Incredible Embroidered Drawings by Izziyana Suhaimi

Embroidered art appears to be having a bit of a moment, and Singapore-based artist Izziyana Suhaimi creates some of the loveliest examples of the trend that we’ve come across yet. In her latest series, The looms in our bones, she combines pencil drawings of what she describes as “strange and awkward but attractive girls” with embroidered embellishments, resulting in eye-catching illustrations that are deliciously textured with bright pops of color.
Read more at Flavorwire

Quilts in the Library

Come see beautiful quilts in the Arts Division @ the Central Library, Rochester NY.

We have many books on quilting in the Arts division. Here is a small sample of what you will find here in the collection.

Hillbillies and Rockabillies and Nudie Cohn

As I work in a library and buy craft and photography books I get to see a lot of good stuff. I found these three books that seemed to have a relationship to each other so I thought I'd write a post bringing attention to them. They fit into a category covering music, Rockabilly, spangly glittery clothing, and vintage dressing.

 Years ago I came across this book, Nudie: The Rodeo Taylor, and Nudie Cohn was brought to my attention. When spangly is mentioned I think of Nudie. He designed all sorts of embroidered and pretty things for both men and women. 


Who would think that this fellow born Nuta in 1902 Kiev, Ukraine in 1902, would build an empire on the first glam suit, that came to be known as a Nudie Suit. As if that weren't enough, he went on to design some outrageous automobiles. And his future wife went on to drive a steer-horned, silver dollar encrusted, rhinestone laden Cadillac.


It was while living in Russia that he picked up tailoring and sewing skills, when he became a tailor's apprentice. Sent here by his Jewish parents to avoid Czarist Russia he ended up living in Minnesota. While the depression was going on he met and married Helen "Bobbie" Kruger, in 1934. Off they went to New York City and opened their first store, "Nudie's for the Ladies", where he made custom-made undergarments for showgirls.


Soon the two moved to California and opened "Nudie's of Hollywood" where he sewed up a storm specializing in western wear. His heavy use of rhinestones and chain stitch embroidery brought western wear to a whole new level of flamboyancy. As his name got around with musicians his business grew and soon a new store opened, renamed Nudie's Rodeo Tailors. His name became so well known, that in 1957 he designed a $10,000 gold lame number for a young musician named Elvis Presley.


From then on Nudie Cohn went on to design not just western wear for musicians but he entered the world of movies and designed some fabulous things for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, John Wayne, John Lennon, Cher, and Elton John. "It seems Nudie's creations made people happy and brought out the best in them.


Between 1950 and 1975 he designed automobiles that took on the same studded look as his clothes did. Mounted with steer horn hood ornaments studded doors and gear shifts his cars became collector's items as have his clothes. He died in 1984 and his shop was run by his granddaughter until it finally closed in 1994.


Only one book has been written about Nudie Cohn and you can find it here at the Central Library. 

Articles written about Nudie Cohn.

New York Times: A Rhinestone Cowboy Who Grabbed Cars by the Horns

The Selvedge Yard: The Rhinestone Cowboy

Next is Hillbilly Hollywood: The Origins of Country Western Style. As we are talking western wear and western style of course this book is full of Nudie clothes and Nudie look alikes.

In 1955 a show called Ranch Style appeared featuring Los Angeles country and western music stars. Sometimes the show included newcomers like Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. Until recent years this was the best years for county music in Hollywood. 

The musicians were featured in their country finest full of western tailored suits snazzed up with embroidery and sequins. It was gaudy and elegant at the same time. It was country and honky-tonk and Hollywood all coming together in a larger than life showing. These were the first fancy cowboys to sport embroidery, spangles, and glitter and this sort of flamboyancy continues until today in country music.

The last book is called The Rockabillies, where photographer Jennifer Greenburg takes us into the world of Rockabilly subculture. Rockabillies live the 1950s life in modern times through their dress and what they surround themselves with. Although they are far removed time wise from the original Rockabillies of the 1950s, this group has adopted the look of of mid-twentieth century American youth culture with pompadours, Betty Page bangs, full skirts and petticoats and listens to the music of Carl Perkins and today's Paladins.

