Designer Edge – Sarah K. Benning
Sarah K. Benning splits her time between a sunny Spanish island and the USA, which makes having a garden and growing plants pretty difficult. by Janai Velez
Instead, she has created a vibrant, indoor ‘vertical garden’ of embroidered plants, the inspiration for which came during the long, dark, cold winters experienced in Upstate New York. “It was very difficult to keep a thriving indoor garden under those conditions, so in the depths of winter I began stitching the plants I wished I had … I very quickly fell in love with the challenge of translating the complex and widely varied shapes, colours and textures of plants into embroidery,” she says. And when in Menorca, Spain … “Wild cacti and palms naturally grow all over the place. It’s basically heaven on earth and has only enhanced my focus on greenery in my work.”
Combine English paper piecing with wool appliqué!
Her hand-stitched illustrations feature an abundance of plants overflowing from pots that are positioned on or around Mid-century design and with hints of Turkish, Moroccan and Navajo textiles, all contained within embroidery hoops. They look like circular windows that invite viewers to take a peek into rooms of yesteryear. And no dirty digging needed – all Sarah needs are wooden hoops (ranging from three to 12in in diameter), cotton and linen fabrics and DMC stranded embroidery threads (including about 25 different shades of green!). Sarah tends to focus on designs of tropical-foliage varieties, and she especially loves Monstera plants, as well the pattern possibilities offered in the spikes and prickles of desert species. And sometimes a plant from her own imagination makes an appearance in her work.
Learn zentangle-inspired free-motion machine quilting!
Drawing up the designs is Sarah’s favourite stage of her process. “I keep various sketchbooks with drawings ranging in completeness, from carefully composed ‘finished’ sketches to half scribbled thumbnails of quick ideas”. Her drawings are revised many times before she begins sewing. The final step of adding the surface pattern is also rewarding. “That is when the work finds its personality and transforms from a bunch of strangely nude plants to a finished work of art,” she says.
Sarah looks forward to the day when she can put down roots and invest more time into developing her own living houseplant collection and garden. In the meantime, nursery and garden visits and embroidering for hours each day are giving her a nature fix and nourishing her creativity. She plans to start teaching workshops and creating more DIY embroidery patterns while continuing to develop her own work. “No matter how hectic things get or how long my to-do list is, when I have a needle in my hand, I feel good. I think embroidery, because of the slow and repetitive process, is very meditative and I never seem to get tired of it (though sometimes my wrists do hurt!).”
Create a modern woven plaid quilt
For more about Sarah, of Sarah K. Benning Contemporary Embroidery, visit her website sarahkbenning.com where you’ll find her gallery of stitched artworks, including embroideries for sale. For her DIY embroidery patterns, head to the Etsy shop www.sarahkbenning.etsy.com.
