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
Help with layering a quilt
I was interested in Valerie's Layer Quilt and Bind method I have dug out a finished top layer which I put on the back burner as I find it hard to layer it on the floor, I am confident that it will get finished now. I have done a sample of Jennie Origami Hexagon so pleased that I have fabric to make a cushion, maybe one day I will manage a quilt.
Cats for the barn
After watching Jenny's workshop...had fun making this for my daughter Sara..the sashing has tiny mice on it to go with the cat's theme..Sara lives in a barn conversion! ..Lyn love it Lyn - and hopefully there are only mice on the quilt!
Take 3 from Joanne
Hi All, just a quick note to say thanks to you all for all the information and videos on your site. This is the first quilt I have ever made and although not perfect, I am very pleased. I machine pieced the 3 strips together before cutting and added the border by machine. Everything else has been done by hand and I even managed to embroider our family names in the corners.