“Art quilts are unique because they don’t use patterns as traditional quilters understand them,” she further explained her creative process in an interview with String & Story. “Most are original, one of a kind works.”

According to Grisdela, as opposed to regular quilts, art quilts are meant to hang on the wall, so utilitarian considerations like washing or heavy use don’t come into play. “Many art quilters also use unusual fibers or embellishments that you wouldn’t want on a quilt that was meant to be slept under or wrapped around,” she explains.

The first step is choosing her colors. Putting colors together intuitively, Grisdela uses fabric the way a painter might use paint to create graphic compositions that engage the viewer from a distance, yet invite a closer look. Next comes texture, with the stitching lines providing contrast and dimension to the piece, integrating the different elements into a cohesive whole.

“I like to tell people that I’m an artist–period,” she stresses. “I paint with fabric and draw with thread and a sewing machine. I travel all over the country showing and selling my work at fine art and fine craft shows, so I meet a lot of people. It’s fun when someone stops in front of my booth and says ‘Wow!’ Artists are often attracted by the color and composition of my work, and are surprised that it’s created with fabric. Quilters are usually drawn to the dense free motion stitching that I put into each piece, because that takes a lot of practice to do well.”

Take a look at some of her unique art pieces in the gallery below:

The post Cindy Grisdela’s Quilts Are Stand-Alone Pieces appeared first on TettyBetty.

Incredibly enough, Yeadon taught herself the art of hand embroidery and sewing. “One evening, I randomly decided to dust off my old sewing machine and rekindled my love for textiles,” she recalled in an interview with Enchanted Living Magazine. “I gradually began to incorporate fabrics and machine and hand embroidery into my wire creations at the very end of 2017,” she adds.

Based in Haworth, the UK, her inspiration comes from her natural surroundings. “My favorite way to seek enchantment is by taking long walks,” says Yeadon. Having grown up in the countryside, deep in the North of England, Yeadon’s home was surrounded by open fields and ancient woodlands, while in the distance, the Yorkshire Dale mountains towered above the horizon.

“I’ve always loved climbing mountains in the Lake District with my dad and our family dog, Toby,” she says. “That moment when we finally reach the summit—icy winds whipping around us as damp heavy clouds form a blanket over our view. A peaceful moment in nature, tranquil and calm.”

The post This Textile Artist Is Inspired by the English Countryside appeared first on TettyBetty.

But like most textile artists, her love of knitting and crafting, in general, began much earlier than that. “I was around the age of eight when I learned to knit and crochet,” writes Jenkins. “Right from the beginning, I was addicted. I spent many happy hours in my childhood home in Wales totally engrossed in creating ‘things’ with yarn!”

Growing up, she didn’t let go of her hobby and took it a step further than when she enrolled to the University of Brighton where she graduated with a BA in Fashion and Textiles in 1995. But she would go on to have a career as a knitwear designer (working with some of the world’s most famous labels, including Missoni, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren), before ultimately becoming a full-time artist.

“While my journey has been varied and exciting, one thing never changes,” says Jenkins. “Whatever I create, whether it’s a carton of French fries, a tin of sardines or a box of frogs I always include lots of warmth and a dash of wit. Above all, I want my work to make people smile.”

Follow her Instagram page for more:

The post For the Love of Wool: Kate Jenkins’ Textile Art Will Make You Smile appeared first on TettyBetty.

“I always aim for my work to be graphical, with a playful edge,” says Dance. “I always strive to produce a carefully considered design, with a strong concept, using quality materials,” she adds. Her playful designs include textile recreations of objects like shoes and designer bags (there’s even a knitted model of the original Apple Macintosh!)

“I’m often inspired by very ‘normal’ everyday items, items that portray the luxury of choice and comfort in the western world, whilst at the same time hinting at the excess that is often taken for granted in a fast-paced, immediate society,” Dance explained, adding that “the irony being each knitted or embroidered piece that I make has taken hours/days/weeks to create.”

