Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Home is where them fuckers ain't.

I can't remember how I came across Leigh. But it was probably during a three hour Etsy binge, you know... where you sift through all the amazingness, adding to your wishlist and occasionally (or often in my case), buying. Anyway, I bought my first piece and hung it proudly on the wall. It's called 'cunt'.


On her work...

"I’m self - taught and always worry that I’m doing everything completely wrong. I started embroidering while at uni on a fine art course, I wasn’t taught how to, I just thought embroidery was the most suited medium for the project at the time. I was studying the definition of femininity, the roles of women and traditional crafts that are classed as feminine. I could go on forever about all that, but probs best I don't. When I finished uni I didn't make much art work as I helped set up a design led shop in Liverpool in an amazing gallery. Though I found myself feeling inspired again and the mini cheeky cards and prints were born. 




After a customer in the shop spotted me embroidering a skull to pass time, I had my first commission. I was actually embroidering the skull on a vintage hanky for an exhibition to raise awareness about domestic violence. The juxtaposition between a masculine object and a feminine craft/masculine subject of death on a feminine and pretty fabric created something I wanted to explore more. So, the embroidery continued mainly for myself as a way to keep the concept artist in me ticking along. Meanwhile, the cheekier the cards I made, the more they sold. 




I made friends with a vintage clothing owner and helped as her seamstress. This meant I could get my hands on some beautiful fabric while learning more about cottons and thread etc. I then, quite suddenly,  decided to move back home from Liverpool after a family loss and getting ill. I wanted to be closer to my family. For a year I didn't really make much. I set up an Etsy store online to sell the little cards and began embroidering again, more to keep myself sane while I was poorly. I embroidered a portrait of Mick Jagger simply to see if I could after getting a little bored of embroidering skulls. Then, through the power of Instagram, I had people asking what else I embroidered. 

I had a shit tonne of vintage fabrics that needed some tlc and after working with my friend at her vintage store, I loved the idea of altering items to make them modern again and re-loving fabric that might have gone to waste. The cards seemed to be selling ok, so I took a saying that was selling well and embroidered it onto a hanky (I’d actually embroidered quotes onto hankies about domestic violence for that exhibition I mentioned before, so it seemed kind of natural to embroider text again). Well, that seems now like the smartest move I’ve ever made. 




Through Instagram I’d gained some momentum for these embroidered quotes and sayings - I guessed mainly, probably, because they were pretty rude or had topical sayings. I tried to stay down with the kids and embroider the latest it-word. Now, I wasn’t daft. There’s a big world out there full of crazy talented people and I knew I wasn't the only one doing this. I kept on top of what other artists might be creating so as not to step on anyone’s toes and to make sure I was actually making something original. Vintage fabric wasn’t being used in the same way I was re-using it and it seemed there was no one else embroidering the word 'cunt'. Those embroideries were my best seller and the prettier the vintage fabric, the better. I dabbled in quotes about love and kept up with commissioned pieces but wanted to swear more - the crudeness of a terrible word made pretty on your grandmas vintage linen just tickled me too much. Hence why, the word 'cunt' was the ultimate in contradictions and a perfect word to embroider on the floral, sometimes twee, fabric. 

Trying to keep my Etsy shop fresh and original led to me coining a phrase ‘home is where them fuckers ain’t’ (also, after having a hard time with settling in back home with some pretty shitty ‘friends’ and missing my friends back in Liverpool). Well, for some reason, someone blogged the image of my embroidery on tumblr with a link to my shop. Within a day, it had been re-blogged over 100,000 times. Cue a load of commissions and a load of tears out of the shock of it all. Around this time, I tried my hand at pet portrait embroideries as a gift for a few family members. I’d seen a lot of different styles for pet portraits and so played around with it myself. After I’d made a few I listed them on Etsy to get some feedback, I'd decided if I didn't sell one in a month then I wouldn't continue them. I sold 2, cried again and now I’m making at least one pet portrait commission a month. 




It’s only really, since the tumblr post, that my work seems to be going mad. I’ve had a steady flow of work for the 2 years that I’ve had the Etsy shop running, but in the last 6 months, things have picked up speed. I still don’t understand why people buy my work. I enjoy embroidery so it doesn’t take me long to make something. That’s probably something I shouldn't share, but it’s true. I’m self taught and only really started the embroideries to see if I could. Though, turns out I can, and now I’m trying to keep up."

Visit Leigh's store here.

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