RUTH O'LEARY
What first attracted you to working with embroidery and textiles?
I first started stitching as a little girl, as my mum and gran did too – it just came naturally. I didn’t keep it up as a teenager, but when I was a student I decided to embroider the logo of my favourite band on a denim jacket! I enjoyed the whole process much more than I’d expected, and started embroidering other, more conventional, things. I always work to my own designs, and I find that the possibilities with textiles are so much greater than with painting, for example. I can incorporate texture and depth in a way I couldn’t with anything else. I just love the feel of fabrics – I wouldn’t be happy working with anything hard or harsh.
Did you find it difficult to break into the market?
I think I’m still in the process of breaking into it! It’s taken a while to get this far, and I think what’s made a big difference is my website, which provides a showcase for some of my work. I’ve had people contact me from all over the world, which would never have been possible before.
Goldwork is one of your specialities – why do you like this technique particularly?
A range of reasons: I love the effects you can get with it, especially when used in 3D pieces, the way it catches the light and sparkles in the sunshine, and I love the tradition associated with it – goldwork has been used for centuries for rich and eye-catching textiles, and this continuity is important to me.
Do you have any other favourite techniques besides goldwork?
Appliqué and split stitch. Appliqué was one of the first techniques I started to use, and I’ve found it to be remarkably versatile. It can be padded to give depth, can form solid blocks of colour or subtle shading with sheer fabrics, and can be left plain or embellished with more stitching or bead work. Split stitch is similar to long-and-short or satin stitch, but is usually finer, and I use it for detailed shading effects in my miniature landscapes. It also has a long history and is more closely associated with goldwork than it might appear: they were the core techniques used in Opus Anglicanum, the highly-prized embroidery England was famous for during the Middle Ages. I try to use these traditional techniques, but in a contemporary way.
Do you have any tips or advice for cross stitchers who might like to branch out into more advanced embroidery?
Don’t be afraid to experiment! Most embroidery techniques are actually very simple, but can be used alone or in combination to give stunning effects. Cross-stitchers are often very meticulous and with a good eye for detail, and so would probably enjoy something like Hardanger embroidery, or why not let yourself go and create some free embroidery, with different yarns and beads or found objects. I’m sure you’ll be amazed with the results!
What have you found to be the best thing about being part of the craft world?
The friendship. I’ve been a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild for many years and have made a lot of good friends there. I’ve always found embroiderers to be more than willing to share their expertise, so if you are thinking about trying a new technique, joining a local group like the Guild can be a great way of learning more, as well as making new friends.
Are you aiming for a particular ‘look’ or ‘image’ for your collection or does each piece of work have a unique story behind it?
I think my work does have a particular ‘look’, but that’s not intentional, it just happens. All my work has its own story, but as I work on a piece, my own likes and dislikes in both design and technique – my personality, I suppose - always come through.
What (or who!) gives you inspiration for your designs?
Oh all sorts of things! Some, like the miniature landscapes or the machine-embroidered flower panels, are based on photographs, while the book slip cases are inspired by the books themselves. A recent piece, the ‘Fire Lizard’ roundel, was based on a lizard that curled itself up into a ball on a TV nature programme! I’m always on the lookout for ideas, and inspiration can come from anywhere.
What piece of craft equipment couldn’t you live without for your work?
A frame. I find it impossible to work without having the fabric I’m working on properly stretched onto a frame; I can’t keep the tension of the stitches consistent without it. Unfortunately, it’s also possible to pull it too tight…
What’s been the proudest moment of your career so far?
I’m afraid I can’t tell you! I can say that I’ve been asked to stitch a prestigious piece of ecclesiastical embroidery to be presented to one of the most magnificent cathedrals in England, but until a few more things are confirmed, I can’t say any more. But being asked to be a part of this project is definitely the highlight of my career so far.]
Where would you like to see your designing going in the future? Have you got any special ambitions or plans?
My designs have tended to evolve in response to new ideas and inspiration rather than to a plan, and I’ve been fortunate that other people have also liked my work. I’m currently exploring complex geometric designs in goldwork, which I think will work well as wall panels - after that, who knows!
How important do you think needlework is as a skill? Does it have a role in the 21st century? How do you think we can give it a trendier image?
I suppose in some ways, in today’s modern world, skills such as needlework or stone carving or wood turning aren’t important at all. After all, machine-made items are quicker to produce and much more cost-effective. But to me, that just makes traditional craft skills more important, not less. We would lose so much of our culture and heritage if they were to die out, not to mention the profound satisfaction to be had in making something unique, by your own effort. As for giving it a trendier image, I wish I knew. Embroidery in all its forms, cross stitch and all the others, is such a wonderful pastime, relaxing and a way to find your own creativity, with so much to offer everyone. Still, knitting is now fashionable, so maybe now more people are discovering the fun in crafts, needlework will be next!
What event in your own life would you most like to record in stitches?
I think becoming godmother to Anna. I didn't stitch anything to mark it at the time, but I did make up for it a few years later with an embroidered book cover for a prayer book on her First Communion, with the design incorporating her initial and the date. A proud day for all the family!
What cross stitch sampler saying sums up your attitude to life?
I think I’ll go with a quotation from A Craftsman’s Creed by James P Harvey:
“All the fine traditions and the skill
Come from my elders from the long line down
Are mine to use, to raise our craft’s renown,
And mine to teach again with reverent will.”
Do you have any special projects/events coming up?
I’m going to be mysterious again! I’m in the early stages of planning an exhibition, but when it will be depends very much on a couple of commissions I have in the pipeline, both the ecclesiastical embroidery commission I mentioned previously, and one for a top London interior design firm. Depending on when I’m able to start work on them, the exhibition could happen later in 2009, otherwise it’s likely to be delayed by a year or so. Watch this space!
More about Ruth and her work can be found at her website.