Those living the Rockabilly life surround themselves with the enjoyable happy parts of the 1950s, burlesque, pinup girls, pretty clothes and hair, hot rods, and again the music. They embrace the aesthetic values of teens in the 1950s but choose to ignore the parts that weren't so good, ignoring social and political unrest, race riots, and little hope for middle-class advancement. Given a chance most would probably not choose to live in that era, as with most sub-cultures it is amusing to emulate a time period but to actually live with that time period's problems is not something many would not want to do. Like most sub-culture groups, they are part of a tight knit group and can immediately identify another who is a part of their culture much like any sub-culture such as Goths.

Through her photographs, Greenburg brings light to this unusual subculture and investigates its contradictory relationship to the American past. Greenburg photographs the Rockabilly culture see how they bring their culture into their homes. You won't find mass produced Walmart furniture in their homes but you will see mid-century modern, Predicta television sets, kitschy collectibles, Tiki, bark cloth drapes, and 1950s automobiles.

Greenburg celebrates this community of people who have built their lives around mid-century values and decor.

Rough Luxe Design: The New Love of Old

the genetic code of Rough Luxe:

 industrial grunge shabby bygone old worn raw mismatched chipped faded new victorian taxidermy moody

peeling  rusty nostalgic romantic rumpled theatrical cracked unpretentious flea historical draped fairy tale tin brick flawed

the uncode of Rough Luxe

meltdowns networks buyouts financial bailouts mass produced bigger newer shinier disposable
home shopping homogenized pasteurized  

As the economy suffers and more of the population has less money, they are looking for things to bring some pleasure into their lives without spending money they don't have. Many are looking to the past, to bring a familiarity into their lives that they miss through mass production. Many people do not want fancy things sitting in china cabinets anymore. The craft movement is a part of Rough Luxe as more of us want handmade items that have some sort of connection to the person who personally handled it.

We are reminded everyday how we should live by the bombardment of celebrities, their riches and their lifestyles, we are told to have a perfect home, mind, and body. Here design rejects minimalism and extravagance and celebrates imperfection. Rough Luxe reminds us that the plain and simple and unfinished is far more interesting than living with high end luxury goods that are mass produced. it is the celebration of raw imperfections.

Rough Luxe creates a different atmosphere than shabby chic. Like its name it is rougher, moodier, darker and not as feminine. A room filled with taxidermy, industrial fans, a black door, a dark room, a distressed blackboard, a cracked brick wall, and an unkempt garden filled with broken statuary all bring Rough Luxe into our homes. This beautifully illustrated book showcases the best examples of how the masterful staging of raw imperfection can fulfill the desire for a luxury design.


Rough Luxe is beautifully printed and published by the Curated Collection. This publishing house specializes in high quality lifestyle publications and digital media. This richly illustrated book showcases the best examples of how the masterful staging of raw imperfection can fulfill the desire for a luxury design.

Crafting for Humanity

Crafting for Humanity

Crafting for peace and humanity is widespread in the crafting community. Here are some books on the subject that you will find in the Central Library’s Arts Division.

The contemporary craft movement embraces emerging artists, crafters, and designers working in traditional and nontraditional media. Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching has revolutionized the embroidery industry. Each year Nikki McClure sells thousands of her cut-paper wall calendars. Emily Kircher recycles vintage materials into purses. Stephanie Syjuco manufactures clothing under the tag line “Because Sweatshops Suck.” These are just some of the fascinating makers united in the new wave of craft capturing the attention of the nation, the Handmade Nation. Faythe Levine traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. For Handmade Nation (along with the documentary film of the same name, coming in 2009) she and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community.

