hand stitch – Christina Fairley Erickson

Stitchville, U.S.A.

embroidery, hand embroidery, hand stitch, textile tour

I just accompanied my honey to his 55th high school reunion back in his home state of Minnesota. Visiting his cousins, going out with old friends and the culminating event of the reunion… I figured I was earning a few points and could throw in a little stop for myself, so I looked for a place that would peak my textile interest! I found the perfect place at Stitchville U.S.A.

Christina in front of Stitchville U.S.A. in Minnetonka MN

As some of you may know, I admit to one addiction… thread. I’ve never seen such an amazing array of hand stitching threads! The floor space of this shop is considerable… and filled not only with luscious stitch materials, but also needlepoint and cross stitch kits. Here’s some of what you’ll find:

View of about 1/3 of the floor space!

Look at all the delicious colors of silk and cotton fibers for stitch

Rainbow Gallery’s silk lame, neon rays & more

Dyed wool squares for applique

Wool applique glasses cases kits

Contents of the wool applique glasses cases kit- so beautifully put together!

Gentle Art cotton sampler threads

Not only do they have all sorts of kits and pre-printed canvas, they even have their own framing department!

My new purchases!

It’s always tough to pick out which threads to buy, but this time I have a piece in process that I was able to buy for. I’m currently stitching an African Wild Dog, so all the lovely neutral colors will set it off beautifully.

If you want to visit Stitchville USA on your next trip to Minnesota, it’s located at:

Ridge Square South, 12945 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305

Or check out their website at http://www.stitchville.com/

Unfortunately with Covid, they aren’t holding their classes right now, but I’ll definitely check in the future when we head back to MN. My husband has mentioned how he’d love to move back to Minnesota one day… I’ve never been tempted before, but with finding Stitchville, I may need to reconsider!

September 29, 2021/by Christina Fairley Erickson

Istanbul Adventure Aug 2021 – Part 1

embroidery, haberdashery, hand embroidery, hand stitch, textile tour, Turkish embroidery

Christina Fairley Erickson in front of Istanbul embroidery store

2021

Christina on her way to Istanbul with Kathryn Gauci’s novel “The Embroiderer”

Picking a Real book out for travel is always important to me… I don’t want to rely on my iPad’s ebooks, as you never know whether you’ll be able to charge your device or have other technical difficulties. So I’m starting my current adventure to Turkey with this one: “The Embroiderer” by Kathryn Gauci. It follows a family of Embroiderers from the early 19th century to the late 20th century during the downfall of the Ottoman Empire.

Some of you may recall that my daughter-in-law, Zeyneb, is Turkish-Canadian. She and my son Ryan moved to Istanbul in March of this year, where Ryan is attending school for 2 years. After having them live with us during the Co-vid lockdown so they could save money up for their living abroad, it was horribly difficult to see them go. So, I got myself a ticket and here I am braving the sizzling August heat of Istanbul.

Before I go on a trip, I try to do some research into textile experiences, museums, shops, and people to possibly meet. Since I visited Turkey twice before (most recently in March 2019, with my kids), I have already done a lot of research on their embroidery and textiles. So this time I thought it could be fun to visit some shops frequented by modern Turkish Embroiderers.

I got in touch with an Instagram buddy who is a self-taught embroiderer here in Istanbul -@needleandbroomstick@needleandbroomstick She kindly gave me information on a few embroidery supply stores. We decided to tackle going to one my first day here. Now, in my defense, I didn’t really know exactly how large Istanbul is. Compared to my native Seattle region of about 4 million (and only 775,000 in actual Seattle), Istanbul has a whooping 15.46 million people! It was quite the adventure to traverse the city with walking, taxi, ferry and bus all playing their part. Not only was the distance considerable, we actually crossed continents- that’s right, one part of Istanbul in in Europe, the other in Asia.

Christina Fairley Erickson and son on the Bosphorus, Istanbul

The ferry boat ride on the Bospherus was beautiful. With the temperature in the high 90’s to low 100’s, and being unused to wearing a hijab, the cooling breeze was quite welcome and helped re-energize us. The ferry took us to Kadıköy, only a short walk away from the district where there were several shops with embroidery, craft, yarn and fabrics.

Our first shop was one recommended: “Bursa İpek Masrafçı, Tuhafiye, Goblen.com” They specialize in hand embroidery, but have lots of fun & fascinating supplies such as these:

Embroidery Store Front in Istanbul

Fabulous range of embroidery thread

And more…

Machine threads and ribbons

Yarns and more

Wonderful hand-dyed and variagated rayon embroidery thread (as a thread-aholic, I couldn’t pass up getting some of these delicious colors!)

