Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Landscapes by Louise Smith

Miniature Embroidery by Louise Smith
Landscapes in Silk and Thread

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Tell us a bit about your background as an artist.

Free Bee 2 x 2 inchesAs a teenager, I saw an exhibition of free motion machine embroidery on silk, and was intrigued by how the stitched foreground appeared so near and the painted background so distant, making me feel I’d traveled miles while standing on the spot. But a little research on the subject—in books, in those pre-Internet days—left me feeling this was too tricky and time-consuming an art form to learn at the time.

I must have held onto the idea somewhere, though, and seven years ago when I was seeking something creative to do in my spare time, it popped straight into my head. By this time, the Internet, artists’ blogs and YouTube videos had made learning a bit easier. Despite having done neither painting nor sewing since my schooldays, I went all in, buying a sewing machine and a bunch of silk, paint and thread, determined to make a go of it.

R&R 3 x 4 inchesI did some painting on silk first, getting used to that medium, then took on the task of learning free motion machine embroidery. They’re very different disciplines, but they do share a common power to exasperate! When a painting or sewing session goes well, though, you feel like you’ve climbed a mountain.

Nowadays, I also incorporate a lot of other techniques such as hand sewing, gluing, ribbon work, and using thread lint—whatever’s demanded by the scene I’m trying to create.

What unique materials have gone in to your work?

I doubt it’s unique to me, but I use thread lint sometimes, which is just regular sewing thread chopped finely. I use a toothpick to stir different colors together to get the exact shade I want. It’s great for depicting fields or trees in the middle distance, that are too near for paint and too distant for embroidery. I attach it to the silk using acid-free tacky glue.

Blue Plate Special 4.25 x 5.5 inchesSince I work with woven silk, sometimes when I’m looking for a really fine thread, such as for boat rigging, I’ll pull a single strand of silk from the side of the piece and use that.

One piece featuring seagulls had me stumped, because I tried thread, then ribbon, and still wasn’t happy with the look of the gulls. I ended up using tiny slivers of Tyvek, which is used for everything from envelopes to house wraps, but counts as fiber.

I sometimes use snippets of ribbon or cotton. And I’m a fabric store’s nightmare because I’ll drag out a big roll of some fabric with an intriguing texture and buy a quarter-yard of it.

Tick-Tock 3 x 4 inchesAlthough I embroider mostly with regular sewing thread, I do subject it to processes that make it look different. My work should look absolutely nothing like traditional embroidery with its very tidy, recognizable stitch patterns, because nature doesn’t look like that. So, I might do some free motion machine embroidery and then rough it up with an emery board to make it look like windblown grass; or chop into it with scissors. It sometimes feels like hairstyling on a very small scale.

Why do you find yourself predominantly working in a small scale? 

With the medium of embroidery, it’s partly determined by the diameter of hoop that can fit within the arm of the sewing machine. Much larger than a 10-inch hoop, and you’ll find the edge of the hoop bangs into the arm of the machine and compromises your stitching. And even on pieces that don’t involve the machine, I still aim small because it would take too long to hand-sew a large area.

Half Moon 3 x 4 inchesAs for why embroidery as opposed to, say, large-scale landscape painting, I think it’s because I’m compelled to do something different. If embroidery on a small scale suddenly became a very mainstream hobby, I’d probably look for something else to do. There’s something special to me about bringing a relatively obscure art form to light.

Artists that have inspired you?

Alison Holt, who’s based in the UK, is one of the first artists to have inspired me in this particular medium. And Kirsten Chursinoff is a fiber artist local to British Columbia, whose work I’ve been lucky enough to see in person. I’m afraid I’ve never been able to find out the name of the artist whose exhibition originally inspired me as a teenager, but I’m very thankful to them!

I’m also inspired by artists in all media, because they all have so much to teach me about composition and color, and I enjoy participating in art groups both local and online.

Break in the Clouds 1.25 x 2.75 inchesFavorite artist working with miniatures?