Join the Handmade Movement! We make to give. We make to share. We make to connect with others. Crafters all over the world are using their hands and hearts to make a statement, change the world, and build community. Craft Activism is an inspiring celebration of this growing movement. Inside, dozens of superstars of this grassroots phenomenon share their experiences, tips, and advice on living, teaching, and promoting a more meaningful DIY lifestyle. Learn to craft for your cause, connect with other crafters, think green, organize a fair, host an online exchange, create yarn graffiti, and more.

In Desire to Inspire, you’ll meet a wide range of writers, artists and entrepreneurs, all with a common mission: to make an impact in the world, share her message and encourage others to inspire those around them. You’ll get personal insight into the creative passions of artists like Carmen Torbus, Pixie Campbell, Christen Olivarez, Tracey Clark and many more crafters.

All across America, people are knitting for peace. In yarn shops and private homes, churches and synagogues, schools and even prisons, they meet on weekday evenings or weekend afternoons to knit afghans for refugees, mittens for the homeless, socks for soldiers, or preemie caps for AIDS babies. The tradition goes back as far as Martha Washington, who spearheaded knitting efforts for the soldiers of the Revolutionary War, and has seen a recent flourishing in what is nowadays called “charity knitting,” “community knitting,” or “knitting for others.” And whether it’s for world peace, community peace, or peace of mind, today’s various causes have the common goal of knitting the world into a better place one stitch at a time.
Knitting for Peace is an exceptional book that celebrates the long heritage of knitting for others. It tells the stories of 28 contemporary knitting-for-peace endeavors, and features patterns for easy-to-knit charity projects such as hats, socks, blankets, and bears, plus a messenger bag emblazoned with the Knitting for Peace logo.

It started with a pillow case dress… and grew into a worldwide movement of crafters using their passion to help those in need. The Craft Hope organization combines a love of crafting with a desire to help others. Tens of thousands of crafters in more than 100 countries now follow the Craft Hope site and make handmade goods for causes around the world.

Mindful Knitting looks at the art of knitting from a Buddhist perspective. Exploring the parallels between knitting and meditation, this book instructs the reader in how knitting can be a tool for contemplation. It explores the benefits of engaging in knitting in a mindful way, presents simple meditation exercises, and provides clear, easy-to-follow project instructions that complement and expand upon each meditation theme.

“Haute homespun out of the Deep South.” That’s howVogue magazine has described the fashion of Natalie Chanin. Alabama Stitch Book brings us a collection of projects and stories from her clothing and lifestyle company, Alabama Chanin, known for the cutting-edge twist it puts on tried-and-true sewing, quilting, and embroidery techniques, applied mostly by hand to recycled cotton jersey.
This long-awaited book from Chanin begins with her story. After living in New York and Vienna for over 20 years, she began to transform cotton T-shirts into high fashion using the needlework skills she learned as a child in Florence, Alabama. When she moved home, Chanin hired local women (many of whom had worked in the state’s now defunct textile factories) to stitch her couture collections with her. Read an interview with Natalie Chanin.

In Alabama Studio Style, Natalie Chanin, founder and creative director of the acclaimed fashion and lifestyle company Alabama Chanin, takes readers on a compelling journey of creativity, technique, and inspiration. Picking up where the celebrated Alabama Stitch Book left off, Alabama Studio Style is a craft and lifestyle book all in one.

Perforated Paper Needlework

Here is a great article on paper perforation which seems to be making a comeback. Embroidery on paper was began during the Victorian era from about the 1870s to the 1880s. Needlewomen on paper was much cheaper than working or cloth and was simple enough for children to do.


Mottoes were popular motifs that were embroidered. Sayings like, “Home Sweet Home", "Forget Me Not" , "Thy Will Be Done, were popular mottoes along with bible verses. ” Most of the verses were in English but you may find some in German, French, and Hebrew, Mottoes were stitched and framed and hung on a wall.

Of course like most beautiful clothing and needlework, perforated paper work began to die out after the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and all but disappeared by the 1920s.

Embroidery on Paper: Perforated Paper Makes a Come-Back

Some books in the Central Library's art collection. Click on image for more info