machine embroidery Archives

17th July 202417th July 2024

Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn – Meet the Artists

Textile artists and authors, Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn, have worked together for over 45 years. Their Rhythms & Reflections exhibition builds on their love of detailed hand and machine embroidered surfaces.

Join Jan and Jean, as they share the stitches and techniques that created the work.

Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn: https://doubletrouble-ent.com/

Books by Jan and Jean: https://amzn.to/4bN0G3N

Jan’s work is inspired by the ever-changing landscape of the Wetlands of Lefkada in Greece.

“The colours and organic growth patterns provided the initial fascination. Excitement followed by observations of the lush, overgrown variety of grasses, which offered layers of glorious textures yet still maintain the rhythms and constrictions of the tidal waterways. Intriguing light and atmospheric changes in early evening and after sundown have led to developing new focal points.”

Work from the Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn exhibition

Jean’s work centres on the rhythms and cycles of the moon, and she reflects on how our ancestors viewed these phenomena as evidenced in cultural myths and legends.

“During lockdown, the phases of the moon embodied continuity and reassurance in an uncertain world and became the focus of her work. Moon mythology informed pieces such as ‘Wolf Moon’ and ‘Sturgeon Moon’, whereas other works were responses to night-time observations of atmospheric cloud framed moons.“

Work from the Jan and Jean's exhibition — Work from the Jan and Jean’s exhibition

Filmed at the Knitting & Stitching Show, London 2023.

For a more inspiration, please browse the ‘Meet the Artist’ collection on my YouTube Channel.

28th June 202328th June 2023

Vivienne Beaumont – Meet the Artist

A little textile inspiration from my YouTube Collection. Today it features the beautiful machine and hand embroidery by Vivienne Beaumont.

Join Vivienne as she shares the art in her ‘Seeds, Flowers and Flowing Hair’ exhibition and explains the processes and stories behind the work.

https://youtu.be/9WZeg9zjIog

Vivienne Beaumont: https://www.viviennebeaumont.net/

Hand & Machine embroidered artwork by Vivienne Beaumont

Ripe with seeds, pomegranates and scenes of harvest, Vivienne’s work is shaped by stories and symbols. She takes inspiration from myths and nature, from female archetypes and the process of transformation.  The work has a soulful quality and often a sense of otherworldliness – her frequent use of gold threads reflects something of the Rumpelstiltskin, the fairy tale.   Her figurative scenes look to the ephemerality and cyclical nature of life, representing both life force and loss.

“Fields are often aglow in the late summer, through the harvest and its aftermath. I try to capture something of this in my work, as well as something of the folk tale or fairy tale: the jeopardy of the miller’s daughter, the alchemy of weaving straw into gold. That these tales have endured the ages, suggests they hold a deeper meaning for us.
The Red Riding Hood story, for example, is at heart the tale of a maiden’s rite of passage. The young girl is growing up, the mother is letting her daughter go on her own into the woods. The story alludes to virginity and the spilling of blood. The wolf traditionally plays the role of the sexual predator, but I portray the wolf as the protector, the threat instead from the darkness and the unknown. 
Mothers and daughters, love and rites of passage – the repeated cycles from one generation to the next – these loom large in my textile story.”
Vivienne Beaumont.

Filmed at the Knitting & Stitching Show 2022.

24th September 202224th September 2022

Suzy Wright – Meet the Artist

A little textile inspiration from my YouTube ‘Meet the Artist’ Collection. Today it features the work of artist Suzy Wright.

Suzy Wright is renowned for her iconic images of people, insects, fruit, flowers and birds created using free machine embroidery. Each piece can use up to 200 coloured threads. Suzy’s CV includes an Internship with Zandra Rhodes and also as a studio assistant for Kaffe Fassett.

Suzy Wright’s Artwork: https://orangethread.co.uk/

Suzy Wright machine embroidered self portrait

Each artwork starts off as a piece of medium weight calico. The large statement pieces feature a fully stitched background turning the piece into a new type of stitched fabric. Each piece can use over 200 threads blending colours and building shades from dark to light.

Watch this space! – join the mailing list and be first to see some wonderful artist interviews.