Nazar – to ward of the “evil eye” beads In lots of sizes

Cool offset punched sequins

Lots of notions

Son Ryan and Daughter Zeyneb goofing around! So thankful they would take me all the way to find this shop and Zeyneb helping as my interpreter.

Lovely lady who helped us!

Happy with my purchases!

I found some exquisite finely woven white cotton that I purchased for dyeing and stitching with my students at such a price… only about $2/ meter! And I couldn’t pass up getting some of the rayon embroidery thread, both in solid and subtle variegation.

We went on to another shop, but that will have to come in Part 2… jet lag has a way of sneaking up on you!

August 4, 2021/by Christina Fairley Erickson

Natural Geometries

art quilts, Contemporary QuiltArt Association, embroidery, exhibitions, hand embroidery, hand stitch, hand-dyed fabric, hand-painted fabric, photo realistic quilts, surface design, theme

Fall Exhibitions

embroidery, exhibitions, freehand machine embroidery, Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts, goldwork, hand embroidery, hand stitch, hand-dyed fabric, heron, machine embroidery, metal thread embroidery

2019

Advanced Experimental Stitch Class Exhibition

design inspiration, embroidery, exhibitions, fiber artist, freehand machine embroidery, Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts, hand stitch, handmade book, Historic stitch, machine embroidery, metal thread embroidery, sketchbook

As many of you know, I have been studying at the Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts for some time… I believe it’s 8 years now. I’m just finishing 2 1/2 years in the Level 3 Advanced Experimental Stitch course. Our class will be exhibiting coursework including assessment items, sketchbooks, presentation books, samples, and historical stitch studies at an exhibition on October 26-27.

Advanced Experimental Stitch Exhibition

Mark your calendars! We will also have an artist talk from 10:30-11:30 am on Saturday October 27.

October 2, 2018/by Christina Fairley Erickson

Audrey Walker at the Ruthin Craft Centre – Wales

design inspiration, embroidery, freehand machine embroidery, hand embroidery, hand stitch, Historic stitch, pictorial, textile tour

UK Textile Tour Day 9: Audrey Walker at the Ruthin Craft Centre – Wales

One week before I was scheduled to leave on my trip, I received my “Embroidery” magazine, the publication from the UK’s Embroiderers’ Guild. To my surprise, an article highlighted an upcoming exhibition at the Ruthin Craft Centre in Northern Wales of Audrey Walker’s amazing embroideries. And it was opening one day after I was scheduled to drive North through Wales up to Scotland!

Christina Fairley Erickson with Audrey Walker’s “Adam” and “Eve” stitched textiles (2000) and drawing study for “Eve”. Adam and Eve each approximately 16″ w x 40″ high (the embroidery). On loan by Graham Holland.

As an artist who does a lot of pictorial work, I’ve been a fan of Audrey Walker’s work ever since my mentor and tutor, Gail Harker, introduced me to Audrey’s intricate stitched portraits. So, without much hesitation, I worked out a change in my itinerary to stay an extra day in Wales, so I could see the exhibition on its opening day.

Detail from “Eve” by Audrey Walker 2000.

Audrey Walker’s six-decade long career in embroidery has influenced many contemporary embroiderers. Not only is she an amazing artist in her own right, she succeeded Constance Howard as the head of the Goldsmith’s College Embroidery & Textiles Department (1975-88) guiding another generation of makers. She focused on teaching her students to seek out and explore their ideas first, then to study the history and techniques to realize their artistic vision. Her first textile associate was Jan Beaney, who went

"The White Tulips" by Audrey Walker 2012. On loan from the Embroiderers' Guild UK

“The White Tulips” by Audrey Walker 2012 (approximately 48″ h x 16″ w). On loan from the Embroiderers’ Guild UK

on to become internationally renowned for her stitchwork, as well as being one of the Cities and Guilds tutors and evaluators who taught Gail Harker. So, I guess I can claim Audrey is my embroidery great-grandmother!

Detail from “The White Tulips” 2012 by Audrey Walker

This exhibition, in Audrey’s 90th year, is a retrospective of her work, with pieces coming from as far away as the U.S. (owned by private collectors) brought together at the Ruthin Craft Centre, the location of Audrey’s first solo exhibition 18 years ago.

Audrey’s start in textiles began ten years after completing her degree in fine art (mainly portrait painting), after seeing an exhibit of fabric collages by Margaret Kaye (1912-2002). Prior to that , Audrey associated embroidery with the domestic textiles of her youth. Rather than continuing on as a painter, textiles became Audrey’s medium of choice. She even incorporated some of her family’s domestic textiles into her artwork, giving a nod of recognition to the historic roots of embroidery.

