Finding Gold - Textile Art

This year , I have spent a lot of time practising free motion stitching on my sewing machine, a Bernina 550.

Earlier in the year, I had one of my machine stitched artworks, "Take Time" chosen for the exhibition, "Stole the Show, curated by Rod Pattenden. This was created using the machine's set stitch patterns on collaged fabric.

The newer work, "Finding Gold" doesn't use any set designs. It is free motion stitching, which is really like free hand drawing, with the needle in the sewing machine like a pencil. The only difference is that the fabric is moved rather than the needle - just like moving the paper rather than the pencil. Sometimes, I think free motion machine stitching is like rubbing your tummy and patting your head simultaneously, but with practice, the action of moving the fabric under the needle and keeping the machine whirring in a rhythm becomes comfortable.

"Finding Gold" started as one of my practice pieces and evolved into a collaged and stitched wall hanging in response to the 2020 NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) theme , FUSION.

"Finding Gold" interprets ‘fusion’ as a union, melding, combining, and blending. A great union is not one where there is perfection , but one where gold is found in one another’s frailties . I was inspired by Proverbs 11:27 Anyone can find the dirt on someone, Be the one who finds the gold.

Yesterday , "Finding Gold" was one of the artworks installed in the exhibition, ‘ Fusion’ , NCEATA Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists
exhibition , at Timeless Textiles 23 December 2020 - 31 January 2021 .

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