The Cutting (& Stitching) Edge – Maxine Sutton

The Cutting (& Stitching) Edge – Maxine Sutton:

Maxine Sutton is a textile designer from Margate, England.

“If one were to imagine a workshop household, one would envision a situation where most, if not all things were made in a more imaginative and beautiful way than in quotidian life” - Mark Rosenthal
I love the idea of the workshop household described by Mark Rosenthal, and believe in the importance of our interaction with materials, texture, pattern, and the handmade.The handmade object creates layers of significance and forms a part of personal and family narratives, making links and connections through generations.

“My work continues to explore the interplay between screen-printed and embroidered textures, colour, mark, drawn and stitched lines. Often playing with imagery and ideas springing from our relationship with familiar domestic objects, everyday pastimes, the meaning of ‘home’ and home-making activities. Abstract and semi-figurative forms combined with pattern and texture present an ambiguous narrative.

Using Irish machine, and hand embroidery I employ a combination of traditional techniques, such as appliqué  patchwork, needle-punch and screen print. Forms, are hand drawn, paper cut, found or photographic; layered and collaged with abstract and semi figurative appliquéd, needle-punched and printed imagery. Embroidered lines and densely embroidered areas create further layers of texture and interest.”

I like a good bit of mixed up textile work and Maxine’s work is a great example. Quirky and wistful, the combination of machine embroidery, appliqué and screen printing is very contemporary and quite charming.

Visit Maxine’s website to see more of her work, including paper collage work, and check out her shop for lovely home furnishings!

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The Cutting & Stitching Edge is brought to you in association with PUSH: Stitchery, the must-have embroidered art book by Mr X Stitch !

Bubble and Speaking

Bubble and Speaking:

>> Some of you may have seen that I've started to pen a column for the much-respected (and rightly so),the Business of Fashion entitled Bubble and Speak (geddit, geddit?)  I'm not sure who to credit for that bit of clever punnery but it makes for a catchy title for a column about introducing young designers.  For my first bit of Bubble and Speaking, I talked up the knitwear duo Leutton Postle aka Jenny Postle and Sam Leutton, who caught my attention ever since Jenny Postle's Central Saint Martins graduate MA collection in 2011.
During the summer, whilst the duo were working on their S/S 13 collection, which they showed as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout in September's London Fashion Week, I went to visit their wonderful cavernous studio.  It was a hive of knit trick activity.  I've stored up all these photos of a real work in progress, which don't necessarily relate to the final S/S 13 collection that was shown.  Ideas get scrapped.  Decisions change.  Directions can swerve in the course of the build-up to the final collection.  However, these pics do show that Leutton and Postle are constantly experimenting with a combination of hand and machine knit techniques, incorporating different yarns together as well as materials.  When I went to visit, they were fixated by hammer beads, the sort that you meld together into different formations when you're a kid.  A lot of these experimental samples didn't make it into the final collection.  It's hardly a wasted effort though.  What didn't work this time round is kept in Leutton and Postle's big basket of sample squares and could potentially be bought out for future collections.  The sketches shown here were also initial ideas for S/S 13 that were then scrapped.  To me they look like fertile ideas to pursue later down the line.  Leutton Postle are evidently in the fortunate position of having excessive creative output, which they can then edit down when it comes to the final collection.
They even had time to knit a wonderful baby blanket in anticipation of the birth of Mary Portas and Melanie Rickey's baby (Rickey gave birth in September).  Read the full article on Business of Fashion to find out more about this knitwear duo.  Suffice to say, I believe them when they say there's so much more experimentation to come.

Quilty Pleasures: Leslie Gabriëlse

Quilty Pleasures: Leslie Gabriëlse:
This is an extra fun post because I get to talk about my buddy Leslie Gabriëlse
I met him a few weeks ago while we both were up at the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum hanging a few pieces. [Yes its a him. Leslie is a boy name in Holland. Where he hails from.]

I was fortunate enough to see a lecture by him while he was in the country and he spoke a bit on his process, which is different from a lot of other quilters because his stitches are mostly for keeping the pieces on and he uses paint without any qualm.

this gives the figures nice lines and shadows.

His work gave me a new perspective on how to construct quilts like paintings. It’s nice to see other methods.

Here is my favorite of his pieces. I couldn’t find any details. but he put a bird on it.

What do you think about painting on quilts for the details?

Sparklymouse’s stitched portrait

Sparklymouse’s stitched portrait:
Louise Jones, aka Sparklymouse, has been doing interesting things with a needle and thread for quite a while now. This particular piece is pushing my buttons.

textiliri

textiliri:

my new art textile all made from hand dyed silk cut-outs
TextileLiri group exhibition | Periscope gallery
curator Ayala Raz.

Visible Mending

Visible Mending:

In a flurry of activity and with my back up against an impending deadline, before Christmas I had the linen printed in preparation for stitching. The work reflects on personal experiences of WWII; those of my Grandmother and Great Uncle. My uncle served in the army and was captured at Dunkirk. He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war in a German POW camp. Although little is spoken about their experiences my Grandma recalls that when he returned her brother's uniform was 'all darns'. Suffice to say the Christmas holidays have been filled with darning.

I can't help but feel my darning is rather inferior by comparison with the beautiful Vicorian darning samplers I remember seeing at the Museum of Costume & Textiles in Nottingham. If you are looking for inspiration for your own mending project Clarabella has a wonderful pin board of exquisite darns and mends here. I only wish mine were as beautiful.

Cross-Stitch Installation at Patria Restaurant

Cross-Stitch Installation at Patria Restaurant:
As a confessed textile nut, it makes me weak in the knees to think about covering an entire wall with 17,000 stitches. This incredible installation at Patria Restaurant was created by Commute Home, a Toronto firm. The cross-stitch portion is actually a screen, created by Laura Carwardine, which was laid over a two-story feature wall designed by Marlo Onilla of Biography Design. The full process took over two months to complete, and Commute created an awesome time-lapse video of the project so you can see the hard work that went into it. I love the idea of laying screens over a wall like this; it would allow you to take the piece with you if you ever left, and it would allow any artwork or paint beneath it to be cleaned or repaired if needed. The pictures really say more than I can, so I’ll let them do the talking. I’ll just take a moment to give Laura, Marlo and everyone at Commute a big digital slow clap for this amazing project. Visual inspiration like this is my favorite way to start a morning. xo, grace


More photos after the jump . . .
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Too Cute Tuesday – The Midwinter Fox Pendant by Mother Eagle

Too Cute Tuesday – The Midwinter Fox Pendant by Mother Eagle:

I have long admired the beautiful, intricate work of the immensely talented Mother Eagle.
This portrait of a fox is simple exquisite.

She is a master. When she posts photos of her work along side her fingers, you just can’t believe how tiny and detailed it is.

Spend some time viewing her flickr stream and on her website and shop. You will be amazed and inspired by her lovely, moody images and faces. Everything from death cap mushrooms to eerily gorgeous skulls.
I’m coveting the Midwinter Wolf, too!

Too Cute Tuesdays are brought to you in association with our friends over at Feeling Stitchy!