"A Cumbrian Birthday" 1997/8 embroidery by Audrey Walker uses a tray cloth from Audrey's childhood.

“A Cumbrian Birthday” 1997/8 by Audrey Walker uses a tray cloth from Audrey’s childhood. The embroidery (approximately 30″ w x 20″h) represents the Cumbrian tradition of offering guests a class of port and cream crackers with rum-butter on the best china, when visitors came to see a newborn baby.

Topics that have figured prominently in Audrey’s work include “momentary glances, encounters, inward smiles, the power of a gaze, vulnerability and the simple pleasures of life”. Some of her figures have a wistful, enigmatic look or smile, reminiscent of the Mona Lisa. Audrey’s process includes drawing portraits prior to her stitching and even drawing at the end of a day of stitching as a critique of her work or to an express an idea to develop in the future.

“Beach Woman” by Audrey Walker 1996, approximately 36″ h x 28″w. The larger-than-life size was to be suggestive of ‘heroes’.

Embroidery detail from “Beach Woman” by Audrey Walker 1996. Machine and hand stitched.

It’s remarkable to see the incredible detail that has gone into each of these large pieces. The images are created through color blending with the threads.

“There is no doubt that building up an image with absolutely separate lines of colour – the threads – is an endlessly fascinating and pleasurable activity. But it can be infuriatingly slow and it has all kinds of hazards! …However, the very slowness of the process can be productive. It allows a longer encounter with the idea and therefore the chance to explore it more fully and critically. It offers opportunities for valuable interludes – for instance setting a large piece on one side for a time in order to work through related thoughts on a smaller scale or in a different medium. The prooblems in the larger piece are often solved through side-stepping into related work.” (Audrey Walker ‘Insights’, 1999.)

“Encounter” 1998 by Audrey Walker approximately 36″h x 54″ w. Originally intended as two separate pieces, Audrey reworked the piece through drawings and small embroideries to overlap the images.

Detail of hand-stitched eye from “Encounter” by Audrey Walker 1998.

Audrey was a regular participant in the “62 Group” exhibitions from 1966 – 1981. Starting in 1962, the 62 Group of Textile Artists was created as support for serious professional textile artists. Audrey joined in 1964 and remains an Honorary Exhibiting member.

“Observed Incident” by Audrey Walker 2002. Approximately 28″ w x 60″ h (each panel). On loan from the Crafts Council.

Detail of knight’s face with helmet and shield from “Observed Incident”.

Detail of "Still Life" by Audry Walker, 1993

Detail of “Still Life” by Audrey Walker, 1993

Inspired by a tiny embroidery fragment less than 2″ high at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Audrey created “Observed Incident.” The 14th Century inspiration had 3 knights in full armor with a watching figure. She wished to salute the unknown embroiderer’s imagination with a large scale version of the topic.

“Still-life” by Audrey Walker 1993 includes a tribute to Marandi, a master of still-life. Aprroximately 48″ w x 28″ h. On loan by Jan Beaney and Steve Udall.

“Stop and Smell the Roses” by Audrey Walker 2004. Approximately 14″w x 20″ h. On loan by Jean Littlejohn.

“Life is Just a Little Bowl of Cherries” by Audrey Walker 1984. Approximately 20″w x 15″ h. On loan by Jan Beaney and Steve Udall. Ground is a tablecloth c 1935 to celebrate Audrey’s mother’s domestic embroidery. One of a series on this theme.

Detail “Stop and Smell the Roses” by Audrey Walker 2004

Detail “Life is Just a Little Bowl of Cherries” by Audrey Walker 1984.

“The Big Blue Bowl” by Audrey Walker 2013. Approximately 24″w x 18″ h.

Detail “The Big Blue Bowl” by Audrey Walker 2013.

The Big Blue Bowl is part of Audrey’s recent body of work where she is experimenting with a single line of stitch, rather than overlapping stitches.

Detail “The Garden” by Audrey Walker 2012.

“The Garden” by Audrey Walker 2012. Approximately “52” w x 48″ h.

“Early Landscape” (1960’s) by Audrey Walker. Approximately 24″ w x 22″ h. On loan by Jan Beaney and Steve Udall

“Gaze IV” by Audrey Walker 1999. Approximately 14″w bottom; 11″ w top x 14″ h. On loan by Diana Springall.

Detail of Goldwork in "Gaze IV" by Audrey Walker 1999.

Detail of Goldwork and Embroidery in “Gaze IV” by Audrey Walker 1999.

