From Thread to Needle

Book excerpt: "Embroidery is traditionally associated with the feminine and domestic realm, but there is a new wave of makers drawing on its untapped potential to explore global, political and even transgressive themes. Featuring more than eighty international artists, From Thread to Needle shows how the timeless appeal of embroidery is not only surviving but thriving in the modern world. Taking a free-wheeling attitude to time-honored techniques, some artists choose to combine media, applying embroidery to photographs, plastic bags or even slices of bread; others allow their stitches to stand alone, creating densely textured surfaces or delicate networks of natural forms that intrigue the senses. From Thread to Needle is a testament to how the art of embroidery has been re-energized by visionary artists who push the boundaries of its meaning and limits"--