All Stitched
Up
When Alice McCullough isn’t hiking the hills and ridgelines of the South, she’s likely stitching miniature renderings of the landscapes from the comfort of her home.
How did your embroidery journey begin?
My mum is a big crafter and continuously has about five projects on the go. She was always doing embroidery and one day when I had been painting all morning I decided to see if I could somehow draw a person using embroidery. I borrowed some thread and so my first embroidery was of a woman's face and that's when I realised, hey, I think I can do this! That was two years ago and since then I have really focused more on my landscapes, places that hold a special memory in my heart. Bridging the realms of science, nature and art is one of my goals. I try to bring to life these landscapes that are so pristine; places that we want to protect.
What do you like about capturing a landscape in embroidery?
Art for me is such a form of expression of who I am and what I love most. The textile form for me really creates so much depth to the image, so that people can truly sink into the piece and picture the way the tidal inlet flows or how the bushes cluster up to the ridgeline. There is just something so special in being able to create a piece of art that you can take anywhere.
What does your process look like when you make your pieces?
I have never really been good at sitting still so for me embroidery is such a form of relaxation. I'll usually have a photograph of a landscape open so that I can focus on the shading and colours. So I'm always listening to music or one of my favourite podcasts, The Waterpeople Podcast, during the process.
Find Alice and her work: @itsjusthaberdasheryhoney
Find the full story, All Stitched Up, in Womenclan: Journal One available here.
