Floating Garden

Within this embroidered installation titled “Floating Garden”, I was thinking about an idealized space, an imaginary and dream like environment. “Floating Garden” addresses the history of botanical themes in stock embroidery, taking flowers out of the context of embroidery ‘kits’ and moving these images into an installation to create an experiential environment. While researching the history of English embroidery, I recognized the repeated references to certain flowers. Buttercups, English asters, daisies, and other flowers found within North America became the building blocks of this piece. It became important for me to create my own versions of these standards.

Through this installation, I have taken the flowers out of the samplers and botanical drawing books where I found them. I have embroidered them and reintegrated them into a simulated garden space creating an environment filled with stitched line.

Over 1,000 individual stems hang from the ceiling in this piece. I designed each flower and used a cross hatching technique with my sewing machine to create depth and contrast.