Christina Fairley Erickson with "Temptation (The Collectors)" by Audrey Walker 2004. Approximately

Christina with “Temptation (The Collectors)” by Audrey Walker 2004. Approximately 36″ x 36″ On loan by Diane & Marc Grainer, USA.

Once in a while you need to give in to temptation… as I did by going out of my way to make it to this exhibition. I’m so glad I did!

August 6, 2018/by Christina Fairley Erickson

RSN Animals in Embroidery

Animal embroidery, design inspiration, embroidery, hand embroidery, hand stitch, Royal School of Needlework

UK Tour Day 1- Royal School of Needlework Curator’s Tour

I’m a great admirer of England’s RSN and the incredible embroidery pieces produced by their students and tutors. I’ve had the great fortune to visit them twice in the past, most recently in 2016 for theor Stumpwork and Raised Work exhibit. So when planning my current tour, I looked up what is available and found their current exhibit is “Animals in Embroidery”- one of my favorite things to create! Only problem was that the curator’s tour this month occured only at 11 am on the day I arrive from Seattle at 7 am! I thought about it for several weeks and then decided I’d take the risk and sign up, even if timing was tight and I might miss it. Luckily the stars must have been aligned because our flight arrived on time, we were successful with our train connections, and we met the RSN volunteers at the front ‘moat’ gate of Hampton Court Palace at 10:45 am.

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) started in the late 1800’s with Queen Victoria as their first patron. Their mission has been to keep the art and techniques of hand embroidery alive and thriving, as well as helping train women (now men too) for employment so they can support themselves and not become destitute They have classes at Hampton Court Palace and other International locations lasting from 1 day to several year programs. They also have rotating exhibitions at their on site location, which can be viewed with a curator’s tour. Book a tour at the Royal School of Needlework here!

According to our presenter who is inher second year of the RSN teacher certification program, animals (including birds) are the second most common subject for embroidery (flowers are the most popular.) The display of both student and tutor work includes all sorts of techniques, tied together by the common theme of animals. The techniques include blackwork, needlelace, goldwork, canvas, Jacobean crewel embroidery, whitework, applique, and silk shading.

One piece that caught my eye was a blackwork race horse and rider. The stitches were so tiny- about 3 mm at the longest. To create the shading/shadows, the density of stitch is increased, often by increasing the thread weight. The jockey was done in blackwork techniques, but using colored threads to create contrast. This exquisite piece was given to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Cards purchased at the RSN gift shop display a few of the lovely pieces from the “Animals in Embroidery” exhibit.

Silk-shading works beautifully as a technique for animals and birds, as you can make extremely realistic hair/fur and feathers with gradually blending the colors of very fine silk threads. There are many true to life creatures in the exhibit using this technique including rabbits, leopards, chickens, badgers, yaks, flamingos, bats, owls and more! Some might call this a photo- realistic style, but I think it’s so much more than a simple 2D picture. You can’t get the range of texture in photography that you can in stitch.

From the 60,000 piece collection owned by the RSN, this banner has exquisite goldwork with 10 animals included. Can you find them all?

The tour moved then to their workroom where RSN trained embroiderers are working on commission projects. These include both conservation work (repairing historic embroidery to stop the ravages of time) and new bespoke pieces.

As a final treat, we got to the RSN giftshop, where I picked up a few goodies. After flying 9 hours and staying awake through planes, trains and automobiles, we headed back to our hotel in London, to get a well-deserved rest before a late dinner.

If you’re planning a trip to London, make sure to look up the RSN and see if you can take a class or tour. You’ll be glad you did!

The front “moat” entrance of Hampton Court Palace

Actress in period costume working on blackwork embroidery in Hampton Court Palace.

Looking at the back side of the palace (where the school is located).

Magazine I purchased at the RSN store a out the history of the RSN since it moved to Hampton Court.

Second magazine on ecclesiastical embroidery.

New book I found at the RSN store… looks fabulous! A sweet memory to take home and inspire my own projects.

July 13, 2018/by Christina Fairley Erickson

The Game of Thrones Tapestry

Bayeux Tapistry, design inspiration, exhibitions, hand stitch, Ireland, pictorial, textile tour, weaving

Day 4 – Game of Thrones Tapestry at the Ulster Museum, Belfast

My guilty pleasure… Game of Thrones (well, Fantasy & Science Fiction overall.) Now, mix that with textile art and I’m in heaven!

Before the final episodes of Game of Thrones were filmed, an army of designers, weavers and embroiderers in Northern Ireland was hard at work.

