Last weekend I read Claire Wellesley-Smith's new book Resilient Stitch ~ Wellbeing and Connection in Textile Art, in which the author added a postscript that almost apologized for the poor timing. Writing a book about making connections and becoming part of a community through sharing and love of textile art is a noble endeavor. Publishing it in the midst of a global pandemic is also brave, in my opinion -- it speaks to a possible future that we all hope we'll survive to enjoy.
This is not a project-based book, although there are a few workshop-style exercises you can try to better understand what Claire does with her own textile art. This is more a memoir of sorts, and an unbiased look at other textile artists, a little of what they're doing with their work, and why they pursue this particular craft. I like how Claire pointed out that sewing and quilting have always been considered low or minor arts, and yet despite the lack of validation through recognition makers have continued practicing and innovating and taking them in all sorts of interesting directions.
What resonated most with me is how Claire is helping advance the evolution of textile art, which I've watched becoming more personal and sustainable over the last few years. Allowing makers to step outside the rigid boundaries of the instructional perfection ideals of the past to explore their own visions is really important. I always felt defeated by quilting until I tried slow-stitch and found the meditative comfort of being able to do what I wanted, make mistakes and simply express myself through fabric and thread.
Reading this book is like sitting down with the author, having a cup of tea and talking about what makes us create. There's a running theme of resilience throughout the chapters, but this isn't the battlecry of the textile protestors or a demand for the reader to go on enduring the unbearable for the sake of their art. Rather it's a series of observations (Claire has a sharp eye, too) on the resilience of textiles themselves, a gentle prod toward more sustainability for the sake of the planet, and what all that means to those who stitch.
I've always struggled with making connections with others and joining groups, and there was one woman Claire interviewed who seemed a lot like me. What she said about her experience with a textile art group made me feel a lot better about my own shortcomings. I think it's sad that due to the pandemic we can't gather and sew together, even informally, but we can still reach out through social media, talk about textile art and show our work. I'm doing that on Twitter, and I've been able to meet some wonderful textile artists.
I highly recommend Claire Wellesley-Smith's new book as a comfort read and a thought-provoking look at how textile art is evolving and bringing us together (hopefully someday soon.)
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