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
Snuggle quilt from Joyce
Have completed another project. It was hard for me because I used scraps of materials of different textures and so had to resize blocks several times. It was however a very learning process for me. Many thanks to DawnCameron-Dick. If you want to see the workshop that inspired Joyce click here:
Hampden Park Quilt Appeal for Alzheimers Scotland
Well the big day is nearly here (Saturday 8th June) ; if you sent a quilt in then you can see it on the website (!) just a simple search with your name will do. https://www.annhillquilter.co.uk Here is the latest update from Ann Hill: 10am laying the quilts begins. We have reached our target! Many football celebrities have signed the quilts I made for them and they will be auctioned off later in the year. The 5,000 quilts made by our quilters will go on sale tomorrow at Hampden Park after the event.
What to watch in June 2013 here at Justhands-on.tv
We start the month off with re-visiting the Sunbury Millenium Embroidery at Sunbury on Thames; this is such an inspirational piece of work – not only visually but because it enlisted the help of the whole village in the making of it and then on fundraising for the housing of it; it is now in a purpose built building in the walled garden within the village.