This winter, I worked on embroidering the surfaces of my seaweed printed silks. I continue to be inspired by 19th century German biologist Ernst Haeckel’s technical drawings of single cell sea organisms and other creatures. I am working on expressing, in thread, the luminescence and intricacy that these creatures exhibit in their natural surroundings.
Click images to enlarge
I have developed a pattern for a silk organza tunic based on the shape of a traditional Japanese wrap apron. I have been making them in different colors and lengths and they fit comfortably, enveloping you like a chrysalis. I am calling them my “Sanagi” tunics. Sanagi is a Japanese word for chrysalis.
I dye and print the organza, and hand sew these Sanagi tunics, lightly embroidering them around the edges. Some have beading around the neck, and some are intensely embroidered with huge protozoa and radiolaria from Haeckel’s illustrations.
I look forward to setting up the studio for the June tour and making a seaweed-silk filled world to exhibit these new pieces. I will also have my usual collections of tea towels and t-shirts and one-of-a kind gelatin-printed cards.
Click here for more about Camilla
