Australian textile artist Meredith Woolnough creates ‘three-dimensional stitched drawings inspired by nature.’ Her largest artwork consists of 400 pieces and she teaches her technique to people around the world.

Firstly where did you grow up and where do you live now? 

I great up in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. I now live in the coastal town of Newcastle (about 2 hours north of Sydney).

What is your background in textiles? 

I studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts at UNSW in the early 2000’s (it was known as COFA back then). I majored in textiles as a part of that degree and fell in love with all forms of textile art along the way. 

What is it about textiles as an art form that appeals to you? 

I feel that textile art is highly underestimated as an art form and as a result there is so much room for creative experimentation and expression. It is easy to surprise and delight people when you use a textile based art form in new and different ways.

What techniques do you use? 

I work exclusively with a freehand machine embroidery technique on water soluble fabric. Freehand machine embroidery (or FME) is basically a way of drawing with your sewing machine. It is a lot of fun and just like there are so many ways to do a drawing, there are so many ways you can work with it. The base material I stitch onto (water-soluble fabric) is the magic ingredient, it allows me to create my stitched drawing then completely remove the base fabric leaving just the embroidery behind. You can create wonderfully sculptural and experimental stitched structures this way. 

How do you describe your work ?

Sculptural embroidery or three-dimensional stitched drawings inspired by nature. 

How do you create a piece?

My work often starts with field work. I discover and research an organism from the natural world that interests me, such as a particular leaf, coal species etc. I then do lots of sketches and develop a design that will be suitable of this style of embroidery. The design is then stitched onto the water soluble fabric with FME using machine embroidery threads. Once I have built up a well connected structure, I remove the base fabric by washing it in water. Depending on the project I may then mould the embroidery to give it a specific shape, the water soluble fabric acts as a glue to hold the embroidery in place as it dries. I frame the majority of my artworks and I have a specific way I like to mount my embroideries on pins so they appears to float above a backing board, just like a preserved specimen. 

I know this is a hard question but how long does a bigger piece take?

A large work will generally take a few months to complete. There are dozens of solid stitching hours in a large piece plus the time needed to dissolve, mould and mount the artwork. My smaller works can be made in a day or two. 

What are you most proud of in your art career so far?

The  artwork that I am most proud of is ‘The New Neighbours’. It is the largest artwork I have created to date and it is made up of over 400 individual shaped embroideries. This piece was created for the prestigious Tamworth Textile Triennial which is a touring textile art exhibition here in Australia. I am also very proud of my book Organic Embroidery and my online school where I teach students from all over the world these wonderfully weird techniques. 

You’ve built up an impressive career through your lovely work. What is your favourite part of your work?

I love the balance and the variety in my work, the fact that this job is so multifaceted and requires me to move in so many different directions is really what keeps me interested and moving forward.  I love the creative challenge of developing new artworks, especially commission work as they often push my limits. I also love teaching, I enjoy finding the best way to share my knowledge with my students and to then watch them discover the joy of creating with these tools and materials. Of course love the process of stitching itself, the act of bringing my designs to life at the sewing machine. I am most at peace when I am stitching. It all comes back to the meditative act of embroidery and the joy that comes from getting into a state of flow when creating. I live for it. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring textile artists?

If you want others to take you seriously as an artist you must take yourself seriously first. 

www.meredithwoolnough.com.au

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