Down the Garden Path
Mary Self was our speaker for April. She was Artist in residence in the Botanic Gardens and former owner of Nancy’s Stitch Studio, Wellington.
Mary sold Nancy’s in 2021. She has kept the production part of Nancy’s selling kits, stranded wool for dyeing and her own designs. Mary Self Textiles.
Mary now has time to work in her garden and has started to draw again. Beginning to draw allowed her to start creating unique items which had not happened for a small while.
She used colour therapy to help her get over the stress of the shop closure and de-cluttering her house. We were delighted by these bright pieces, including several colourful crocheted blankets, made using stranded wool.
The Ruin from the wardrobe: a thai silk jacket embroidered with flowers, mossy clumps and vines.
A framed embroidery embelished foundation garment (her mother’s)
‘Let’s fly away’ quilt which won a judges choice award at Hutt Art exhibition. Features a beautiful cotton silk dress with sumptuous background.
Crocheted polyanthus blanket, using the flowers in her father’s garden as inspiration.
She spoke of her visit to Vienna, which inspired several pieces. Other pieces were inspired by family and life events.
She showed us an embroidered panel ‘Save the Begonia House’ with a human chain around it, stitched in chain stitch (with a dog in it). This was created in response to the protest that happened while she was Artist in Residence at the Botanical Gardens.
She also created an embroidery panel which is available for sale based on the rose garden. Staff provided her with an aerial view map and a list of all the roses, where they are and the colours, so crafters can use this to create a life-like aerial view of the rose garden.
Mary looks forward to creating more flowers and joyful, happy things.
We also had a wonderful show and tell
