in technical hand- embroider the II’s Robe of the RSN cannot workroom. is marked by gown of Lady Court Palace. moving the paint embroidery as a World Cup logo. Estate. afford and the an event at Diana Spencer. room and admin part-time course. Her Majesty The training school is the Merchant to Hampton Queen becomes shut down. Taylors’ Hall. Court Palace. patron. 38 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
1980s.‘It’s so well imagined that even though you’re seeing it in ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпĿĸչсłĵĸłĹ ņŇĴŇĸłĹňĸĸŁ ĿļōĴĵĸŇĻѼňĸĸŁ the middle of Bermondsey, frankly, you really believe you could łŁņłŅŇłĹĸłŅĺĸѽѼҲҺҴҸѽļŁʼnĸĿʼnĸŇпĸŅŀļŁĸĴŁķĺłĿķŇĻŅĸĴķт almost walk into that piece. All the birds and animals on it are ĻĸķĸņļĺŁŅĸշĸĶŇĸķŁłŇłŁĿŌŇĻĸĹłňŅշłŊĸŅņłĹŇĻĸĵňŇĴĿņł embroidered.There’s appliqué in the background, giving you the ŀĴŁŌłĹŇĻĸշłŊĸŅņłĹŇĻĸķłŀļŁļłŁņ perspective of the babbling brook and the trees and a sense of GEPQ%RHXLIREPPXLIFMVHWERH¾S[IVWEVIIQFVSMHIVIHSRXLI ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпŇłŃŅļĺĻŇсĻĸłŌĴĿĶĻłłĿłĹĸĸķĿĸŊłŅľ top. It takes people by surprise, they don’t think of embroidery ŊłŅľŅłłŀĴŇ ŋĻļĵļŇļłŁłĴķļŁŇĻĸҲҺұұņ being something like that, on that scale.’ The RSN has been, at different times, more and less relevant to ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпĵĸĿłŊŅļĺĻŇсĶŅĸņŇѼҲҺҺҵѽļŁʼnĸĿʼnĸŇпŀĸŇĴĿĴŁķ what is going on in the wider world of embroidery, and in the cotton threads over felt padding, made by tutors and apprentices wider world more generally. An anniversary is a time to evaluate, to take stock and to look back and forward.The RSN have the ĵłʼnĸĿĸչсļĿľņĻĴķļŁĺѼҲҺҴұņѽĵŌĴŅĺĴŅĸŇ ĴŅŇĿĸŇŇпŊĻł back view sorted with the book and exhibition. Looking forward based the piece on her watercolour of the subject and used silk is about being more inclusive and promoting the art and craft of throughout, which gives the piece extra lustre hand-embroidery, as only they can teach it. e Jane Audas ĵłʼnĸŅļĺĻŇсCloak (2018) by Livia Papiernick, using hand- ĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌпĺĿĴņņĽĸŊĸĿņĴŁķŀĸŇĴĿŇĻŅĸĴķņтļʼnļĴŊĴņŇłŃņŇňķĸŁŇ Visit 150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk ļŁҳұҲҹĴŁķŇĻĸŃļĸĶĸŊĴņłŁĸłĹĹłňŅŀĴķĸĹłŅĻĸŅձŁĴĿņĻłŊ until 4 September at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London. royal-needlework.org.uk 2007 2009 2011 2012 2014 2017 2020 2021 2022 Dr Susan Launch of the The RSN studio and Launch of the The degree As part of London Craft With the arrival Launch of The RSN Kay-Williams foundation tutors start work on future tutors programme Week, the RSN works of Covid-19, the the RSN celebrates its is appointed degree the wedding dress programme. becomes a on a series of Pop Art RSN takes just Stitch Bank 150th anniversary chief in hand- of the Duchess full BA. nudes designed by Philip two days to go to preserve with an exhibition executive as embroidery. of Cambridge Colber t. digital and start every type of and new book Elizabeth Elvin for Alexander New patron the Duchess teaching online. stitch in the by Dr Susan retires. McQueen. of Cornwall visits. world. Kay-Williams. July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 39