Alison Holt creates small-scale landscapes using free motion machine embroidery—and magic, I think—on silk. Janet Granger, a fellow member of Stitchin’ Fingers, creates exquisite miniature dollhouse furnishings.

Advice you’d share with beginner artists or those working in small scale?

I count myself as a beginner still, but I’d say: don’t hesitate to create a website and/or blog to help publicize your work. In real life, miniatures can be overlooked when displayed beside larger-scale artwork, but in the virtual world nothing can be larger than the size of a screen, so your visual presence can be as large as anyone else’s.

What is the most memorable miniature work you have ever seen?

Maarten Meerman’s miniature wooden sculptures are probably the smallest-scale I’ve ever seen in person. I also admire the work of sculptor Willard Wigan; and I can’t name any one above the others, but I’m intrigued by eggshell carvers.

Into Silver Waters 3.5 x 2.625 inchesWhy small scale for your miniature landscapes? 

I love making people look more closely. I love a double-take. I love outright disbelief. But beyond the initial reactions I sometimes see, I love when somebody looks for a long time because a piece makes them feel something.

What’s to come from Louise Smith?

I’m working on pieces now for exhibition this winter in a group show called Positively Petite, featuring small-scale artwork and sculpture. That’s in Coquitlam, BC. The qualifying dimensions are around 3 x 4 inches or smaller, so after that I’m usually ready to bust out and do some comparative whoppers at 5 x 6 inches.

What do you want miniature fans to know about you?

Regardless of the scale of my work, my aim is always to create a piece that evokes an emotional response, rather than solely a reaction to the small dimensions or unusual materials. So, as much as I’m trying to master techniques and push boundaries in fiber, my true goal is to move you—miles and miles, and a mood away—through that little scrap of silk and thread.

Louise Smith is based in Vancouver, Canada. View many more of her miniature landscapes on the Threaded Views websiteThreaded Views blog, and check out her Stitchin’ Fingers profile.

Fall at your Feet - in 7-inch hoop

Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Needlepoint by Annelle Ferguson

Miniatures by Annelle Ferguson

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How did you first get started in miniatures?

I had a three-year-old daughter and decided she needed a dollhouse for Christmas. The more I put it together, the more I built it, the more I loved it. gallery_7_25_28642It was that very Christmas that a friend said a doctor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee was going to be at the local museum showing the dollhouses he made. I learned then in 1978 that there were dollhouse magazines and a miniatures shop in Gatlinburg.

The next year was the development of my passion. I was initially buying works at the nearby miniature shop in 1979, and that year I met a gentleman who was selling his miniature work at a crafts show. Through that connection and others, we formed a club in January 1980 and held our first meeting. We grew from about 4 people at first to 30 passionate miniature enthusiasts. We met for 20 years until about 2000.

What was the first miniature you created?

It was a sofa and a chair. I used a pattern from one of the club members. I was a crocheter and building this dollhouse at the time. I still have that crocheted rug from that dollhouse I built for my daughter.

When did you begin selling miniatures?

There was always a miniature show in Atlanta and in Lexington, Kentucky. We all learned about these events through well-known dollhouse and miniatures magazines. My next door neighbor had bought a dollhouse after seeing my own. In 1980, she was creating needlepoint rugs and she taught me how to do needlepoint. And I absolutely loved it. I loved it.

gallery_7_25_108035There was a show in Atlanta around April 1981, and one of the premiere needleworkers at that time was Barbara Cosgrove, who happened to be at that show. She made rugs and had a beautiful display. Down on her table, she had a small sampler. It took my breath away. It was an adaptation of an antique sampler. She shared more information about samplers from the 17th and 18th centuries. I immediately made a trip to the library in my hometown and checked out a book about antique samplers. That was the beginning of my design process. I was just so incredibly intrigued with antiques. My thought process at the time was, “I wonder if anyone would buy any of this.” And so, I showed work at my first show in October 1985.

