Embroideries

ME/CFS Symptomatology Series

These pieces make the invisible neurological symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) visible including paresthesias (tingling sensations), post-exertional malaise (PEM), and neuropathies (nerve pain). All are hand embroidered cotton and sometimes silk on linen cloth.

body map (2016)
paresthesia (face) – 2016
paresthesia (foot) – 2016
paresthesia (hand 1) – 2016
paresthesia (hand 2) – 2016
paresthesia (hand 3) – 2016
paresthesia (tonuge 1) – 2016
sensorium (2016)
she was tributaries (2016)
neurasthenia (2017)
stars within, stars without (2017)
paresthesia (tongue 2) – 2018
push, pull, & tingle (2018)
In a small embroidery hoop on bone coloured linen is the outline of a hand done in the same colour. Emanating from the palm of the hand are thick grey chain stitched lines that curl around the hand. On the back of the hand and up the lower arm are fine navy blue curls that get more dense as they move up the arm.
Kendra’s hand (2017)

Anatomy Series

These pieces explore experiential anatomy, sometimes with added poetic text, sometimes with symptomatology. All are hand embroidered cotton on linen or cotton, occasionally with glass or semi-precious stone beds, or silk organza appliqué.

An image of an old engraving of a vagus nerve is embroidered on green cotton. The gut is in a large bamboo embroidery hoop. The embroidery of the main nerve lines is done in blue chain stitch in perlé cotton. The brain and some of the face is stitched in the same thread in backstitch. Details in the face are stitched in single strand floss. A bright red anatomical heart is stitched in red whipped back stitch. Around it a bright golden yellow halo in a vesica piscis shape is stitched in single strand thread. Three sets of ribs have are stitched in bright green/yellow stem stitch. There are some tiny details in different colours along some of the nerves. Burgundy roiling with sparse tiny black French knots are stitched in the gut area. The nerve endings in the diaphragm area are lengthened with one and two strand whipped back stitch. Lia’s initials are stitched in green thread in the bottom right.
the wandering ghost (2024)
Bleeding Vessel (2022)
she breathed (2018)
nave of vibration (2017)
woman in skull (2016)
heart vortices (2016)
A red & purple organza liver embroidery on grey linen. The biliary system between the 2 layers is bilious green with yellow beads inside the small lobe. White beads sit on the narrow end of the top organza. An arched T shape with tight white crisscross stitches separates the lobes and curves over the top. Text stitched in light grey single strands read: What roots grow in us. Branch through our landscapes. In love plexuses. a curvature borne. between what is held & what must be held carefully. fleshy beasts tethered. By fluid and ligaments. Such a gentle embrace. Beneath our skin. Here is the thing I broke & then repaired with brightness. Laid open. The spells it holds. A language spoken. Between boughs & flesh. this golden ingot. This tailed beast. And its viscous song. What a miracle these spaces within us. Are what make us whole. What offertory our bodies. The proper invocation of flesh. Placed on the ground. Hosts on tongues. Fleshy language. Each thing precious in its own decay.
tethered by fluid & ligaments (2023)
An embroidery of the venations of the eye stitched in blues, greens, and purples on bone coloured cloth. In a circle outlining the eye is a poem that can be read starting on any word: behind her blue green eyes were fine lace webs so she could see purple mist opening.
eye poem (2016)

microscopy series

These pieces explore the smallest parts of our world, sometimes with added poetic text. All are hand embroidered cotton on linen.

An embroidery of the diagram of a cell on blue linen. the details are in whites, blues, turquoise, burgundy, green, and deep orange. The labels are poetic text instead of scientific terms. From bottom right around to bottom left it reads: Pair of pleases. Chance it some. Chromatic & new to us (carries us some of the way) New to us. Chromatic nets. Please remember. Vacant. Reticent about apparent goals. The centre. Where sometimes we met. Two of us. Sector illustrating the firm approach to pleasure. Caring pleases. New to us. Remember. True newness (pleasure). Sector illustrating sides to where time ran and had pleasure.
cell map (2020)
A ciliated endothelial cell is embroidered in the centre of bone white linen. Cursive text on the left reads: where we walk singing into wires. On the right the text reads: wires. lake. lagoon. lacuna. On the bottom left is a small bug-like creature.
endothelial map (2016)
On bone white linen there are four embroidery pieces. On each is a closed eyelid embroidered in fine black thread. Above each eyelid there is a different fungal spore. From top left clockwise the spores are a tetrapol, a dermatophyte, an aspergillus, and a perithecium.
eye fungi (2016)
An embroidered image of a cell dividing into two cells. The colours are muted pastels and each aspect of the cell is done in a different stitch.
mitosis sampler (2016)
On bone white linen there is a pyramidal neuron stitched in black thread. To the right of it are three lines of text embroidered in grey that read: Atone. A tone. At one.
a tone (2016)