coastal blues DEBORAH CAMPBELL’S EPIPHANY ON THE SCOTTISH COAST HAS LED HER ON AN A TO Z QUEST What are you working on at the moment? Have you come across the post-lockdown boost? ĴĿŊĴŌņņĸĸŀŇłĵĸʼnĸŅŌĵňņŌтяŀŊłŅľļŁĺŇłŊĴŅķņ This year has been incredible for commissions and ŇĻĸŃŅļŁĺĿļŁĺпĴĵļĺĸŋĻļĵļŇļłŁļŁňŀĹŅļĸņĴŁķ exhibitions, with requests for me to give talks, demos ĴĿĿłŊĴŌпŃĴŅŇļĶňĿĴŅĿŌņŃĸĶļĴĿĵĸĶĴňņĸļŇļņŇĻĸҳұŇĻ ĴŁķŊłŅľņĻłŃņтĻłĿķŃŅļʼnĴŇĸŊłŅľņĻłŃņĴņŊĸĿĿĴŁķ ĴŁŁļʼnĸŅņĴŅŌłĹŇĻĸŇŅĴļĿпŊĻļĶĻĻĴņŁяŇŅňŁĹłŅŇŊł ŇĻĸձŅņŇŇŊłłĹŇĻĸņĸņłĿķłňŇʼnĸŅŌńňļĶľĿŌт ŌĸĴŅņķňĸŇłłʼnļķфҲҺĿłĶľķłŊŁņтĻĸŅĸĴŅĸŁĸĴŅĿŌ 100 venues opening their studio doors over the How important to you is working with others? ŃĿĴŇļŁňŀĽňĵļĿĸĸŊĸĸľĸŁķтяʼnĸĵĸĸŁķłļŁĺļŇĹłŅ ŇļņĻňĺĸĿŌļŀŃłŅŇĴŁŇтĶłňĿķŁяŇĸŋļņŇҲұұŃĸŅĶĸŁŇ ĴĵłňŇĸļĺĻŇŌĸĴŅņĴŁķĿłʼnĸļŇĴņŌłňĺĸŇŇłĸŋĻļĵļŇļŁ ŊłŅľļŁĺłŁņłĿłŃŅłĽĸĶŇņтĺĸŇņłŀňĶĻĵĴĶľĹŅłŀ ńňļŅľŌŊĸĸŃĿĴĶĸņļŁŇĻĸĶłňŁŇŅŌņļķĸт ŊłŅľļŁĺŊļŇĻłŇĻĸŅŃĸłŃĿĸпļŇяņʼnĸŅŌŀňĶĻĴĶļŅĶňĿĴŅ ĸŋŃĸŅļĸŁĶĸтŅĸĶĸļʼnĸķĴŁĸŀĴļĿĹŅłŀĴņŇňķĸŁŇłŁ What were your coping mechanisms during the one of my workshops, who said she felt she had Covid-19 lockdowns? tapped into something that was going to change ĿłņŇŀŌķĴķļŁŇĻĸłʼnļķфҲҺĿłĶľķłŊŁĴŁķĻĴʼnļŁĺ ĻĸŅĶŅĸĴŇļʼnĸĿļĹĸтłŁĸŌļņŀłŁĸŌĵňŇŊĻĸŁŌłňĺĸŇ my creative outlet helped me through that, just to ĹĸĸķĵĴĶľĹŅłŀŃĸłŃĿĸŌłňяʼnĸĻĸĿŃĸķпļŇļņĹĴŁŇĴņŇļĶт be completely enveloped by creativity, giving you ĽňņŇŊĴŁŇĸʼnĸŅŌłŁĸŇłĵĸĶŅĸĴŇļʼnĸрŇĻĸŊłŅĿķŊłňĿķ ĴŃĿĴĶĸŇłĵĸтņňŃŃłņĸяʼnĸĻĴķĴĿłŇŀłŅĸŇļŀĸŇł ĵĸĴŀňĶĻĵĸŇŇĸŅŃĿĴĶĸŇłĿļʼnĸтŅĸĴŇļʼnļŇŌĻĸĿŃņŊļŇĻ ĹłĶňņłŁŀŌŊłŅľĴŁķĶłŀŃĿĸŇĸĿŌļŀŀĸŅņĸŀŌņĸĿĹт ŀĸŁŇĴĿĻĸĴĿŇĻпŇłłсļŇŀĴľĸņŌłňĻĴŃŃŌт 40 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
profile Above: Coastal Panorama (2021), the original artwork from which Deborah has made giclée prints on 310gsm Hahnemuhle German etching paper, 64cm x 28cm. Deborah’s working process begins by the coast where she makes watercolour sketches, using guaze later in the process to help capture the turquoise translucency of the sea Left: Ringed Plover (2022), 28cm x 28cm. Hand-painted fabric with machine and hand-embroidery July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 41
I felt completely enveloped by the light, completely immersed. It was almost as though it was sinking into my soul Top: Plover in Flight (2021), 18cm x 18cm, hand-printed fabric with machine Tell me about a standout community project. and hand-embroidery, in a different colourway. Deborah’s palette of rich łŅŇĻĸĿļŀĴŇĸĻĴŁĺĸłŁĹĸŅĸŁĶĸпҳҷпĿĴņŇĴňŇňŀŁ blues is something she keep coming back to. ļŁĿĴņĺłŊпŊĴņĶłŀŀļņņļłŁĸķĵŌŇĻĸ ŇłŀĴľĸĴ The ringed plover has short orange legs and a black-tipped orange beak. ĵļłķļʼnĸŅņļŇŌĵĴŁŁĸŅŊļŇĻŇĻĸĶłŀŀňŁļŇŌт ĸĶĴňņĸŊĸŊĸŅĸŅļĺĻŇ They are on the red list of species of high conservation concern ļŁŇĻĸŇĻļĶľłĹĿłĶľķłŊŁпĶłňĿķŁяŇŊłŅľŃĸŅņłŁĴĿĿŌŊļŇĻŃĸłŃĿĸ Above: Lapwing (2021), 18cm x 18cm, hand-printed fabric with machine but we were able to do a lot of online Zoom workshops with and hand-embroidery.The lapwing is on the red list of species of high ĸʼnĸŅŌłŁĸŊłŅľļŁĺŇłŊĴŅķņŇĻĸĵļĺĺĸŅŃŅłĽĸĶŇт conservation concern in the UK Above right: Tiree Beach (2022), 64cm x 36cm, hand-printed fabric with Where does your love of the coast come from? machine and hand-embroidery. Deborah was onTiree