“Knitting and embroidery is typically perceived as a ‘feminine craft’ however I try to take gender out of the equation when coming up with ideas,” she notes. Her work will inspire you to start knitting, if nothing else!

The post Jessica Dance Knits Everyday Items appeared first on TettyBetty.

Using solid color fabrics in bright and saturated hues, Kingswell quilt-like textile art might remind of stained glass, her patchwork very precisely sewn with no embellishments. Starting with a harmonious color-scheme, sometimes inspired by a poem or a special number, she then imposes a mathematical sequence, cut, rearrange according to the sequence.

“I get pleasure from creating things,” she writes, “things that are so much more than the sum of their parts – finding new patterns by exploring the beauty of color, number, sequence, and proportion through the medium of fabric.” Depending on the work, Kingswell might stretch the finished design over a canvas stretcher or leave it flexible.

“I want my work to lift spirits and make people smile!” says Kingswell, “And also intrigue them a little.” The finished result is indeed a recipe for smiles. Something you might want to add to your Instagram feed.

The post Alexandra Kingswell’s Quilts Will Lift Your Spirits appeared first on TettyBetty.

“My practice comes from a love of all things pattern and color, which can be seen in my bold and colorful designs! I try to retain a handmade feel to my work, which I achieve through hand screen printing my designs,” the artist shared in an interview with Ballpit and added that fine liner pens are her favorite medium which allows her to draw simple line drawings.

Alongside with designers and companies such as Orla Kiely and Marimekko, the artist also seeks inspiration from her surroundings, including nature, or architecture.

Currently, she has over 1,000 followers on her Instagram page, but her art is definitely worth checking out. We picked a few images, to show how beautiful her creations are.

The post Designer Makes Colorful Scarves and Other Accessories appeared first on TettyBetty.

“Visually, I love it when people bypass my work thinking it’s nothing other than a simple painting,” she admitted in an interview with Jung Katz. “Until they look a little closer and see that in fact it is fibers/thread. Then they have to proceed to look even closer.”

According to Clark, the process of transforming string into art struck her as something visually stimulating with complex simplicity. But her techniques also rely on her background in painting. Having graduated in Painting and Drawing from the University of Utah, she engages both traditional and innovative techniques in her work.

It was actually during her art studies that she explored the possibility of painting with thread. “My background in painting has allowed me to explore the material using techniques from the worlds of drawing and painting,” she explains.

Her exploration seems to have bared fruit, with her Instagram page alone attracting more than 10k fans. Here are some highlights from her page.

The post Stephanie K. Clark Transforms String Into Art appeared first on TettyBetty.

In a more recent portrait series, titled The Value of Making, she zooms in on various making disciplines, which are displayed through hand-stitched portraits in a collage of silk organza. According to Jo Gibbs, these portraits are an homage for the creative community at large, celebrating the skill, dexterity, and creative problem solving of the people who make things.

“I’m very excited to be working on a series of small portraits and feel this idea will translate well to other communities,” she relayed in an interview with Textile Artist. “I’m very interested in finding new audiences and telling different stories perhaps by working with distinctive groups or museum collections. I’ve found the stories I tell, although extremely personal are also universal.”

Indeed, her hand-stitched narratives seem to resonate with her audience, both online and offline. Her work can also be found in several permanent museum collections including the V&A, London and The Museum of Fine Art, Houston.

But when it comes to her creative process, it’s rather isolated and withdrawn. “I work from home, I like to sit at the kitchen table in front of French windows because the light is so good,” says Jo Gibbs. “I have a metalwork bench in the garage but I do far less metal work at the moment, my flat work has taken over.”

The post The Hand-Stitched Narratives of Emily Jo Gibbs appeared first on TettyBetty.

Commissioned by Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, The King of Qatar, and even the Pope himself—Nicol has clearly made a name for herself. Based in London, her career has spun for more than twenty-five years, with her techniques including Irish, Cornelly, Multihead, beading, and hand embroidery.

