It's been 11 years since I've been in Finland. Coffee and pulla ( something like a brioche, but better - either plain, with cardamom, fruit filling....) is still one of my favourite memories! This was at a little outdoor cafe set up for the summer months in a small market place in Helsinki. I was attracted by the decor - rough hewn tables, assorted chairs, candelabra ( in the daylight) and vintage props - typewriters, motor scooter helmets, Singer sewing machines.... I was just filling in time here waiting for my washing to be done at a nearby laundromat where the owner gave instructions "go and have coffee and pulla and come back for the laundry in an hour" .
I 've always enjoyed that imperfect line of "not quite in control' free motion machine stitching.... I think it really suits creating portraits , giving them some character and even a quirkiness that hints of personality plus. These ones below are from my " Red Cheeks" series from a couple of years ago, and are amongst my favourite stitched portraits. The current Stitch Club ( textileartist.org) workshop, by Batool Showghi has inspired me to stitch more this week. Batool , of course, is in complete control of her machine stitching and her works are exquisite and they tell a moving story. ... " Working with paper, print, paint and stitch, her textile art bears witness to displacement, silenced women and the damage that authoritarian regimes impose on ordinary lives. Batool’s mixed media wall pieces are incredibly striking, but her artist books truly set her apart. Printed imagery of family photographs, birth certificate documents and her o...
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