when she had ĵłňŇҳұŌĸĴŅņĴĺłпĺłŇŇłĺĸŇĻĸŅŊļŇĻĴĺŅłňŃłĹĴŅŇļņŇņŇłĺł something of an epiphany and set about trying to recreate the perfect on a creative retreat on the Morayshire coast in a wee place translucent turquoise of the shallows in her art ĶĴĿĿĸķĴŅķĸŁņŇłŊŁтŇĻļŁľŇĻĴŇяņŇĻĸŃłļŁŇŊĻĸŅĸпňĿŇļŀĴŇĸĿŌп ĹĸĿĿļŁĿłʼnĸŊļŇĻŇĻĸĶłĴņŇт 42 EMBROIDERY July August 2022 ĻĴķĴĿŊĴŌņĿļľĸķļŇĴŁķĻĴķŀĸŀłŅļĸņłĹĶłĴņŇĴĿĻłĿļķĴŌņŊĻĸŁ ŊĴņĴĶĻļĿķтĻĸŅĸļņĴņĸŁņĸłĹĹŅĸĸķłŀĴĵłňŇŇĻĸĶłĴņŇтŇ ļņŅĸļŁʼnļĺłŅĴŇļŁĺĴŁķĶłŁņŇĴŁŇĿŌĶĻĴŁĺļŁĺĴŁķĿłʼnĸŊłŅľļŁĺ łňŇņļķĸļŁŇĻĸĸŁʼnļŅłŁŀĸŁŇт ʼnĸŅņļŁĶĸŇĻĴŇձŅņŇŇŅļŃŊĸĻĴʼnĸĵĸĸŁĺłļŁĺĴŊĴŌŇłļņĿĴŁķņп ņňĶĻĴņĴŅŅļņĴŁķĸŊļņпłŁĴпĴŁŌŊĻĸŅĸŇĻĸŅĸĴŅĸĵĸĴňŇļĹňĿ ĵĸĴĶĻĸņпŊĻļĶĻļņŁяŇʼnĸŅŌĹĴŅļŁĶłŇĿĴŁķтĻĸŅĸĴŅĸņłŀĴŁŌ ĴŀĴōļŁĺŃĿĴĶĸņŇłʼnļņļŇт
Tell us more about your environmental concerns. time to start focusing on trying to use recycled fabrics in my ŇļņĴĻňĺĸĶłŁĶĸŅŁŇĻĴŇŇĻĸļŁĶŅĸķļĵĿĸĵļŅķĿļĹĸŊĻļĶĻĿļʼnĸņłŁ ŊłŅľĴņŀňĶĻĴņŃłņņļĵĿĸт our coastal waters is under threat due to an increase in water ŇĸŀŃĸŅĴŇňŅĸĴŁķŃĿĴņŇļĶņļŁłňŅłĶĸĴŁņт How did the idea of the A to Z of coastal birds originate? Food sources for coastal birds, such as sand eels, are яʼnĸĴĿŊĴŌņĵĸĸŁĴĵļŇłĹĴŇŊļŇĶĻĸŅĴŁķłňŅĺĴŅķĸŁļņĹňĿĿłĹĵļŅķ disappearing due to changes in their plankton diet and this in ĿļĹĸсŃļĺĸłŁņпĶŅłŊņпŊłłķŃĸĶľĸŅņпŁňŇĻĴŇĶĻĸņпķňŁŁłĶľņпŅłĵļŁņ ŇňŅŁļŀŃĴĶŇņŇĻĸĶłĴņŇĴĿĵļŅķņĴŁķĻłŊņňĶĶĸņņĹňĿĿŌŇĻĸŌĵŅĸĸķт ĴŁķĵĿňĸŇļŇņт ŁķпłŁŇĻĸĶłĴņŇпŊĴņĴŊĴŅĸŇĻĴŇŇĻĸĵļŅķĿļĹĸŊĴņ ŁĴŇŅļŃŇłŇĻĸłŅĴŌņĻļŅĸĶłĴņŇĿĴņŇŌĸĴŅпŊĴņŊĴĿľļŁĺ ņłŃŅłĿļձĶĴŁķŇĻĸŅĸŊĴņĴĿĿŇĻļņķŅĴŀĴĺłļŁĺłŁŅļĺĻŇļŁĹŅłŁŇłĹ ĵĸŇŊĸĸŁĸĴĻłňņĸņĴŁķňĿĿĸŁĴŁķŊĴņņĻłĶľĸķŇłձŁķĴŇĿĸĴņŇ ŀĸтķļķŁяŇņĸŇłňŇŇłĶŅĸĴŇĸĵļŅķņпŇĻĸŌĻĴʼnĸĽňņŇюĵĸĶłŀĸярŇĻĸŌ ҲұĺňļĿĿĸŀłŇņŊĴņĻĸķňŃłŁŇĻĸĵĸĴĶĻт are part of the coastal experience and to take that away would ķļņĶłʼnĸŅĸķĻňĺĸŁňŀĵĸŅņłĹĵļŅķņĻĴķĵĸĸŁŊĴņĻĸķňŃłŁ ĵĸŇłĿłņĸńňļŇĸĴĿłŇт ĵĸĴĶĻĸņļŁŇĻĸłŅŇĻ ĴņŇłĹĶłŇĿĴŁķĴŁķŇĻĸłŅŇĻňŀĵĸŅĿĴŁķ ĴĿņłŅĸĴĿļņĸķĴĿłŇłĹŇĻĸņŃĸĶļĸņĴŅĸļŁķļŅĸņŇŅĴļŇņт չĸŅņĸĸļŁĺ ĶłĴņŇпĵňŇĴņĹĴŅĴņяŀĴŊĴŅĸŁłŅĸĴņłŁĻĴņĵĸĸŁĹłňŁķŇł so many guillemots washed up on the Morayshire shore it made explain these deaths except that the birds had literally starved, ŀĸĹĸĸĿļĹĶłňĿķŀĴľĸŃĸłŃĿĸĴŊĴŅĸłĹŇĻĸĶłĴņŇĴĿĵļŅķņпĴŁķ ŊĻļĶĻļņĴņĸŅļłňņŊĴľĸňŃĶĴĿĿт ĻłŊŀňĶĻłňŅŊĴŌłĹĿļĹĸļņŇĻŅĸĴŇĸŁļŁĺŇĻĸŀпŊłňĿķĻĸĿŃļŁ ŁĴʼnļņļŇŇłňŁĵĴŅłŁŇĻĸ ĴņŇłĴņŇłĹĶłŇĿĴŁķпŇĻĸ ŀŌņŀĴĿĿŊĴŌт ľļŇŇļŊĴľĸņяŁĸņŇņłŁŇĻĸŅňļŁņłĹňŁĵĴŅĴņŇĿĸŊĸŅĸļŁŇĸŅŇŊļŁĸķ Ļĸ Ňł\"łĹĶłĴņŇĴĿĵļŅķņļķĸĴĶĴŀĸķňŅļŁĺĿłĶľķłŊŁтяŀłŁĿŌ ŊļŇĻŃĿĴņŇļĶŊĴņŇĸтŅĸŀĸŀĵĸŅĵĸļŁĺŅĸĴĿĿŌņĻłĶľĸķт ĴŇюяĹłŅĹňĿŀĴŅтяʼnĸŅĸĴĿļņĸķŇĻĴŇļŇяņĴĿļĹĸŇļŀĸĽłňŅŁĸŌ Ňł\"т ŇļņŇļŀĸŇłŃŅļłŅļŇļņĸŁĴŇňŅĸĵĸĹłŅĸŊĸĿłņĸŇĻĸŊłŁķĸŅĹňĿ ĵļłķļʼnĸŅņļŇŌŇĻĴŇĸŋļņŇņłŁłňŅĶłĴņŇĿļŁĸņт ĸĶĴňņĸŇĻĸŇĸŋŇļĿĸ What is your working process? ļŁķňņŇŅŌļņłŁĸłĹŇĻĸŊłŅĿķяņĵļĺĺĸņŇŃłĿĿňŇĸŅņпķĸĶļķĸķļŇŊĴņ ŇĴľĸŀŌņĸĿĹłծŇłŇĻĸņĸņŇňŁŁļŁĺĵĸĴĶĻĸņĴŁķķłĿłŇņłĹ drawings and watercolour sketches in that environment and get July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 43
