Art of the Stitch

The Embroiderers Guild exhibition Art of the Stitch is a selected exhibition that is open to anyone working in the field of stitch.

In the recent past there has been little traditional stitching, with fabric and thread, in evidence however this year it is the primary vehicle of expression. Whether this is to do with a more international panel of selectors is unknown (the exhibition will tour to Germany, Hungary and Spain and all had selectors on the panel)

I loved this piece called Rusted Lace by Sandra Callanan. Based on a disintegrating piece of Maltese silk bobbin lace, it is constructed from recycled, surplus and donated materials which are quite at odds with the original luxury item. At 2 meters long the scale reminds me of the way lacemakers always insist on getting in close, preferably with a magnifying glass, to see how a piece was made.

White and Blue Lines (above) by Lithuanian artist Inga Liksaite was for me the best piece in the show. The grace and fluidity of the white lines was wonderfully sensuous with the blue adding a greater sense of the dynamic to the piece.

Work was also exhibited by some of the selectors, including Chris Berry who showed Canale Grande. This is an exploration of European Renaissance architecture in paper and stitch. I loved the apparent simplicity of this piece which was well lit and could be shown in any number of different configurations.