textile art – Jess Wrobel: Textiles and Decor

Tag: textile art

Hand Hooked 1820 Lobster Pillow

Posted on March 3, 2020September 6, 2020 by jess

First, if you just want to put this in your shopping cart click here. For more background first, keep reading, and you can always decide on a shopping plan later.

When I first designed my hand hooked Maine Bicentennial Lobster Pillow, people repeatedly asked what the story was with 1820. Now 2020, as Maine celebrates its 200th anniversary of statehood, I think the picture will be clearer. The year 1820 was the year that Maine was first incorporated as a state. This year marks its auspicious Bicentennial marker.

My Maine Bicentennial Lobster Pillow is chocked full of wit and charm. This fellow has a personality that will light up your rooms. He will remind you of all the happy memories of coastal Maine summers. You’ll practically hear the seagulls overhead and the quiet, distinctive glug glug of the lobster boats.

I hook each Maine Bicentennial Lobster Boat Pillow with a combination of new, recycled, and vintage wool and cashmere. I even dye some of it myself. All this is hooked on a high quality linen foundation fabric. Each lobster pillow is backed with my favorite antique European homespun hemp linen–which may vary from pillow to pillow. Two examples of backing material are shown in the photos.

As with all handmade items, each piece is a one of a kind. Therefore, each will vary a bit from one to the next. Please allow for this special nature of handmade and expect some slight variations from the photo.

The Maine Bicentennial Lobster Pillow is hooked to order just for you, so please allow time for creation prior to shipping. When I receive your order, I’ll email to let you know when to expect it. Typically, it is about a two week turn around time. This can vary some based on other orders and time of year.

Measures about 17″ x 12″.

Click here to get to this piece in the shop. Thanks!

February Tease

Posted on February 6, 2019 by jess

It was an unusual early February day yesterday. The temperature hit the 50s. It was sunny and beautiful. So much so that I left the oversized slider in my studio open so I could enjoy the balmy air. My dogs clustered on the threshold as one side or the other of it would show too much commitment on their part. I worked at my hooking bench– I hook standing up– barefoot with a mug of hot vanilla milk tucked nearby. And I finally figured how to handle the border of a loosely geometric design.

Boro Style Sashiko Stitched Pillow

Posted on January 15, 2019 by jess

It’s a new year, and I’m trying new things. Boro style textiles have captured my imagination, and sashiko stitching can easily be embraced by those of us who are daunted by the skill and precision of traditional American dainty little quilting stitches. I’ve received such a positive reaction to my first piece and have gotten many questions, so I’m just going to lay out my process here. And remember, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just doing, and this was my first piece. I have graduated to my second, however, for whatever grandeur that might lend to my resume.

I started by gathering a selection of fabrics—new, old, antique, quilt squares, etc. that I thought might work well together. I know this sounds easy, but I spent the better part of an afternoon rearranging, editing, and changing up the whole thing.

When it was time to go make dinner, this is where things were at. Then I walked away for the night so I could look at it with fresh eyes in the morning. Still happy then, I pinned everything down thoroughly.

This is a wee bit out of order, but I layered all my random top pieces over a foundation fabric the size I wanted my finished piece to be plus seam allowance. I happened to be using a vintage cloth napkin my husband deemed unacceptable as it resembled a torn up sheet, but you could use anything in your stash including an actual torn up sheet… Just don’t make it too thick because you will be stitching through it in addition to all your other top layers. It’s a little different than what I did here, but I would recommend first starting with a row of running stitches around the entire perimeter of the piece. After that, anything goes.

Then I just started stitching. Imperfect running stitches based on whim or influenced by the piece of fabric I was stitching over. Sashiko means “little stabs”, so just go at it and don’t worry about anything. I jumped all over the piece, stitching where I felt like in no particular order.

So that’s really it. I finished the first piece there and made it into an oversized pillow. This piece is now my second venture into the technique.

Happy Stitching!

Sashiko Embroidered Boro Pillow

Posted on January 12, 2019September 8, 2020 by jess

I’m just gonna say it. I’m super pleased with how this sashiko embroidered pillow came out. Styled after Japanese Boro textiles, works like this make certain that nothing in the studio goes to waste. The smallest scraps prove a useful and artful purpose. For a truly multi-cultural fiber experience, I included the Dala Horse motif as part of the imagery and pattern. The fabrics include antique quilt squares and cottons, recycled denim, and homespun cotton. Bordered and backed with antique European homespun linen, this generous pillow is is filled with the highest quality stuffing I could find.

To see this piece in the shop, click here.