There were so many guillemots washed up on the shore it made me feel if I could make people aware of the coastal birds, and how much our way of life is threatening them, I would help in my small way ŀŌļŁņŃļŅĴŇļłŁĹŅłŀŇĻĸĿĴŁķņĶĴŃĸпŊĻļĶĻŇĻĸŁĵŅļŁĺĵĴĶľŇł The blues really sing in your coastal artworks. ŇĻĸņŇňķļłŇłŊłŅľŊļŇĻт ĶĴŁяŇņĸĸŃĴņŇŇĻĸĵĿňĸтľĸĸŃŇŅŌļŁĺŇłĶĻĴŁĺĸŀŌŃĴĿĸŇŇĸпĵňŇ ŌŇĸŋŇļĿĸĴŅŇņŇĴŅŇņŊļŇĻĴŃŅļŁŇтņŇňķļĸķŃŅļŁŇĸķŇĸŋŇļĿĸņĴŇ ľĸĸŃĶłŀļŁĺĵĴĶľŇłļŇт ĿĴņĺłŊĶĻłłĿłĹ ŅŇŀĴŁŌŀłłŁņĴĺłпŊĻĸŁļŇŊĴņńňļŇĸ ŇĸĶĻŁļĶĴĿпĵňŇŁłŊŇĻĸŅĸяņŇĻļņķĸʼnĸĿłŃŀĸŁŇĹŅłŀŀŌņľĸŇĶĻĸņ Which artists inspire you? ŊĻļĶĻŀĴŁĴĺĸņŇłĵĸюŃĴļŁŇĸŅĿŌяĵĸĶĴňņĸłĹŇĻĸĹĴĶŇяŀŊłŅľļŁĺ ŊĸŁŇŇłŇĻĸ ĴŅĵĴŅĴĸŃŊłŅŇĻĸŋĻļĵļŇļłŁҀĶłŇŇļņĻĴŇļłŁĴĿ ŊļŇĻĸĿĿļŃĿĴŇĸņт ĴĿĿĸŅŌłĹłķĸŅŁ ŅŇпňŁŇļĿҳĶŇłĵĸŅҁĴŁķļŇŊĴņļŁĶŅĸķļĵĿĸт ĸĿĿļŃĿĴŇĸļņĴŃŅļŁŇļŁĺŃĿĴŇĸŇĻĴŇяņŀĴķĸłĹĺĸĿĴŇļŁĸпĺĿŌĶĸŅļŁĸ ĻĸŊĻłĿĸĺĴĿĿĸŅŌŊĴņŇĴľĸŁłʼnĸŅтĻĸŊĴņŃŅłĿļձĶĴŁķĻĴķĴ ĴŁķŊĴŇĸŅĴŁķпĵĴņļĶĴĿĿŌпļŇяņĿļľĸĽĸĿĿŌт!łňĶĴŁĴŃŃĿŌĶłĿłňŅ ĹĴŀļĿŌŊļŇĻŇŅļŃĿĸŇņтłŀĸŃĸłŃĿĸĴŅĸĽňņŇņňŃĸŅĻňŀĴŁт ŇłŇĻĸŃĿĴŇĸĴŁķŃŅĸņņŌłňŅĿļŁłĶňŇļŁŇłŇĻĴŇпłŅņłŀĸŇļŀĸņ яʼnĸĵĸĸŁļŁņŃļŅĸķĵŌŇĻĸŇĸŋŇļĿĸĴŅŇļņŇłňļņĸĴŅķļŁĸŅ create printing blocks from string, or wallpapers, bubble wrap, ҀĴĶĸĵłłľсĿłňļņĸĺĴŅķļŁĸŅĸŀĵŅłļķĸŅŌҁтĻĸŅĸĶĸŁŇĿŌ ĴŁŌŇĻļŁĺŇĻĴŇĻĴņĴŅĸĿļĸĹтĻĸņĸŅĸĿļĸĹņŅĸŀłʼnĸŇĻĸŃĴļŁŇłŁŇĻĸ announced she had cancer and has been very open about her ŃĿĴŇĸņłŌłňĺĸŇĴŃŅļŁŇłĹŊĻĴŇŌłňяʼnĸŃňŇķłŊŁтŇяņņłʼnĸŅņĴŇļĿĸт ĸŋŃĸŅļĸŁĶĸłŁĻĸŅĴĶĸĵłłľŃĴĺĸтĸŅĶłňŅĴĺĸĴŁķĻĸŅŊłŅľ !łňяŅĸŇĻĸŁĶŅĸĴŇļŁĺŌłňŅłŊŁĹĴĵŅļĶķĸņļĺŁņŇĻĴŇŌłňĶĴŁ ļņŇŅĸŀĸŁķłňņт ňņĸļŁŌłňŅŊłŅľтŇĻĸŅŊļņĸпļĹŌłňяŅĸķĸŃĸŁķļŁĺłŁĵňŌļŁĺ ձŁķŇĻĸŊłŅľłĹĻĸĿĿĸŌĻłķĸņҀņĻĸĿĿĸŌŅĻłķĸņтĶłтňľҁ łŅļŁĻĸŅļŇļŁĺĹĴĵŅļĶņļŇļņńňļŇĸĿļŀļŇļŁĺпĴĿŇĻłňĺĻķłĿłʼnĸŇł ļŁĶŅĸķļĵĿĸтĻĸļņĴŀļŋĸķŀĸķļĴĴŅŇļņŇĶłŁĶĸŅŁĸķŊļŇĻ ŅĸĶŌĶĿĸĹĴĵŅļĶņпŇłłт ĹŅĴĺŀĸŁŇĴŇļłŁĴŁķŅĸŃĴļŅпŃĿňņĴňĿĴķłŅĴķłҀŃĴňĿĴķłŃŅĴķłт ŁĸŇҁĴŁķ ĿļĶĸĸŇŇĿĸҀĴĿļĶĸľĸŇŇĿĸтĶłтňľҁĴŅĸŇŊłŇĸŋŇļĿĸĴŅŇļņŇņ What is the next step in your working process? ĺŅĸĴŇĿŌĴķŀļŅĸтĻĸļŅŊłŅľļņĶŅĸĴŇļʼnĸĿŌķļʼnĸŅņĸпňņļŁĺ ŁĶĸяʼnĸŃŅļŁŇĸķňņļŁĺŇĻĸĸĿĿļŃĿĴŇĸпĻĴʼnĸĴĻňĺĸĵňŁķĿĸłĹ traditional methods to create multi-layered works that tackle ĹĴĵŅļĶņĴŁķŇĻĸŁļŇяņĴĵłňŇĶłĿĿĴĺļŁĺŇĻĸŀŇłĺĸŇĻĸŅĴŁķюձŁķļŁĺ ĶňŅŅĸŁŇĴŁķĶłŁŇĸŀŃłŅĴŅŌļņņňĸņт ŇĻĸĵļŅķяŊļŇĻļŁŇĻĸŇĸŋŇļĿĸĴŁķŊĻĸŅĸļŇŊļĿĿņļŇтяŀĴĿņłķłļŁĺ ĴĿņłŊĸŁŇŇłŇĻĸļĽņŊļĶľĸŋŇļĿĸ ļĸŁŁĴĿҀŀňņĸňŀŅļĽņŊļĽľтŁĿҁ ņłŀĸĴŅŇŊłŅľņŇĻĴŇĴŅĸŃňŅĸĿŌĴĵņŇŅĴĶŇт ļŁŇĻĸĴĺňĸҀҳұҳҲфҳұҳҳпŁłŊĶĿłņĸķҁŊļŇĻŇĸŋŇļĿĸņĹŅłŀĴĿĿłʼnĸŅ ŇĻĸŊłŅĿķłŁĴņĶĴĿĸŇĻĴŇĽňņŇĵĿłŊņŀŌŀļŁķтŊĴņŇĻļŁľļŁĺłĹ The use of gauze fabric is central to your artworks, isn’t it? me working on a wee artwork and these were enormous, unless What role does it play? ŇĻĸŌĻĴʼnĸĴŁĴŅŀŌłĹŃĸłŃĿĸŊłŅľļŁĺŊļŇĻŇĻĸŀт ĻĸŁяŀŊłŅľļŁĺļŁŇĻĸĿĴŁķņĶĴŃĸňņĸŊĴŇĸŅĶłĿłňŅпņłĿļľĸ ĻĸŅĸяņŁłłŇĻĸŅĴŅŇĹłŅŀŇĻĴŇļņņłĸŋĶļŇļŁĺрŃĸłŃĿĸĴŅĸĽňņŇ ŇłŃŅļŁŇłŁŇłĺĴňōĸņłĶĴŁĺĸŇŇĻĴŇĿĴŌĸŅĸķŇŅĴŁņĿňĶĸŁĶŌĴŁķ ŇĴľļŁĺļŇŇłĴķļծĸŅĸŁŇĿĸʼnĸĿŁłŊт ĺĸŇŀłŅĸķĸŃŇĻŊļŇĻļŁŇĻĸŇĸŋŇļĿĸņт ŅĸŀĸŀĵĸŅĵĸļŁĺłŁļŅĸĸпņŇĴŁķļŁĺłŁŇĻĸņĻłŅĸĿļŁĸĴŁķ What advice would you give to young artists? looking at the stunning turquoise of the sea as it was starting to ĸĿļĸʼnĸļŁŌłňŅłŊŁĴĵļĿļŇŌĴŁķķłŁяŇńňĸņŇļłŁļŇņłŀňĶĻпĵňŇ come into the shallows, where you get a translucency which is яŀҶҸĴŁķņŇļĿĿķłļŇтłŀĸłĹŇĻĸŀłņŇŇĴĿĸŁŇĸķĴŅŇļņŇņŅĸĴĿĿŌ ĿļľĸŁłŇĻļŁĺĸĿņĸт ņŇŅňĺĺĿĸŊļŇĻŇĻĸļŅłŊŁĴĵļĿļŇŌтĴŌĵĸŌłňŁĸĸķŇĻĴŇĶłŁņŇĴŁŇ ĹĸĿŇĶłŀŃĿĸŇĸĿŌĸŁʼnĸĿłŃĸķĵŌŇĻĸĿļĺĻŇпĶłŀŃĿĸŇĸĿŌļŀŀĸŅņĸķтŇ ĸŁńňļŅļŁĺпĿłłľļŁĺĴŁķŇĻļŁľļŁĺĴĵłňŇŌłňŅŊłŅľт ŊĴņĴĿŀłņŇĴņŇĻłňĺĻļŇŊĴņņļŁľļŁĺļŁŇłŀŌņłňĿт ĴĿŊĴŌņŇĻļŁľĵĴĶľŇłŇĻĴŇŀłŀĸŁŇпłĹŇĻĸŃňŅĸŊĻļŇĸņĴŁķĴŁķ What’s next for you? ŇňŅńňłļņĸĶłĿłňŅņĴŁķŇĻĴŇяņļŁŀŌŀļŁķŊĻĸŁяŀŊłŅľļŁĺŇł яŀłծŇłňĿĿĴŁķłŁĴĹłŅŇŊłŊĸĸľņŇłķŅĴŊпŃĴļŁŇĴŁķ ĺļʼnĸĴŅŇŊłŅľņŇĻĴŇĿłʼnĸĿŌŇŅĴŁņĿňĶĸŁĶŌт ĸŋŃĿłŅĸĴŁķŊĸяŅĸŇĴľļŁĺĴņŀĴĿĿŃŅļŁŇļŁĺŃŅĸņņłʼnĸŅłŁŇĻĸĵłĴŇ ŊļŇĻňņпņłŊĸяĿĿĻłŃĸĹňĿĿŌķłņłŀĸĶłĿĿĴĺŅĴŃĻŃŅļŁŇļŁĺт e 44 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
