Lately, I’ve noticed a shift in what pulls me into the studio.
More and more, I find myself drawn to pieces that hold a story within them. Scenes. Moments. Something that feels like it existed before it was stitched, and continues to exist once it’s worn.
That feeling was reinforced for me over Christmas in an unexpected way.
Most days, my daughter and I share a hot chocolate ritual. Last year, I decided to buy us each a handmade ceramic mug to make those moments feel a little more special.
For my mug, I found a ceramic artist in Ukraine through Instagram. I reached out to her about a custom piece, and she was warm and open straight away. What followed was a surprisingly complicated attempt to pay her. It took three tries, across three different platforms, before the payment finally went through.
In the meantime, she didn’t wait. She trusted that we would work it out together, and by the time the payment reached her, the mug was already finished and ready to send. There was something incredibly moving about that trust. A quiet collaboration between two people on opposite sides of the world, both doing their part.
For my daughter’s mug, I found a different ceramic artist in the Netherlands. Her work is full of pastel colours, hearts, and rainbows. I knew instantly it would suit my daughter perfectly. When I shared that our heritage is Dutch, and that my daughter is very proud of that, the artist told me it made the piece feel even more meaningful for her to make.
Neither mug is just a mug.
They carry the hands that made them, the conversations that shaped them, the small moments of trust and connection that brought them into our home. When we sit together with our hot chocolates, those stories are part of the ritual too.
I think this is why I’m finding myself drawn more and more to narrative work in my own practice.
Pieces that don’t just rely on pattern or colour, but that feel like tiny stories you can wear. A skater mid-glide. A carousel caught in motion. One of the first pieces to come from this feeling is a leopard pair I recently stitched. It’s bold, full of character, and a quiet nod to Valentine’s Day, if you’re so inclined.
Discover Rosa Leopard Earrings →
I’m not leaving anything behind. The graphic and abstract work still matters to me. But I’m giving more space to the pieces that arrive with their own sense of place and feeling.
I’m following what pulls me in, and seeing where it leads. Can’t wait! 😊
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