Don't tell anyone but...

things a textile artist shouldn't admit to

During a recent girls’ trip for a series of stitching workshops I admitted to a dislike of something which sent shockwaves around our little group and really made us laugh. It got me thinking on a few other things that I’m not particularly fond of but probably shouldn’t admit. And we all know that those sorts of declarations make the best kind of reading.

So, in no particular order I present to you:

6 things I don’t love in the world of textiles

(a light-hearted list.)

Suffolk Puffs

I collect them in my studio rag baskets for other folk to use in textile art but I don’t get the appeal. Generally they are made out of garish fabric, are really quite large and a little bit floppy. To me they just represent squashed shower hats (and I don’t like those either). This is the admission that blew my friends’ minds; I had to repeat myself several times. Haha.

Caveat: the teeny tiny French General ones that my dear Sue (@homespunwithlove) makes are divine. But then everything is better in miniature (Sue’s quite small too).

Thread Soup

Some of my favourite textile artists (and friends) love thread soup. They keep bowls of tangled thread on their worktables and pull out a little piece to use randomly in their work, giving their finished piece movement, vibrancy and interest.

Thread soup gives me a minor rage. I have little chests of drawers full of accidental thread soup and I am afraid it goes in the bin.

Caveat: I would like to be the kind of talented textile artist who finds inspiration in a bowl of thread soup and I’m working on this.

Pins

Absolutely hate pinning stuff. Despise working on pinned fabrics when it’s all spiky and would much rather temporarily baste with glue or stitches. Pins in fabric make me shudder a little. Bring on the glue stick (which, on the flip side, is something a textile artist should probably not admit to either).

Caveat: antique tins of dressmaking pins, tiny Clover appliqué pins or super fine black entomology pins - loving on those all day long.

Liberty Print Fabric

Oh dear I feel I’m going to lose a lot of you with this one. It’s not Liberty fabrics per se. It’s the William Morris ones specifically. SORRY. Could not love the novelty and ditsy ones more, and I have loads of their beautiful plain lawn. But the Strawberry Thief and peacock prints (et al) leave me cold (I think because I don’t love art deco).

Caveat: my friends and fellow textile artists Sue Stichbury and Christie Jones Ray choose the prettiest Liberty fabrics and create stunning quilts and ‘objets’ that I covet deeply and often try to replicate.

Thimbles

How does anyone stitch with one massive finger? I sometimes work so intensely that I gouge a deep hole in the middle finger of my right hand but I still cannot rock a thimble. I’ve tried leather ones (the best if I had to choose), plastic, rubber, metal and even tiny stickers. When I really have to cover my fingertip I use a plaster then have a day or two of enforced rest (which means I paint or knit).

Caveat: my afore-mentioned, very posh, friend Christie has a beautiful fancy silver thimble that is sort of one-sided so looks like a tiny helmet from a suit of armour. I’d love to try one but a) there’s a complicated finger-measuring system, b) they’re quite expensive and c) the company is based in America. (Measuring things makes me sweat - SO much room for error).

Satin Stitch

Love the way it looks, hate doing it. It takes soooooo looooonnnnnng and requires very specific items to get a good finish (such as the exact needle, fabric type, thread weight, light source, air temperature and wind direction). My favourite kind of stitching is done spontaneously from a messy bag of threads and a pouch full of quite wrinkled fabric scraps. And lace - swoon.

Caveat: Will repeat, I love the way it looks. So I have my sister stitch those designs for me. Ha.

I wonder if anyone agrees with me or if I’ve just inadvertently committed career suicide. Next time I’ll be back with a list of things I DO love in textile art but probably shouldn’t admit to either.

Would love to know yours if you feel like unburdening yourself too. I won’t tell anyone.

Caveat: photos within this post are some of the things I L. O. V. E. Chippy paint. White antique linen. Muted colours. Tiny spools of silk thread. Tatty fabric. Fancy, extra sharp, scissors. Plain bound embroidery hoops. Lace. Embroidery with lots of white ‘breathing’ space. Old quilts. Pink, red and pale blue. Birds. Typewritten cloth. My logo.

Colin the Caterpillar jelly sweets. Oops no photo of that but got carried away.