Opposite page, left: 4YJ½RMR&PYI (2021), 18cm x 18cm, hand-painted fabric with machine and hand-embroidery Opposite page, right: 4YJ½RMR4MRO (2021), 18cm x 18cm, hand-painted fabric with machine and hand-embroidery.These artworks show Deborah exploring her colour palette and mark-making and the versatility of the Gelli plate. 4YJ½RWEVISRXLIVIHPMWXSJFMVHWSJLMKLGSRWIVZEXMSRGSRGIVRMRXLI9/ They can be seen at a few locations around the Scottish coast, including the Isle of May, Fidra, Craigleith, St Kilda, Orkney and Shetland Above: Corncrake (2022), 28cm x 28cm, hand-painted fabric with machine and hand-embroidery.The corncrake is also on the red list of birds of high conservation concern in the UK Left:The Cop26 biodiversity banner (detail) that Deborah made with the community during lockdown, via online Zoom sessions Drawn to Textiles: Coastal Birds by Deborah Campbell is at Carlaverock Wetland Centre, a National Nature Reserve in Dumfries and Galloway, 24 July-September 10. Details of Deborah’s courses and workshops at deborahcampbell.com July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 45
Kythregyz matriarchs with golden hands Iranian artist Firouz FarmanFarmaian is bringing the ancient Kyrgyz tradition of hand-crafting shyrdak rugs to the international stage SHYRDAKS ARE THE HAND-STITCHED, of women in the Naryn Oblast region of dependent on the state of the environment and the preservation of nature. LERHJIPXIHGSPSYVJYP¾SSVGSZIVMRKWYWIH Kyrgyzstan realised making traditional carpets Production involves the entire family, and sometimes relatives and neighbours.The MR]YVXW[LMGLEVISRP]QEHIMRXLIVIQSXI [EWEVIWSYVGIJSVEWWMWXMRKXLIQMRHMJ½GYPX technical process of felting is accompanied by ritual meals, as well as tales of legendary QSYRXEMRSYWVIKMSRWSJ8LI/]VK]^6ITYFPMG economic times.These women formed the women whose experience and skills are recalled, while working together. XLIWQEPPIWXGSYRXV]MR'IRXVEP%WME Altyn Kol Women Handicraft Cooperative Although men do take part in the process of shearing sheep and felt-making, women %RI\\TIVXMRXLIERGMIRXXI\\XMPIXVEHMXMSRW and were kind enough to teach me all the are recognised as the authors of the shyrdak. It is the women who perform the initial SJRSQEHMGGYPXYVIWXLIEVXMWX*MVSY^ ways of the shyrdak over many months. processing of the wool and production of felt, dyeing, preparation of threads and *EVQER*EVQEMERLEWWTIRXIMKLXQSRXLW For the Kyrgyz, the art of felt-making has yarns, the cutting of patterns from felt sheets and sewing them together.The creative [SVOMRK[MXLXLI%PX]R/SP;SQIR ancient roots and is known to exist as early component of the process, the ornament, composition and colour combinations, is also ,ERHMGVEJX'SSTIVEXMZIMR8LI/]VK]^ EWXLI½VWXQMPPIRRMYQ&'[LIREVERKISJ the women’s prerogative. Handmade Kyrgyz felt is unique in that it is 6ITYFPMGMRSVHIVXSFVMRKXLIWL]VHEOXSXLI products, processing methods and patterns made without any sort of spinning, looping, braiding or weaving. Craftswomen exploit the [MHIWXTSWWMFPIEYHMIRGI³%PX]R/SP´QIERMRK evolved.Today, the felt carpets are produced natural properties of yak and sheep’s wool to ³KSPHIRLERHW´MWEJIQEPIPIHGSSTIVEXMZI in two of seven provinces: Naryn and Issyk- WLVMROERHQEXXXSKIXLIV[SSP½FVIWYRHIV