My second show was April 1986: the IGMA Guild Show. I was very fortunate to have been accepted. And I did very well at that show. Actually, I lost my voice after it! I grew hoarse from explaining at length what antique samplers were.

12_ferguson_1How has your work evolved?

After learning about miniatures and antique samplers, I began my extensive research. I wrote and corresponded with various museums across the country. Wherever I had a show, I would look up the addresses of museums and curators. Over the years, I’ve had many special appointments, mostly focusing on the history of antique samplers. On one particular visit when looking at designs in storage, I came across decorative chair seats. These captured my interest as I had never thought about that as a needlework possibility.

bookjacket2I decided shortly after to write a book, wanting to inform the miniature industry about the history of needlework.

To this day, I still do research. Now it’s more on the computer. But I still have special appointments at museums across the world, whose teams are kind enough to bring out needlework for me to see and study.

What’s your favorite pattern?

Rhode Island samplers from the 18th century. An instructor in Providence created the most charming samplers I had ever seen.

What have been some of your favorite collaborators to work with?

16da54f228dc1bf4480b33e284c7d6beRichard Hardy, Mark Murphy, Elizabeth Gazmuri on a project for school, Gerald Crawford on exquisite Queen Anne furniture.

My favorite collaboration or project is one that I shared with others. Specifically I loved making a casket from the 17th century that we did here at school. Mark Murphy made the box. We taught the class over a 2-year period.

Materials you could not live without?

Silk gauze and silk threads. Years ago, at the IGMA Guild School in Castine, they had a “Then and Now” exhibit that featured people’s first works. My first creations were on canvas with wool and were quite funny to see.

What advice would you give to a new miniaturist?

The more you do, the better you get, the more experience you gain. People often rush in and don’t give themselves enough time to master their craft.ferguson

What do you want miniature fans to know about you?

I’m envious of those that are multi-talented. I decided long ago that creating miniature needlework was my passion.

I have one completed dollhouse currently, a country house. And I have several unfinished projects in the works because they need a piece of needlework and I still haven’t gotten to it.

I thoroughly enjoy participating in miniature shows. It continues to be a pleasure seeing, meeting, and visiting with other miniaturists.

Annelle Ferguson is a 22nd year instructor at the International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA) Guild School. She hails from Tennessee and you can view her work in miniatures on her Mini Stitches website.

Daily Mini Interview: Miniatures by Ludwina Mini Carpet

Miniatures by Ludwina Mini Carpet

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How did you first get started in miniatures? 

ludwina silk carpet petit point pillows chair made in Kari bloom workshopI am originally from Belgium and studied textile art in Antwerp and Ghent. From a very young age, I loved to paint and craft. I wanted to try all kind of crafts. It was so bad that my mom used to say my hobby was changing hobbies. Until I discovered weaving. There are so many different techniques and possibilities that it never becomes boring for me.

After marrying my Turkish husband, we moved to Turkey, and I left my looms in Belgium. Once in Turkey, we opened a real size carpet shop, and I started knotting carpets in the shop, because that was the only loom I had. A carpet loom is different from the weaving looms I had before, but in my textile art training I had used a very similar loom.

I started with a medium size carpet but after working on it for several weeks, I decided to make it a square—to finish a bit faster—and after doing this, I learned to make the carpets smaller because it takes so long to finish a piece that it started to be boring. And also because customers asked for smaller sizes and nobody made these small sizes at the time. One of the first real small carpets I finished was sold to a Dutch customer for his dollhouse. And here the idea was born to make dollhouse carpets. It must have been around 1997.ludwina smaller scale silk carpes

It was a long way to make smaller, better and finer carpets, not only small carpets but real miniature sized works. In the beginning, I made wool carpets for 1:12 scale, but when I wanted to make finer and finer pieces I began also to use silk. Some of those smaller fine silk carpets work well in smaller scales.

