The Quilts of Gee’s Bend created by some 45 Alabama artists, African-American women from a rural community in the Black Belt.

These are phenomenal.

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A couple of our favorites from the stitch spectacular exhibit.

1. anna keck

2. allison manch

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We’ve been following the revival in the needle arts for awhile, so we are happy to hear of the Stitch Spectacular - an exhibit celebrating new frontiers in hand embroidery.

work by aliza lelah

Check out their site for more interesting work and information on their upcoming exhibit.

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work by Nava Lubelski.
A Lie About Birds and Bees, 12” x 12”, thread, lace, acrylic paint and ink stains on canvas, 2007

Spock. Pop culture embroidery by Jared Brown.

Markmaking by Tilleke Schwarz

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See, you can convey complex emotions with a well-timed stuffed animal.

made by kropserkel

via senoritapurti.

Megan Whitmarsh made a lot of noise a couple years back with her paintings embroidered with cotton detail. For those of you not familiar with her work, it’s a fiesta of fun.

I thought you might want more… Go here and here.

Hella Jogerius has a design lab where she creates unusual medium mixes.

via France’s idtextile.

“This tablecloth design brought Dora Jung the Grand Prix at the 11th triennial of Milan in 1957. It was also obtained by several foreign museums for their collections. The material is linen damask. Photo Aarne Pietinen / Design Museum.”

I am really interested in the modern revival of the needle arts. It seems like everywhere you look knit, embroidery, crochet, sewing and felting are being remembered and reinvented. While artists like Alyssa Ettinger creates a great line of knitware influenced porcelain, Verena Schreppel makes cool rings and eating utensils wrapped in knitware patterns.

Well, Ruth Cross just upped the ante big time with her one-off, restored vintage chair covered with a hand knitted lambswool loose cover. According to her website she is in the process of knitting a chaise-long. (!)

I am seriously eager to see where these permutations of folk arts push art and design.