Two years ago I was handed a piece of thread made from rye straw, and something clicked. As an embroidery artist working with metals for the past decade, I hadn’t encountered anything like this spun straw thread before. It had such pleasing movement, and beautiful natural tones of gold and brown shifting from lighter to darker along the length. I was compelled to learn more and explore its potential as a sustainable ‘natural gold’.
I discovered that straw is not new in embroidery. It has been used for many hundreds of years, from dressing ecclesiastical icons in 17th-century France to high fashion ...
There are approximately 327 more words in this article.
To read the rest of this article, please buy this issue, or join the Resurgence Trust. As a member you will receive access to the complete archive of magazines from May 1966.
If you are already a member, please Sign in