After some time, when I started selling on eBay, I began making miniature crochet. And when I saw the possibilities with petit point embroidery when I was at the Chicago International Show, I wanted to try this. I really love to make pillows and now and then a carpet. The designs I make for my knotted carpets are perfect for petit point carpets in smaller scales.

What can’t you live without?

My crochet needle, a box of silk sewing threads, and needles is always close by. Often times, I will take a project in my bag if I go somewhere. It is easy to take with me, and here in Turkey, it is not strange to sit somewhere and do some handcrafting… although the younger generations are not as interested in crafts anymore.ludwina wol carpet crochet and  pillow

What inspires you?

When I was working in our carpet shop, I was surrounded by carpets and had inspiration all day. Now that I am retired from the shop, I still have my books and I can find a lot of information and inspiration on the Internet. I am not weaving as much anymore but I’m creating more and more embroidery and crochet. I’m enjoying life, my cats and my garden.

Here in Turkey we do not have much dollhouse miniatures and surely not in the days I started. So I am happy I found miniature friends online. I am member of the Yahoo! group The CAMP where we share ideas, show our miniatures, and have a lot of miniature-related fun.

Ludwina knotting carpetsUpcoming projects planned?

At the moment, I am not doing any shows. Making my carpets takes so much time that it is not possible to have new work every year. Maybe in some time, I will be back at a show again, because it is so nice to see all the beautiful work I can see there…. and to meet new friends!

Ludwina Akbulut lives in Turkey. For more handmade work from her ludwinaminicarpet brand, visit her website, check out eBay, Facebook, Etsy or take a peek at miniature carpet designs on her blog.  

Ludwina my loom

Daily Mini Interview: Miniatures by Genziana Bellè

Miniatures by Genziana Bellè

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How did you first get started in miniatures?

swan and flowersI discovered miniatures in the late eighties when I was traveling in the States. Miniatures were fairly unknown in Italy at that time. When I came back home, I tried to make something on my own.

How has your work evolved over the years?

I have been making miniatures for over 25 years. I began making petit point works on silk gauze, as well as wicker baskets and miniature flowers. Now, I have almost completely given up embroidery, but I keep on creating baskets and flowers in 1:12 and 1:48 scale.

What materials do you use to make your miniatures?

I use silk gauze, silk or cotton thread for the petit point; linen thread and paper-covered wire to make my miniature baskets; different kinds of paper and paper-covered wire to make flowers.Lavender

Advice for beginner miniaturists?

My advice is to take inspiration from the real world, not from miniatures already made by other artists. You will need patience, the desire to learn techniques used in 1:1 scale in order to adapt these skills for miniature making. You’ll also need the courage to throw away and remake your miniatures until you have achieved your desired level of proficiency.

wicker basket quarter scaleTool you can’t live without?

I can’t live without very good lighting, a magnifying glass, my fine tweezers for watchmakers, and only the best quality materials.

Favorite miniature you own by another artist?

My favorite  works are 1:12 furniture miniatures that my father made for me.

What inspires you?

I love books about embroidery, baskets, antiquing, and furnishing. I also take inspiration from the real world in order to achieve miniatures that reflect my personality.

wicker basket with hydrangeaWhat is the most memorable miniature you have seen by another artist?

The most memorable to me is not a single miniature but the exhibition of Mrs. Ingeborg Riesser‘s miniature collection that I saw in Paris in 1994.

Why miniatures? 

I like miniatures because making smaller items is a challenge, and also because the smaller size allows me to collect items that I couldn’t keep at home… they don’t take up much space!

Upcoming  miniatures in the works?

At the moment, I’m working on new baskets inspired from real ones, as always, and some new flowers. I’ll also be attending the Simp Miniature Show in Paris to check out work by other artisans.wicker bottles

Other activities you enjoy?

I love to travel and observe the world around me. I also enjoy 1:1 scale embroidery very much.

Genziana Bellè lives in Italy. To see more of her lovely work in miniature, head on over to Facebook.

 

wicker store quarter scale