XLEXGSRXMRYIWXSTVIWIVZIXLI/]VK]^ kul. Contemporary craftspeople, producing XLIMR¾YIRGISJ[EXIVLIEXERHTVIWWYVI using natural pigments as dyes. XVEHMXMSRSJLERHGVEJXMRKWL]VHEOW shyrdaks for local, tourist and international The word ‘shyrdak’ comes from the word ‘shyryk’, which means stitching; this is one 8LIEVXMWX´WGSPPEFSVEXMSR[MXLXLIWILMKLP] markets, work individually and within groups of the main processes in creating a shyrdak, which makes it very strong and durable. WOMPPIHGVEJXW[SQIRLEWPIHXSEXI\\XMPIFEWIH in co-operatives. -XXEOIWXLI[SSPJVSQEFSYX½ZIWLIITXS I\\LMFMXMSREXXLI[SVPHJEQSYWXL:IRMGI Felt rugs were made for the insulation make one shyrdak rug.The process is slow and labour-intensive. &MIRREPI[LMGLYWIWEVERKISJIPIQIRXW and decoration of yurt dwellings. It was an Once collected the wool is picked clean, washed, dried then dyed. Once the wool is MRGPYHMRKVE[]EO[SSPLERHQEHIJIPX important element in every household, with dried, a brightly coloured pattern is laid on /]VK]^]YVXWXVYGXYVIWERHPSGEPP]WSYVGIH aesthetic and symbolic markings, but also TMKQIRXW'EPPIHGates ofTuran, *MVSY^ indicated geographic regions and tribal clans. *EVQER*EVQEMER´WI\\LMFMXMSRVYRWYRXMP The shyrdak symbolised the concept of well- 2SZIQFIVERHJSPPS[WLMWWYGGIWWJYP being, prosperity and peace. GSPPEFSVEXMSR[MXLXLI&IVFIVWSJ2SVXL In nomadic life, the process of making %JVMGEVIWYPXMRKMREGVMXMGEPP]EGGPEMQIH felt and felted carpets was a social event XI\\XMPII\\LMFMXMSREX1EVVEOIGL%VX and a unifying factor. it is labour intensive *EMVMR and involves many stages of meticulous ,IVI*MVSY^I\\TPEMRWLS[WL]VHEOWEVI preparation, and requires time and effort. QEHIMRXLIXVEHMXMSREP[E]MR/]VK]^WXER Felt rugs are the by-product of animal For many years in Kyrgyzstan, shyrdak husbandry.Today, shepherds may have as production was traditionally for household many as 500 sheep in one herd.The quality use.A large, ornate shyrdak was the pride of the felt depends on the quality of the of a household, but in modern times, the ¾IIGI[LMGLMRXYVRHITIRHWSRXLIFVIIH tradition began to be forgotten.That was of sheep and condition of the pasture, so the until the winter of 1996, when a group modern-day Kyrgyz Republic continues to be 46 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
preview to a plain background which is then soaked It was a matter of honour for every mother globalisation, traditional cultural characteristics with soap and water, rolled up and, literally, to make a shyrdak for each of her children. have been forgotten. Joint communal labour, pressed.This process is repeated. Once the Also, according to tradition, the bride’s mother unique to traditional nomadic communities, pattern starts to hold, the rug is reversed, makes a shyrdak for her daughter’s dowry. has receded into the past. soaked and rolled again.After some hours Sometimes the bride herself is involved in the Although the shyrdak has received the shyrdak rug is left to dry.Two contrasting making process. During the wedding ceremony, international recognition as an export layers of felt are then laid on top of one the shyrdak is shown to the groom’s relatives, commodity and cultural brand of Kyrgyzstan, another and a pattern is marked on the