For her work in fashion, she collaborates with fashion designers and creates samples of embroidery designs, often inspired by a given theme. “I work in a completely ‘what if’ scenario, trying out things that may look new and fresh,” she described the process in an interview with Upcyclist. “We then develop these samples to work on garments and I do the first pieces for the shows.”

She explains that in interiors, it’s quite similar but with different scales and practicalities. But with her art pieces, the process is more leisurely. It begins with sketching (her favorite theme being animals) and then enlarging the sketch to the correct size. “I then sample and experiment and start to embroider the piece,” explains Nicol. “Each one is so different. So, in all cases whatever I do it’s a process of rough drawing, sampling and developing in general.”

As you might have guessed, the finished results are quite remarkable.

The post From the Pope to the Runway: Karen Nicol is the Textile Master appeared first on TettyBetty.

With a background in fine arts and a love of well designed functional objects, Pearlman took to rug hooking as a way of being a staying creative while being a stay at home mother. While painting involved a separate studio space with long stretches of solitude, rug hooking proved the ideal medium for her, taking little space and making little mess.

Now a celebrated artist and textile designer, she also teaches others her craft, through monthly rug hooking workshops in and around her home in NYC.

“Finding a way to do what I love and make an income, and not burn out is still a struggle to balance,” she relayed in a candid interview with Making. “While making a business of rug hooking removes you from the actual process, teaching workshops feeds my creativity and passion. I am able to share my love of rug hooking, create work at a comfortable pace and stay true to my vision.”

Situated at a crossroads between art and craft, her work has been featured in fiber magazines, galleries, and numerous online design sites. “The medium can easily be controlled and designed,” explains Pearlman, adding that hooked rugs can be used for a variety of home accessories and objects.

Take a look for yourself.

The post Introduce Softness to Your Life With Rose Pearlman’s Rugs appeared first on TettyBetty.

“Art quilts are unique because they don’t use patterns as traditional quilters understand them,” she further explained her creative process in an interview with String & Story. “Most are original, one of a kind works.”

According to Grisdela, as opposed to regular quilts, art quilts are meant to hang on the wall, so utilitarian considerations like washing or heavy use don’t come into play. “Many art quilters also use unusual fibers or embellishments that you wouldn’t want on a quilt that was meant to be slept under or wrapped around,” she explains.

The first step is choosing her colors. Putting colors together intuitively, Grisdela uses fabric the way a painter might use paint to create graphic compositions that engage the viewer from a distance, yet invite a closer look. Next comes texture, with the stitching lines providing contrast and dimension to the piece, integrating the different elements into a cohesive whole.

“I like to tell people that I’m an artist–period,” she stresses. “I paint with fabric and draw with thread and a sewing machine. I travel all over the country showing and selling my work at fine art and fine craft shows, so I meet a lot of people. It’s fun when someone stops in front of my booth and says ‘Wow!’ Artists are often attracted by the color and composition of my work, and are surprised that it’s created with fabric. Quilters are usually drawn to the dense free motion stitching that I put into each piece, because that takes a lot of practice to do well.”

Take a look at some of her unique art pieces in the gallery below:

The post Cindy Grisdela’s Quilts Are Stand-Alone Pieces appeared first on TettyBetty.

Incredibly enough, Yeadon taught herself the art of hand embroidery and sewing. “One evening, I randomly decided to dust off my old sewing machine and rekindled my love for textiles,” she recalled in an interview with Enchanted Living Magazine. “I gradually began to incorporate fabrics and machine and hand embroidery into my wire creations at the very end of 2017,” she adds.

Based in Haworth, the UK, her inspiration comes from her natural surroundings. “My favorite way to seek enchantment is by taking long walks,” says Yeadon. Having grown up in the countryside, deep in the North of England, Yeadon’s home was surrounded by open fields and ancient woodlands, while in the distance, the Yorkshire Dale mountains towered above the horizon.

