Stitchy Snippets - Blossom

Dancing in a soft breeze, Laurence Aguerre's incredibly delicate flowers are hand embroidered, woven, braided and shaped into form. The process is lengthy as well as a journey of exploration for Aguerre. 'Sometimes I have in mind the idea of a specific flower, sometimes I create very freely, and let myself be guided by the materials and techniques.'

These beautiful floral displays perfectly encapsulate fleeting moments in time and appear to preserve the fragility of nature. To find out more about Laurence Aguerre's stunning work check out her website here.

Stitchy Snippets - Lace Pictures

Stunning lace figures by artist Ágnes Herczeg, created entirely from organic materials such as: yarns, tree branches, roots, shell and clay. From her studio in Hungary, which is situated near the Danube river, Ágnes meticulously crafts these beautiful lace portraits using various traditional techniques. These include lace making with a pillow and bobbins, needle lace, macramé and braiding.

Ágnes forged her passion for 'almost-forgotten techniques' whilst majoring in textile conservation at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. She takes inspiration from prehistoric art and the nature around her, admiring ancient knowledge of the manipulation and application of natural resources in art. Inherently inquisitive, Ágnes continues to experiment with different organic based materials to compliment her intricate lace work.

Stitchy Snippets - Antique Textiles

Louise Saxton has an expert eye for antique embroidery and lace. Her artistic practice is centred around reclaiming vintage needlework to produce contemporary, textile collages and sculptures. Louise Saxton talks about the appeal of embroidery: 'Needlework is an ancient art form, beautiful as well as practical, and whether simple or complex in design it is painstakingly constructed.'

Saxton predominantly uses pins to fix the textiles and fabricate her collages and with this technique she can achieve a textile relief. This technique also echoes the traditional handwork experience and the labour involved.

Undertaking residencies in Mexico and Malaysia has broadened her insight into local artisan technique, influenced her work and also helped in increasing her great collection of needlework.

Saxton regards her artistic process as a 'silent collaboration with the anonymous original makers'. This transformation of forgotten and discarded textiles is integral to her work as it returns importance and value to the craft of needlework and showcases these precious pieces of handwork. Saxton elaborates: 'Historically, handmade embroidery and lace were as economically valuable as gold and silver... Needlework is cross-cultural, but sadly in most parts of the world today, it is in danger of disappearing.' Promoting traditional needlework and textiles within her work helps to protect the art form.

To find out more about her work and upcoming exhibitions look here.

Stitchy Snippets - Counting Threads

In keeping with it's regal name, the British Royal School of Needlework is centred at Hampton Court Palace which stands grandly alongside the river Thames. The school teaches the traditional practice of embroidery which has been passed down through the centuries. The training focuses on precise and exact techniques and can be rigorous at times for the amateur such as myself. Not dissimilar to a Kung Fu student who is put through their paces, although using far less muscle.

Attending a class at the school is truly enjoyable, especially in such an awesome setting. As I sat tucked away in the light airy galleries of the palace, overlooking the manicured gardens I wondered if there could be a more apt location to do drawn thread work. This type of embroidery is often grouped with Whitework as it is usually practiced on white linen, embellished in white and often combines several types of embroidery. A key feature of this style is to cut warp or weft threads away from the base fabric and embellish the remaining threads which creates a lace effect.

The preparation requires a lot of patience as threads should be counted accurately in order to follow the pattern (which posed a challenge first thing on a Saturday morning). Traditionally, the stripped threads are woven back into the fabric to leave a seamless edge. Once the preparation is underway the stitching is relatively straightforward although I found that the stitches that at first appeared simpler were the most difficult to execute well.

The action of deconstructing and reconstructing the fabric is very fulfilling and the delicate outcome that is produced has a unique finish and effect compared to other types of needlework.