Push Stitchery - and a contest!

Penny Nickels, one of our own here at Feeling Stitchy, has been featured in a brand new book called PUSH Stitchery: 30 Artists Explore the Boundaries of Stitched Art and it looks pretty awesome. To celebrate, she's holding a contest on her blog this month, and she's looking for your most awesome work. Winner gets a signed copy of her book, and will be featured here on Feeling Stitchy and the incredibly awesome MrXStitch. Thanks, Penny!

Get on over there and enter the contest!

Skeleton Dance Mania

This excellent piece by the amazing Penny Nickels is based on a print from 17th century German engraver Matthaus Merian. I think it's even better than a print because it's embroidered! I also love her original choice of subject which made me want to read more about it. It appears that St. Vitus Dance was a rather odd medieval phenomenon where large groups of people would dance in a bizarre fashion. In Basel in 1536 for example. Some people died during those dance outbreaks. From this image we learn that that didn't stop them from joining in anyway.

Earthly Delights

This is Penny Nickels wonderful, embroidered answer to Hieronymus Bosch's triptych called the Garden of Earthly Delights. A lot of satin stitching was involved and also a french knot or two. Instead of directly taking imagery from the painting Penny gave the image of a seed catalogue a 'Bosch twist'. I can't help but wondering what would happen to my garden if Hieronymus Bosch was tending to it!

Penny's work is part of an exhibition called Replanting the Garden, works based on the Garden of Earthly Delights in the Big Car Gallery, Indianapolis.

FB Exclusive! Introducing Penny Nickels

Stitched by Penny Nickels

Giving you another reason to join our FB fan page, is the fact that the amazingly talented Penny Nickels will be blogging there. Maybe some of you already saw her first post on grave rubbing quilts? If not, why don't you hurry up and join! Penny's embroidery is art, plain and simple - inspired by her printmaking background and unbelievably detailed and inspired.

Here's a mini-interview with Penny, to get to know her:

What will you be blogging on?
I'd really just like to post great needle work that I find onto the Facebook. Hopefully giving someone who's work is not super well known some attention from the Feeling Stitchy crowd! Specifically, I'm looking for unusual patterns and original work.

Your favorite DMC floss color?
Right this second? 732. It changes daily.

Your favorite embroidery project?
Right now, this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pennynickels/4288960694/
It's not even close to being finished.

Your inspirations?
Traditional textile design and pattens, particularly from the asiatic nomadic tribes, as well as textile use in mythology.

Your blog url? http://www.donkeywolf.blogspot.com/

Any swaps / projects you're involved in?
I am showing at Redux Gallery and Good Gallery in Portland in April, and Big Car Gallery in Indianapolis in May. That's kind of a project?

One word answer:
Freehand or pattern?
Both
Messy or neat?
Neat
Cute or edgy?
Edgy

Need more Penny? Pam just interviewed her last week on her blog, take a look! Thanks Penny, for making the embroidery community even more awesome.