2014

2023

Remembrances in Needle & Floss

“From the time you were very little, you've had people who have…loved you into loving. ”

Fred Rogers

My grandmothers loved me into loving textiles, thread, buttons and of course flowers.  When not tending to gardens potted in wheelbarrows my paternal grandmother, Mary Anne was teaching me to cross stitch.  My maternal grandmother-Anita’s house was full of baskets of thread, boxes of buttons and sewing patterns. One of these large boxes still containing sewing implements, purchased at Woolworth, now resides in my apartment. 

A college professor of mine loved the story of printmaking so he created a course on  its history.  That class loved me into loving Herbals-one of the first types of books ever printed.  Within these texts  names, classifications, uses of plants along with beautiful woodcut illustrations.  Dissemination of botanical information was so important culturally at that time: Herbals were copied, copies were copied until illustrations resembled cross stitching patterns.  Thus germinated the idea for these embroideries.

I wish to render these specimens with love, the love that loved me into loving.

I hope you enjoy them as well.

Kat

Sampler by Mary Anne Lee