top accompanied by an explanation of the wishes there is a real danger of its disappearance layer in chalk.This is painstakingly cut out, with and blessings embedded in the patterns and due to the rapidly decreasing number of the felt-maker frequently sharpening the knife solemnly presented to the bride and groom. shyrdak craftspeople.The older generation which blunts quickly. The newlyweds are required to keep and use is leaving, taking the culture of felt carpet Originally the shyrdaks were not intended for it in the course of their long and happy lives. production with them, considered sale, but were handed down from generation Shyrdaks were also gifted on other special expendable by modern society. e to generation, ensuring the sacred, ancestral occasions, such as house-warming celebrations memory of the mother.Therefore, the and the birth of a child. Gates of Turan by Firouz FarmanFarmaian, These days, shyrdaks have ceased to be a 59th Venice Biennale, until 27 November. HMWXMRGXJIEXYVIWSJIEGLTMIGIVI¾IGXIHXLI family relic.As a result of urbanisation and ÅZW]bNIZUIVNIZUIQIVKWU IT\\aVSWTVIZWLZ] individuality of their female creators. ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпĹĴŅĿĸչсĻĸ ĿŇŌŁłĿ łŀĸŁĴŁķļĶŅĴչłłŃĸŅĴŇļʼnĸļņĵĴņĸķ ļŁŇĻĸĴŅŌŁĵĿĴņŇʼnĴĿĿĸŌпŌŅĺŌōņŇĴŁп ĹŅĴŀĸķĵŌĴķŅĴŀĴŇļĶŀłňŁŇĴļŁłňņŇĸŅŅĴļŁ PHOTO BY ALBERT DROS ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпĿĸչс ŇŅĴķļŇļłŁĴĿŌŅĺŌōŌňŅŇ ĻļņŃĴĺĸпĴĵłʼnĸсłĿłňŅĹňĿŇĸŋŇļĿĸņĴķłŅŁ ŌňŅŇņļŁŌŅĺŌōņŇĴŁтĻĸtundukпłŅŊłłķĸŁ ņŇŅňĶŇňŅĸĴŇŇĻĸĶĸŁŇŅĴĿҳѳĹŇĻĸŌňŅŇпļņĴ ŇŅĴķļŇļłŁĴĿņŌŀĵłĿłĹĹĴŀļĿŌňŁļŇŌ ĸչсļŅłňōŊĴņŊĴŅŀĿŌŊĸĿĶłŀĸķĵŌ ŀĸŀĵĸŅņłĹŇĻĸ ĿŇŌŁłĿłŀĸŁĴŁķļĶŅĴչ łłŃĸŅĴŇļʼnĸпŊļŇĻŊłŀĸŁŅĸņŃłŁņļĵĿĸŇłķĴŌ ĹłŅŀłņŇłĹŇĻĸņĻŌŅķĴľŃŅłķňĶŇļłŁŃŅłĶĸņņт ŌŅĺŌņŇĴŁĻĴņĴņŇŅłŁĺĿŌŀĴŇŅļĴŅĶĻĴĿņłĶļĸŇŌ ļĺĻŇс ŋĴŀŃĿĸņłĹĶłĿłňŅĹňĿņĻŌŅķĴľŇĸŋŇļĿĸņ ŀĴķĸĵŌŇĻĸĶłĿĿĸĶŇļʼnĸĹłŅņĴĿĸтŅĴķļŇļłŁĴĿĿŌп ŇĻĸņĻŌŅķĴľŊĴņĶļŅĶňĿĴŅпĵňŇŇĻĸŊłŀĸŁ ŀĴľĸŅĸĶŇĴŁĺňĿĴŅņĻŌŅķĴľņŇłĶĴŇĸŅĹłŅ łŇĻĸŅŀĴŅľĸŇņ July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 47
10 minutes with... FIROUZ FARMANFARMAIAN ,S[HMHXLIQIQFIVWSJXLI%PX]R/SP;SQIR,ERHMGVEJX 'SSTIVEXMZIVIEGXXS[EVHW]SY[LIR]SY½VWXQIX# -½VWXGSRRIGXIH[MXLXLIGLEMV[SQERSJXLI2+3(MREVE .ERKEFYPSZREEW-[EWXVEZIPPMRKMRXLI-WW]/SP0EOIVIKMSRJSVXLI½VWX time in order to meet Altyn Kol in their Koshkor headquarters up in the Naryn valley.We immediately felt we were on the same page. Altyn Kol has a rich, industrious, collaborative past and stands quiet SRMXWS[R[LIRMXGSQIWXS[SVOMRK[MXLJSVIMKR2+3WWMRGIXLI fall of the Soviet bloc: it has travelled to Switzerland and the USA to attend craft fairs showcasing the know-how of Kyrgyz felt rug-making. They are proud and rightly so.The connection with the craftswomen followed the same pattern as with Dinara and organically evolved in a multifaceted exchange involving design, cosmogonic interpretation, imagination and technique.The last moments shared with the elders were very emotional. 