The tapestry was designed by hand by illustrators and color artists Carim Nahaboo, Jacob Merrick-Wolf, and Rob House. The weavers, Juliet Bailey, Franki Brewer, and a team at Dash & Miller in Bristol used a state-of-the-art jacquard loom. The linen thread was provided by Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen in Banbridge, one of the last surviving mills in Northern Ireland, and contains over 250,000 threads placed by hand.

Each episode through season 7 is represented in the 253 foot tapestry. Rather than wait for the final season to be released (Season 8, set to air in 2019), the tapestry develops its own conclusion.

Embroiderer’s working on the Game of Thrones tapestry

After the weaving was complete, delicate hand embroidery added by a team of 30 stitchers at the Ulster Museum adds color, glints of metalics, and detailing to enhance the tapestry. From King Joffrey’s golden crown to Daenerys’ shimmering white and silver hair, blood red weddings, emerald green wildfire, cold-blue White Walkers and jet black ravens, threads of metallic, cotton and silk yarns bring vibrancy and lustre to the story. The embroidered elements are quite simple overall, but bring much to the finished project. Stitches include chain stitch, split stitch, back stitch, running stitch, couching and seed stitch.

Willow dragons made by Bob Johnson, basket maker at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum

In Belfast’s Ulster Museum where the Tapestry is currently on display, they also have two magnificent Willow dragons soaring above the three story atrium

Click on the video below to view the entire tapestry!

A woman & young girl embroidering linens in County Down early 1900’s.

As well as information about the making of the tapestry, the exhibition included further documentation on the history of the linen industry in Northern Ireland, supplementing what I’d learned in Lisburn.

Dragon Head detail

The process of making the tapestry is described in this video by Northern Ireland’s tourism department:

June 25, 2018/by Christina Fairley Erickson

Carrickmacross Lace

hand stitch, Historic stitch, Lace, textile tour

Day 3- Carrickmacross, Ireland

Ireland has a rich history of lace-making, including several distinct styles:

Carrickmacross lace
Irish Crochet lace
Krnmare kace
Limerick lace
Youghal lace

Knowing this, I wanted the chance to see some of this beautiful needle art! Driving North from Dublin, we made our way to the little town of Carrickmacross.

Christina with talented lacemaker and member of the The Carrickmacross Lace Co-operative at the Carrickmacross Lace Gallery

Carrickmacross lace was introduced into Ireland in about 1820 by Mrs Grey Porter, wife of the rector of Donaghmoyne, who taught it to local women so that they could earn some extra money. During the famine years in the mid-1840’s, a lace school was set up by the managers of the Bath and Shirley estates at Carrickmacross as a means of helping their starving tenants, and the lace became known and found sales.

A beautiful rare sample of a Carrickmacross Lace priest’s vestments. Most vestment pieces were buried with the clergy for whom they were made.

The lace is made on a base of cotton net (similar to tulle, but much softer and pliable). A lightweight soft white muslin (sheer enough to see a pattern underneath) is appliquéd onto the net. Additional embroidery stitches create edgings, patterns and cutwork.

Here you can see areas where the Muslim has been appliquéd to the net, as well as designs embroidered into the net.

The meaning of this Irish Gaelic saying is “a hundred thousand welcomes”- quite apt in our experience- the people are so friendly and welcoming here!

Christina Fairley Ericksonand Mom Nan outside the Carrickmacross Lace Gallery.

After the worst of the famine years, through the last half of the 19th century, the lacemaking declined. Then in the 1890’s, the Sisters of St Louis founded their own lace school to revive the craft, and this was quite profitable for several years. Although the outbreak of the 1914–18 war marked the virtual end of commercial production of hand-made lace in Europe, the lace school kept the technique alive throughout the 20th century. In 1984 the St Louis Sisters assisted in the formation of The Carrickmacross Lace Co-operative, which maintains the tradition to this day.

Display of some of the pieces that the Carrickmacross cooperative members have made and are available for sale.

Piece available with incredible miniature stitches in patterns

Detail of tiny stitches!

The lace cooperative also has some little kits and supplies if you want to try your hand at making your own Carrickmacross Lace. Their kits are available via their website at: https://www.carrickmacrosslace.ie/

I couldn’t leave without bringing a little souvenir of this lovely technique From the Carrickmacross Lace Gallery!

Here in the 21st Century, the most famous use of this beautiful historic form of lace must be when Kate Middleton incorporated Carrickmacross lace into her wedding to Prince William. I highly recommend you make the time to come visit, if you’re ever in Ireland!

June 9, 2018/by Christina Fairley Erickson

Birds of a Feather Exhibition

exhibitions, freehand machine embroidery, hand stitch