Page 81 - The Digital Cloth Issue 7

How did you first get interested in style of appliqué and embroidery.
embroidery & textile art? Who taught you?
What did you do? What are your favourite techniques?
I became especially interested in textile arts and Why do you like them so much?
embroidery when I studied a college art course I love working with different forms of
in Oxford. My completed project featured sashiko including kogin and hitomezashi
pastel crayons and pencils but I kept thinking (one stitch sashiko). I love this particular
that I wanted to remake it using fabrics. That style for its combination of weaving and
began my curiosity with how textiles could be stitching techniques. I find the repetitive
used to make a different kind of picture, design very relaxing and meditative.
particularly using techniques like appliqué and
embroidery. What has been the highpoint of your
textile art & embroidery journey so far?
Who or what have been major inspirations I would have to say the highpoint of this
to you over the years? And currently? journey is having the fortune to be able to
My original interest in sashiko in Australia was design and share my passion for textiles.
developed by Sue Leyton-White of Sanshi in It is a continuing process of which I never
WA and Irma Chelsworth who generously grow tired.
offered me lots of inspiration with approaches
to sashiko and to see the wealth of traditional How do you manage your creative time?
Japanese textiles including kasuri, katazome, Pretty poorly if I am honest! A lot of the day
shibori. I am continually inspired by the brilliant to day of business activity means that the
work of Akiko Ike whose chiku chiku style of creative time I would like to have is often
stitching sashiko offers great freedom of impacted, however I don’t think this is
expression. Also, Reiko Domon and her style of particularly unusual for those in
teaching Yuza Sashiko has been an influence creative small businesses. You have to try
on the way I think about sashiko and teaching. I and achieve a good balance.
love the way Yoko Saito uses yarn-dyed fabrics
in her designs and have been influenced by her