'ER]SYHIWGVMFIXLIWGIRIEXXLI%PX]R/SP[LIR]SY½VWXEVVMZIH# Koshkor has everything of a border town, sitting barely 200km from China, separated by the towering white peaks of theTien Shen range. It presents a main street that stretches ahead into the valley, a small FYXFYWXPMRKFE^EEVXMR]IEVXL]VSEHWSR[LMGL]SY[MPP½RHELERH painted red and blue metal sign bearing their name and logo, behind a XVYGO½PPIH[MXLWLIITERHE[SVRHS[R]IPPS[0EHE8LI][MPPKVIIX you with modest smiles and invite you to sit on the ground to start exploring the different motifs and colours available inside. ,EWWL]VHEOTVSHYGXMSRGLERKIHEXEPPSZIVXLI]IEVW# Yes, drastically in the codes of Kyrgyz tradition. Up to only 30 years ago the rug had not been intended for commercial use and was created MREVSYRHWLETIXS½X]YVXWERHXSFITEWWIHJVSQSRIJEQMP]XS 48 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
the other through marriages and tribal alliances. It is only under the Q&A KYMHERGISJ2+3WWYGLEW,IPZIXEWMRXLIWMRXLIGEWISJ%PX]R Kol) that shyrdaks adapted to western interiors and tastes and took, for instance, a rectangular form. The socio-economic issue is also central.The Soviet Union provided for a fertile wool market that saw the country thrive, with an estimate of 40 million sheep before the fall of the bloc.The ensuing competitive liberal market did not play well with Kyrgyz code and a recent head- count showed only three million sheep left, badly impacting shyrdak production and its culture. I strongly believe that, here, the transformative power of contemporary practice has a role to play. 'ER]SYXIPPQIEFSYXXLIVSPISJXLIQSXLIVMRXLIMVWSGMIX]# As ancient nomadic peoples, the Kyrgyz are profoundly matriarchal and the preservation of memory the women are entrusted to is enshrined as national policy. 'ER]SYLMKLPMKLXSRISVX[SW]QFSPWXLEXXLI]YWI# ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпŇłŃсļŅłňōĴŅŀĴŁĴŅŀĴļĴŁļŁĸŁļĶĸпĴŇŇĻĸҶҺŇĻ ļĸŁŁĴĿĸ Immemorial tribal vocabulary is constructed around symbols called oïmos, intimately linked to concepts of Mother Earth, the animal ŃŃłņļŇĸŃĴĺĸпĵłŇŇłŀсļŅłňōĴŅŀĴŁĴŅŀĴļĴŁĴŇŇĻĸĴŇĸņłĹňŅĴŁŌŅĺŌō kingdom and layers of spirituality collected through thousands of years. ĴʼnļĿļłŁĴŇŇĻĸĸŁļĶĸ ļĸŁŁĴĿĸпňŁŇļĿłʼnĸŀĵĸŅҳҸтŁĻļņĿĸչļņKayakalak I chose the eagle oïmo to feature as the arms of the Kyrgyz Pavilion at Panel OneѼҳұҳҳѽҲҸұĶŀŋҲҵұĶŀпĴĿņłľŁłŊŁĴņŇĻĸĴŇĻłĹļĹĸĴŁĸĿ ĵłʼnĸсļŅłňōĴŅŀĴŁĴŅŀĴļĴŁĴŁķŇŅĴķļŇļłŁĴĿŌŅĺŌōķĴŁĶĸŅņтĻłŇłсļŅļĶĸ XLIXL:IRMGI&MIRREPIMXWJSVQ½KYVMRKMREPPQ]TVSQSXMSREPQEXIVMEP ERHSRX[SSJXLI/E]EOEPEOWL]VHEOTERIPWMRXLI½REPMRWXEPPEXMSR-X ĸĿłŊĿĸչсKayakalak Panel FourѼҳұҳҳѽҲҸұĶŀŋҲҵұĶŀпĹĸĿŇĴŁķŌĴľŊłłĿ also features on the blue and white coat of arms of the Kyrgyz Republic. ĸĿłŊŅļĺĻŇсKayakalak Panel SevenѼҳұҳҳѽҲҸұĶŀŋҲҵұĶŀпĹĸĿŇĴŁķŌĴľŊłłĿ The eagle oïmo evokes freedom and unity of all tribes.The most important message of all, to unite in our differences. 'ER]SYHIWGVMFIXLIMRWTMVEXMSRJSVSRISJ]SYVS[R[SVOW# Kayakalak Panel One is known among us as the Path of Life Panel.The work gave the JOL series its name,‘path’ being jol in Kyrgyz. Its design JSPPS[WEHIGSRWXVYGXIHTEXLXLEXEP[E]W½RMWLIWEXMXWGIRXVI[LIVI the tribe is, the family in unity under the tunduk [representing the wooden top of the yurt]. e July August 2022 EMBROIDERY 49
UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL ŁշňĸŁĶĸķĵŌŇĻĸĴŅŇņĴŁķ ĶňĿŇňŅĸłĹŇĻĸĴĶļձĶļŀп ňņĴŁłĻĸŅŇŌяņķŅĸņņĸķķłĿĿņ ŃňŇĻňŀĴŁľļŁķļŁŇĻĸņŃłŇĿļĺĻŇ ALL PHOTOS BY GREG HILLMAN, KURANDA FACEBOOK: KURANDAPHOTOGRAPHY 50 EMBROIDERY July August 2022
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