Q A with Jenny Hart..

Jenny Hart's embroidered pieces combine old school Americana arts and crafts and the modern world we live in today seamlessly and literally. Her work is layered in cultural references, from the actual embroidered stitches to the subjects that she covers; musical icons, tattoo flash, and eras of America gone by. Jenny has stitched portraits of such musical heavyweights as Iggy Pop, Dolly Parton and Edith Piaf. Her pieces are dynamic and inviting, attracting a broad audience because her stitchery has no limits. She has taken a traditional craft and brought it straight into the twenty first century. Like Sublime Stitching's motto says: "This ain't your gramma's embroidery!"

Between her super busy life as an artist, a writer, heading out on book tours, hosting openings and running her company Sublime Stitching, Jenny took a minute out of her dynamic life and sat down to do a Q&A with ML4U.

You'vesinglehandedly brought embroidery into the twenty first century. I wassurprised to learn that you only began embroidering ten yrs ago...wereyou always creative and artistic before that?

Well, I was always drawing since I was really little. My mom begansending me to art classes when I was five and I loved it. I was veryexcited about drawing. My dad had been a photographer and industrialfilmmaker and my mother had been an art teacher before I was born. Theywere very encouraging. I never did any needlework though. Not really. Idid some knitting when I was in high school, around 1988. That was myfirst real foray into experimenting with crafting and needlework.Comics, illustration, painting, collage and photography were my biginterests, though.

One of the things I love about embroidery is how easy it is, and howquickly it can make something so rad. Can you tell us a little bitabout how and why you fell in love with embroidery?

Forall of those same reasons you just named. I just loved the look ofcolorful, American hobby embroidery -the kind of stuff you'd see onpillowcases and tea towels. I wondered what it would be like to use itas a medium for art and more ambitious and alternative themes. It wasso pretty, but I wanted to stitch nudes, vintage tattoos anything youdidn't typically see it used for or associated with. I guess I shouldpoint out now that this was about ten years ago, and that was simplynot happening. There was very little "happening" about embroidery orany idea of "crafting" then. It sounded so beautiful to me, and Ihad never seen embroidery used like that before. Trying to picture whatthat might look like in my mind, really inspired me to try and createit. But, I was very reluctant to try embroidery, because I had no ideahow to do it, and I really thought I would never have the patience forit. "Embroidered Portrait" sounded like a never-would-be finishedproject that I spent years not even bothering to start.

But I did try it, and I became addicted to it.

Whatdo you say to people that think embroidery is dated and old fashioned?

 "Embroidery is what you make it."

One of my very favorite pieces of your's is "This Work, Never Ends."It reminds me of samplers I have inherited from my Great aunt. Can youtell us a little bit about your motivation and inspiration behind thatpiece?

Imade that piece for myself. It was two rectangular doilies, and Istitched "this work" on one and "never ends" on the other. They sat fora long time on the back of my armchair where I used to do a lot ofembroidering. It was kind of a message with multiple meanings to myselfabout how work is never done no matter how you try, and also howembroidery lives on forever and grows and changes.

What are some of your favorite embroidered pieces/objects that you've collected over the years?

Oh gosh. I think my long-standing favorite isa hand-embroidered pillow that says "Hello Guest and Howdy Do. Thiswhole room belongs to you. If the temperature displeases, try a coupleof our breezes. If that should chill you, later, sit upon our radiator.Help yourself to books and blotter, easy chair or teeter-totter. HelloGuest and Howdy-Do." I have no idea who made it or where that rhymecame from!

When you meet women from other generations whom have beeninvolved with embroidery forever, how do they react to what you aredoing?

They seem to always love it (ormaybe they're just being polite). Over the years, these needleworkersare the ones who have been the most supportive, in many ways. They'regenerally always thrilled to see something new being done with it. Inany case, I'm always greatly relieved whenever a more experienced orneedleworker enjoys what I do, because I am a pretty heavy-handedembroiderer.

Do you haveany pointers for beginners starting out with embroidery?

Don'tget stressed out about it being perfect or "doing it wrong." You haveto try it first and get a feel for it. No one is perfect when theystart anything for the first time, and it's the imperfections inembroidery that often give its charm.

Your new book Embroidered Effects is a comprehensive guide to embroidery. Why did you decide to write it?

Ireally wanted to create a unique embroidery book that shared some of mypersonal techniques and what I've learned about embroidery over thelast eight years. It's what I've learned, how I understand it, and mybest attempts to explain it. And, I wanted it to be a little bit ofeverything: clear basics, lots of stitches, new projects, ways tocreatively combine stitches...I have been trying to cast people under ahand-embroidery spell for years. It seems like it's working! You wantto try embroidery..

What's coming up in 2010 for Sublime Stitching and your personal art?

More better embroidery.