“I’ve always loved climbing mountains in the Lake District with my dad and our family dog, Toby,” she says. “That moment when we finally reach the summit—icy winds whipping around us as damp heavy clouds form a blanket over our view. A peaceful moment in nature, tranquil and calm.”

The post This Textile Artist Is Inspired by the English Countryside appeared first on TettyBetty.

But like most textile artists, her love of knitting and crafting, in general, began much earlier than that. “I was around the age of eight when I learned to knit and crochet,” writes Jenkins. “Right from the beginning, I was addicted. I spent many happy hours in my childhood home in Wales totally engrossed in creating ‘things’ with yarn!”

Growing up, she didn’t let go of her hobby and took it a step further than when she enrolled to the University of Brighton where she graduated with a BA in Fashion and Textiles in 1995. But she would go on to have a career as a knitwear designer (working with some of the world’s most famous labels, including Missoni, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren), before ultimately becoming a full-time artist.

“While my journey has been varied and exciting, one thing never changes,” says Jenkins. “Whatever I create, whether it’s a carton of French fries, a tin of sardines or a box of frogs I always include lots of warmth and a dash of wit. Above all, I want my work to make people smile.”

Follow her Instagram page for more:

The post For the Love of Wool: Kate Jenkins’ Textile Art Will Make You Smile appeared first on TettyBetty.

“I always aim for my work to be graphical, with a playful edge,” says Dance. “I always strive to produce a carefully considered design, with a strong concept, using quality materials,” she adds. Her playful designs include textile recreations of objects like shoes and designer bags (there’s even a knitted model of the original Apple Macintosh!)

“I’m often inspired by very ‘normal’ everyday items, items that portray the luxury of choice and comfort in the western world, whilst at the same time hinting at the excess that is often taken for granted in a fast-paced, immediate society,” Dance explained, adding that “the irony being each knitted or embroidered piece that I make has taken hours/days/weeks to create.”

“Knitting and embroidery is typically perceived as a ‘feminine craft’ however I try to take gender out of the equation when coming up with ideas,” she notes. Her work will inspire you to start knitting, if nothing else!

The post Jessica Dance Knits Everyday Items appeared first on TettyBetty.

Using solid color fabrics in bright and saturated hues, Kingswell quilt-like textile art might remind of stained glass, her patchwork very precisely sewn with no embellishments. Starting with a harmonious color-scheme, sometimes inspired by a poem or a special number, she then imposes a mathematical sequence, cut, rearrange according to the sequence.

“I get pleasure from creating things,” she writes, “things that are so much more than the sum of their parts – finding new patterns by exploring the beauty of color, number, sequence, and proportion through the medium of fabric.” Depending on the work, Kingswell might stretch the finished design over a canvas stretcher or leave it flexible.

“I want my work to lift spirits and make people smile!” says Kingswell, “And also intrigue them a little.” The finished result is indeed a recipe for smiles. Something you might want to add to your Instagram feed.

The post Alexandra Kingswell’s Quilts Will Lift Your Spirits appeared first on TettyBetty.

“My practice comes from a love of all things pattern and color, which can be seen in my bold and colorful designs! I try to retain a handmade feel to my work, which I achieve through hand screen printing my designs,” the artist shared in an interview with Ballpit and added that fine liner pens are her favorite medium which allows her to draw simple line drawings.

Alongside with designers and companies such as Orla Kiely and Marimekko, the artist also seeks inspiration from her surroundings, including nature, or architecture.

Currently, she has over 1,000 followers on her Instagram page, but her art is definitely worth checking out. We picked a few images, to show how beautiful her creations are.

The post Designer Makes Colorful Scarves and Other Accessories appeared first on TettyBetty.

“Visually, I love it when people bypass my work thinking it’s nothing other than a simple painting,” she admitted in an interview with Jung Katz. “Until they look a little closer and see that in fact it is fibers/thread. Then they have to proceed to look even closer.”

