The Seashell Collection
With this project I wanted to try something new: incorporating actual, real pieces of nature into my work. I grew up by the sea, beachcombing and rockpooling, and it remains one of my biggest sources of inspiration - so why not try and incorporate it into my embroidery work?
The shells used are all collected by me, from the Sussex (UK) and Trøndelag (Norway) coastlines. I especially wanted to find broken, discoloured or otherwise imperfect shells: things that nature is done with and has no more use for, but that I can highlight the beauty of even in this imperfect state.
For this project I also hand-dyed a lot of the fabric using rosehips and lichen. All of the fabric is either reused from household textiles, thrifted, or bought from end of roll/deadstock supplies where it would otherwise go to waste. My aim was to make the project as sustainable as possible, which was challenging. While there are some parts I couldn't improve on from a sustainability point of view, I'm pleased with the overall result.
