About Niamh
Niamh Wimperis is one of the most colourful and dynamic embroidery artists currently practicing.
According to Niamh, she’s “all about feminism and plants”, and finds a lot of her inspiration from her vast collection of house plants, and childhood memories of her grandparents house, Selsley Herb and Goat Farm. Her work has evolved from ultra political – – with her feminist pieces featured in Ms Magazine, Buzzfeed and The Huff Post – – to this more calming botanical style.
Niamh achieved a Masters Degree in Contemporary Craft in 2017 from Plymouth College of Art. Her final piece, an interactive installation titled ‘A Feeling Of Safety, Perhaps’ was exhibited in the MA show and as part of Dwell, a two woman collaboration for Plymouth Art Weekend at Plymouth Art Centre.
In 2018 Niamh was chosen to be on the BBC2 programme, The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts. This was a “living history” reality show in which Niamh and 5 other talented crafts people lived in a William Morris-esque arts and crafts commune for a month, complete with wearing Victorian clothes, eating Victorian food and using Victorian tools. The 4 part BBC2 show aired in January 2019. You can read more about her experience here, and watch the series here.
Niamh now lives in Camden Town with her partner Alex, a watch maker. She is currently writing her first book, continues to make work (including commissions), and has launched her #WEStitchKit – a monthly embroidery kit subscription box. You can find about more about her kit subscription here.
Signature Technique
Botanical Embroidery
Top Tips
- Use the Satin Stitch for a shimmer and shine effect.
- Stitch on two layers to avoid warp and seeing stitches on the back.
- Keep your fabric tight as a drum in your hoop or your piece will pucker.
- Nothing in nature is perfect, so don’t be afraid if a stitch appears strange or off the centre line. That’s how it appears in real life.
- The Fly Stitch is wonderfully versatile; use it for pine branches, flowers and leaves.
- If you find your thread is suddenly shorter, you probably have a knot. Use your needle to pull the knot apart.
Videos
Books and Patterns
Posts
Oakshott Open Days – Christmas Wrapped Up
Oakshott Fabrics’ Open Days are not-to-be-missed events, so save the dates for their upcoming ones! Saturday 8th December 10am – 4pm Sunday 9th December 10am – 1pm Whether for Christmas gifts, fabrics to replenish your stash, or ‘because you’re worth it’ treats, their Open Days are a must. For two days only, their warehouse will be transformed into a Pop Up Shop brimming with alluring displays of their signature ‘shot’ cottons.
Quilting groups at the heart of their communities
We thought you might like to listen to this from Womens Hour on Wednesday 15 Aug 2018 on BBC Radio 4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bf4cjw They had a 'Listener Week' where listeners are invited to write in to suggest topics of discussion. If you listen from 32.00 minutes you'll hear a lovely discussion about quilting and quilting groups. A quilter from Dundee- Penelope Wild, who attends a monthly group in her area had written in and suggested quilting as a topic.
17 August 2018
New Videos Every Friday Dyeing in a Plastic Bag [...]