According to Clark, the process of transforming string into art struck her as something visually stimulating with complex simplicity. But her techniques also rely on her background in painting. Having graduated in Painting and Drawing from the University of Utah, she engages both traditional and innovative techniques in her work.

It was actually during her art studies that she explored the possibility of painting with thread. “My background in painting has allowed me to explore the material using techniques from the worlds of drawing and painting,” she explains.

Her exploration seems to have bared fruit, with her Instagram page alone attracting more than 10k fans. Here are some highlights from her page.

The post Stephanie K. Clark Transforms String Into Art appeared first on TettyBetty.

In a more recent portrait series, titled The Value of Making, she zooms in on various making disciplines, which are displayed through hand-stitched portraits in a collage of silk organza. According to Jo Gibbs, these portraits are an homage for the creative community at large, celebrating the skill, dexterity, and creative problem solving of the people who make things.

“I’m very excited to be working on a series of small portraits and feel this idea will translate well to other communities,” she relayed in an interview with Textile Artist. “I’m very interested in finding new audiences and telling different stories perhaps by working with distinctive groups or museum collections. I’ve found the stories I tell, although extremely personal are also universal.”

Indeed, her hand-stitched narratives seem to resonate with her audience, both online and offline. Her work can also be found in several permanent museum collections including the V&A, London and The Museum of Fine Art, Houston.

But when it comes to her creative process, it’s rather isolated and withdrawn. “I work from home, I like to sit at the kitchen table in front of French windows because the light is so good,” says Jo Gibbs. “I have a metalwork bench in the garage but I do far less metal work at the moment, my flat work has taken over.”

The post The Hand-Stitched Narratives of Emily Jo Gibbs appeared first on TettyBetty.

Commissioned by Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, The King of Qatar, and even the Pope himself—Nicol has clearly made a name for herself. Based in London, her career has spun for more than twenty-five years, with her techniques including Irish, Cornelly, Multihead, beading, and hand embroidery.

For her work in fashion, she collaborates with fashion designers and creates samples of embroidery designs, often inspired by a given theme. “I work in a completely ‘what if’ scenario, trying out things that may look new and fresh,” she described the process in an interview with Upcyclist. “We then develop these samples to work on garments and I do the first pieces for the shows.”

She explains that in interiors, it’s quite similar but with different scales and practicalities. But with her art pieces, the process is more leisurely. It begins with sketching (her favorite theme being animals) and then enlarging the sketch to the correct size. “I then sample and experiment and start to embroider the piece,” explains Nicol. “Each one is so different. So, in all cases whatever I do it’s a process of rough drawing, sampling and developing in general.”

As you might have guessed, the finished results are quite remarkable.

The post From the Pope to the Runway: Karen Nicol is the Textile Master appeared first on TettyBetty.

With a background in fine arts and a love of well designed functional objects, Pearlman took to rug hooking as a way of being a staying creative while being a stay at home mother. While painting involved a separate studio space with long stretches of solitude, rug hooking proved the ideal medium for her, taking little space and making little mess.

Now a celebrated artist and textile designer, she also teaches others her craft, through monthly rug hooking workshops in and around her home in NYC.

“Finding a way to do what I love and make an income, and not burn out is still a struggle to balance,” she relayed in a candid interview with Making. “While making a business of rug hooking removes you from the actual process, teaching workshops feeds my creativity and passion. I am able to share my love of rug hooking, create work at a comfortable pace and stay true to my vision.”

Situated at a crossroads between art and craft, her work has been featured in fiber magazines, galleries, and numerous online design sites. “The medium can easily be controlled and designed,” explains Pearlman, adding that hooked rugs can be used for a variety of home accessories and objects.

Take a look for yourself.

The post Introduce Softness to Your Life With Rose Pearlman’s Rugs appeared first on TettyBetty.