Needles, stitches and fabric came easily for Nelson. The physical act of sewing is what bonded her with her grandmother.
“She sewed very fine baby clothes,” Nelson said. “Because she loved to sew, I learned to sew.”
Despite their bond over spools of thread and different techniques, Nelson felt like she didn’t know her grandmother very well. She was excited when she received a box of correspondence from her grandmother — until she read the contents.
“Every single letter was about clothes her mother and aunt were making,” Nelson said.
As sewing was such a big part of her grandmother’s life, Nelson paid tribute to the woman she knew in stitches — by deconstructing the baby clothes that her grandmother made for her and other family members.
“It was a real experience to take out those tiny, tiny stitches she had put in,” Nelson said. “I think she kept her personality in those things, those stitches.”
http://www.thetimesnews.com/lifestyles/lifestyles-home/sewing-her-way-into-a-world-of-art-1.99355
Nelson used the fabrics in art installations and an exhibition entitled “Embedded.”
“It was a way of sort of bringing them back to life,” she said of using the baby clothes as her medium. “I knew that they would never be worn again.”
Take a class on sewing today to learn more about this tactile art form. Even if you’ve never sewn before, instruction will range from beginner techniques to advanced practices. Learn to sew tailored, personalized clothes or engage in textile art — a genre that is rapidly expanding.