"Capture an aspect of your domestic memories – special meals, the seasons, houses lived in, pets, holidays, gardens or outings..."
Darren Ball
Stitched Memories in Free Machine embroidery & Appliqué
4 days: 17th-18th, 20th-21st August 2026 Fee: £525.00
"The cleverness of Darren's initial interpretation of each image, followed by his layering of new and historical textiles, the stitches and sewn details, and the colour he remakes the portraits with, all add up to a surprising whole."
Jane Audas, Embroidery Magazine
Join Darren to create a special interpretation of an image that is part of your story..
Before class students should consider their approach to the idea of domestic memories from their past and bring images which will recapture an aspect of those memories. I would suggest as broad approach to this as possible which could include memories of special meals, the seasons, houses lived in, family members, pets, holidays, gardens or outings etc. This doesn’t have to be a figurative piece the students can be creative in their interpretation of the starting point.
In the class I will discuss the student's choice of imagery and how it could be simplified to be most suitable for free embroidery and appliqué and to create a really individual and personal piece. The scale of images can be enlarged or decreased for the composition. I would suggest that a composition of approximately 25cm x 30cm would be manageable over the 4-day period depending on complexity. Students could work on a handkerchief of their own if they wish. You can work with a composition of several elements or a larger, more detailed subject.
The chosen images will be traced to allow for simplification and to reduce them to line drawings. The tracing will form the basis of the free embroidery and the applique. An iron-on adhesive will be used to create the shapes needed for the applique.
After demonstration of the appliqué and free embroidery the students will be able to select additional ways of adding detail or embellishment to their work. I will demonstrate the use of machine satin stitch to add additional areas of colour or to vary the thickness of line in the embroidery. I will also show how I use beading and sequins to add further areas of embellishment.
I would like students to make their own selections of how they develop their work but I would offer one-to-one suggestions and my own opinion as to effectiveness. If students enjoy hand embroidery this could be included to add further areas of pattern or texture.
Students should bring their own machines and it would be useful if they had tried free embroidery. They don’t need to have had lots of success with it as I will guide them. (You need to be familiar with your own machine and know what it is capable of.) There will be a kit of basics for this course at a small additional cost (to be confirmed).
Artist statement/inspiration
My artworks are populated by figures taken from my collection of vintage ‘Stitchcraft’ magazines. The magazines were published from the 1930’s onwards and covered all aspects of women’s domestic life. I am particularly interested in the knitting, hand embroidery and fashion within the magazines and exploit these images to create my own narratives from imagination or memory. My pieces reference the domestic making of the period and our current recognition of the importance of wellbeing and making.
Stylistically I am influenced by the fashion drawings of the 1930’s and 40’s and their economical use of line, relationship to free embroidery and their relevance to the ‘Stitchcraft’ magazines. I am particularly inspired by the illustrations of Carl Erickson, Christian Berard and Rene Gruau.
My practice is underpinned by meticulous craftsmanship. I trained in fashion textiles, specializing in hand knit. After teaching fine art and textiles for many years I now work as a full time artist. I explore hand knit, applique and machine embroidery techniques to achieve my imagery. I respond very strongly to the materiality of textiles and through my use of the magazines I have found a new visual language referencing the past in a contemporary way.
My work is domestic and intimate in scale to encourage closer inspection and consideration. It is created on a domestic sewing machine using vintage handkerchiefs or textiles as the canvas and my narratives are fed by their textile qualities. I bring together methods of making learnt over many years. I do not use any digital embroidery but aim to control the sewing machine with artistry to create completely bespoke pieces.
My use of handkerchiefs references past domestic life and imposes a scale at which to work. They were still commonly used during my childhood and I aim to transform them adding relevance to the present and the future. I do not use any paints or dyes in my pieces, instead I exploit a found palette of fabrics and threads which I have collected over many years. These provide rich contrasts of surface as well as a very personal colour palette.
Bespoke framing completes my pieces. They are presented behind glass to draw attention to the handkerchief as a once ubiquitous object and to emphasise their intricacy, preciousness and the lengthy making of the piece.
You will find more of Darren's work on his site. In the Craft Council's directory and you can follow him on Instagram.