Inspired by Native American totems and Art Nouveau prints, I hand manipulated these machine made fabrics.
Self-quarantining has made us embrace the moments of inspiration and creativity we can find in daily living. The more traditionally domestic affiliated arts, like knitting, crochet, embroidery, and sewing have been making a resurgence as craft options during these 3 weeks.
In the spirit of sharing my journey through the crafting world, I would like to take a pit stop at machine knitting. It was one craft I picked up purely through signing up for a knit design class last year at the Academy of Art University. The analogue machine, a Silver Reed knitting machine, the kind my grandmother had during the post WWII era enabled me to make big swatches of fabric with a manual typewriter’s efficiency. Imagine pulling a carriage across to get each row of stitch. I contemplated buying one but then the investment I realized would need to be matched with learning how to actually fabricate clothes beyond mere swatches. Inspired by Native American totems and Art Nouveau prints, I hand manipulated machine made fabrics.
Masterpieces abroad and at home
Embroidery Masterpieces from Rwanda
Beautiful depictions of daily life in Rwanda fill the canvas of embroidery. Lush and peaceful, these landscapes brim with figures of dancers, harvesters, fisherman, and wildlife in rich tapestries of color. You can feel the tactile quality of each and a sense of comfort that a way of life has returned after turmoil.
Of note is how embroidery provided a sense of hope and healing for Christiane Rwagatare, the founder of the Savane Rutongo-Kabuye workshop. Similarly, in our current times, a creative hobby like these tactile arts can provide a break from our routines and enter a state of flow or quiet meditation. You come away with a sense of achievement upon completion.
Knit Portraits
Using digital tools to transfer drawing to handcraft, Faith Humphrey, creates her own knit canvases from scratch.
Please share your textile art masterpieces! And feel free to comment on these entries. Or if you’re a newbie, check out this handy quiz from Gathered to help figure out where you might begin.