ACTIVITY

Evidence of embroidery traces back to 30,000 BC, long before the earliest writing systems were developed. Embroidered samplers, which often were a tool for teaching girls to read and write, date to the early 16th century. Cloth, needle, and thread have long been writing artifacts, though the writing was often limited to alphabets, Biblical quotes, and axioms. In contrast, embroiderers such as Agnes Richter (19th century), who was placed in a psychiatric hospital by her brother and father, and embroidered text on her clothes, and Elizabeth Parker (19th century), who cross stitched a lengthy description of her sins and the cruelties of her employers, seem to have composed directly on the cloth rather than copying out “appropriate” quotes. 

In this workshop, we’ll examine historic and contemporary uses of writing with cloth, needle, and thread. Students will learn a variety of embroidery stitches that lend themselves to writing. After practicing copying words in embroidery, students will create a poem by responding to prompts with embroidered words or phrases, composed directly on the cloth. This process connects students with those, often silenced in other arenas who found voice through embroidery. 

Date
Saturday, October 12th, 2024

Time
12 –4pm ET

Location
Tatter Textile Library
505 Carroll Street, 2B
Brooklyn, NY 11215

BLUE, The TATTER Textile Library is located in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Serving as both an interactive, ongoing art-installation as well as an academic research library, BLUE is an ever-growing home to 6,000 books, journals, exhibition catalogs, and objects that examine and celebrate the global history, traditions, makers, craft and beauty of textiles.

Cost
$100

MATERIALS

All class supplies will be provided.  Participants are welcome to bring any materials they might be interested in experimenting with.

Our Teacher

Beverly Army Williams has been smitten with textiles and fiber arts since she was seven. An avid crocheter, knitter, weaver, quilter, and garment maker, she has been embroidering for 19 years. Her embroidery explores the power of repetition and expressive lines, often through long-term daily projects. She is currently writing a chapter for the forthcoming book Writing Artifacts on the materiality of composition (writing) with a focus on fabric, needle, and thread.  

When not stitching, Beverly teaches writing, makes poems and paper cut illustrations, and hikes with her husband and two dogs in the woods of Connecticut. You can follow her adventures on Instagram at @Beverly_Army13 or visit her website at www.beverlyarmywilliams.com. Beverly holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico.